Brent J. Donaway's the Grand Old Lady: A Book Celebrating the Premiere of the Film, the History of the Westmont Theatre and Her Supporters - Brossura

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0976532514 ISBN 13: 9780976532514

Casa editrice: Reference Desk Pr Inc, 2007

Riassunto

Companion book to Brent J. Donaway's documentary film about the historic Westmont Theatre in New Jersey. The theatre started in the days of vaudeville and silent films and remains standing today. It has a storied past that is said to be the theatre that inspired a young Steven Spielberg to become a filmmaker. It was managed by Michael Landon's father and provided Michael's first job in entertainment. It was one of the world premiere location for The Exorcist in 1973 and in 1979 Dustin Hoffman and Robert Benton's visit to a preview screening of Kramer vs. Kramer resulted in a change in the film's ending. The theatre has survived every major phase of the changing landscape of the movie theatre experience in America. Dubbed "The Grand Old Lady" her fate is uncertain.

Su questo libro

L'autore:

William B. Brahms graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A.in Economics earning College Honors and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned an M.L.S from Rutgers SCILS and is presently Chief Librarian at the main branch of the Camden County Library in Voorhees, NJ. He is President and CEO of Reference Desk Press,Inc. This is his fifth book.Mark Zeigler has an arts background from Rutgers and is the Graphic Designer for The Retrospect newspaper in Collingswood, NJ.Brent J. Donaway graduated from Rowan University's College of Communication, Department of Radio/Television and Film, where he earned a B.A. in RTF Communications with an emphasis in film production. He then attended The New York Film Academy at Princeton University and earned a professional certificate in digital filmmaking. He is presently enrolled in graduate school at the New School University in New York City pursuing a M.A. in documentary film studies

Dalla seconda/terza di copertina:

An old movie palace sits abandoned in southern New Jersey, waiting to die. Brent J. Donaway, a recent film-school graduate, grew up in its shadow, a few blocks away, too young to have set foot inside. Curiosity and the knowledge that his generation will never experience a special way of theatre-going inspired his quest to document this “Grand Old Lady,” the Westmont Theatre in Haddon Township, New Jersey, from vaudeville to today. What might have been a simple biography of a local theatre turns into a remarkable journey: a microcosm of many local movie palaces, from the glory days through take-overs by large movie chains, failed competition with multiplexing, grassroots efforts to re-use the building for local live theatre and ultimate abandonment. The Westmont is different because it is still standing in its original form. It has not been altered or converted into an unrecognizable monstrosity. It is a rare boarded-up time capsule. Donaway's tour guide—a movie house historian, who grew up in a theater family working at the Westmont—walks us through the theatre's past, documenting how the theatre worked and giving insights into what caused it to change. Donaway encounters others with fascinating tales of why the Westmont was no ordinary local theatre: from the story of how a young Steven Spielberg was inspired to become a filmmaker here; to how Michael Landon's film work really began here; to the hysteria that reigned when The Exorcist had its World Premiere; to the balcony preview of Kramer v. Kramer that resulted in changing the film's ending. This is a true documentary with no posed backdrops or rehearsed lines. Donaway and his crew track down former patrons, a box-office girl and ushers. Speaking from experience, they tell real theatre stories: funny, shocking, and sad; all nostalgic and interesting. In 48 minutes, Donaway captures a slice of the film industry rarely examined, recording a Grand Old Lady's life for the first time, as she fades away.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Reference Desk Pr Inc
• Data di pubblicazione: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0976532514
• ISBN 13: 9780976532514
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 104