Described as a “bibliophile-meets-cinephile celebration,” this book pays tribute to two of my favorite passions: reading and watching classic films. You’ll find a mix of publicity stills and production shots such as Joan Fontaine standing next to an imposing tower of books for the comedy “The Affairs of Susan,” or the Wizard of Oz cast perched atop a giant replica of L. Frank Baum’s iconic book. You’ll also discover unscripted camera shots — look, there’s Jean Simmons caught reading Dora Aydelotte’s “Run of the Stars” while waiting for a ride.
Sometimes the pictured reading material is unknown. A picture of Marlon Brando taking in between scenes on the set of “The Men” shows the actor with a book on his lap and a rather brooding look on his face. What is he reading to cause such a look? Or is he just annoyed at the interruption? Maybe he’s remembering that he forgot to put the milk back in the refrigerator. Who knows, but at least he’s got a book.
Other photos reveal some pretty profound reading choices. A young Orson Welles reclines on a sofa with a pipe and, oh, just a little light reading — “A History of Technology, Vol. III: From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution.” Perhaps not surprising coming from the director of the radio drama “War of the Worlds” (technology tries to take over the world, after all), but it’s a little startling to see Marilyn Monroe stretched out on her sofa bed perusing the pages of “The Poetry and Prose of Heinrich Heine.” Is it a prop, or is she really reading a collection of German-Jewish writings? Read on to find out that in 1999 Monroe’s personal library — over 400 books — was auctioned at Christie’s. It included “novels, classics, artist monographs, history, biography, you name it.” Norma Jean Baker, a woman of unsuspected depth.
Then there are the studio shots showing an actor “reading” the book being filmed. Appropriately enough we see Gregory Peck reading “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Spencer Tracy engaged in “The Old Man and the Sea,” and Vincent Price contemplating a copy of “The Portable Poe.” One of my favorite photographs in the collection is of Alfred Hitchcock. Pretending to yawn while looking through “The World of Birds” by James Fisher and Roger Tory Peterson, the humorous wink and nod to his film “The Birds” is sure to bring a smile to any Hitchcock fan.
