Synopses & Reviews
"None of us thought we were making anything but entertainment for the moment. Only Ernst Lubitsch knew we were making art."
--John Ford
When movie lovers speak of the "Lubitsch touch," they refer to a singular sense of style and taste, humor and humanity, that suffused the films of one of Hollywood's greatest directors. In this first ever full-length biography of Ernst Lubitsch, Scott Eyman takes readers behind the scenes of such classic films as Trouble in Paradise (1932), The Merry Widow (1934), Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938), Ninotchka (1939), The Shop around the Corner (1940), To Be or Not to Be (1942), and Heaven Can Wait (1943), which together constitute one of the most important and influential bodies of work in Hollywood. Eyman examines both the films Lubitsch crafted and the life he lived -- his great successes and his overwhelming anxieties -- to create an indelible portrait of Hollywood's Golden Age and one of its most respected artists.
With a new Preface by the author.
Review
"Written with the kind of intuitiveness that's rooted in knowledge and affection. Eyman's scholarship gives the reader pleasure." Pauline Kael
Review
"In an entrancing, revealing biography that illuminates the unique chemistry behind 'the Lubitsch touch,' Eyman limns a single-minded director, despised by Hitler, who embodied the classic immigrant experience in Hollywood by giving a European twist to American genres." Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
"I have always revered Lubitsch the artist. Scott Eyman now reveals Lubitsch as a human being, as charming -- and as frail -- as one of his own characters. Ideal for anyone who cares about the cinema." Kevin Brownlow, author of David Lean: A Biography
Review
"A resoundingly wonderful, first-ever full-dress biography of the inspired filmmaker....Eyman writes with steady brilliance throughout but takes on extra luster when describing the making of Lubitsch's greatest works." Hollywood Reporter
Review
"Gratifying biography of one of the screen's greatest directors....Distinguished. Written for full orchestra, it captures every subtlety." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
When movie lovers speak of the "Lubitsch touch", they refer to a singular sense of style and taste, humor and humanity, that suffused the films of one of Hollywood's greatest directors. In this first ever full-length biography of Ernst Lubitsch, Scott Eyman takes readers behind the scenes of such classic films as Trouble in Paradise (1932), The Merry Widow (1934), Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938), Ninotchka (1939), The Shop around the Corner (1940), To Be or Not to Be (1942), and Heaven Can Wait (1943), which together constitute one of the most important and influential bodies of work in Hollywood. Eyman examines both the films Lubitsch crafted and the life he lived -- his great successes and his overwhelming anxieties -- to create an indelible portrait of Hollywood's Golden Age and one of its most respected artists.
Description
Filmography: p. 375-387. Includes bibliographical references (p. 389-396) and index.
About the Author
SCOTT EYMAN is the books editor for the Palm Beach Post. His other books include The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution, 1926-1930 and Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford, both available in paperback from Johns Hopkins.