ebooks Perfect Match (Oberon Modern Plays) by Gary Owen in Arts-Photography

Review

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Excellent look at the casting of Hitchcocks Hollywood films and ...By Stephen M. KopianExcellent look at the casting of Hitchcocks Hollywood films and how the choices made affected what was on the screen.The trick to enjoying the book is to understand that the book is limited in its scope. It only concerns Hitchcocks American films and it only concerns the casting. If you go into the book expecting grand tales on the complete productions of the films you are going to be disappointed. However if you go into the book and go along with what its doing you will have a great time. For me the film forced me to stop and think about films that might have been or what might have happened if other films had been cast differently. The fact that the book forces you to really think about how all films are cast and the effect the casting is one of the books strongest points.2 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy CoffintomA whole new perspective on this fascinating film maker4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Poorly researched; not particularly insightful; just plain WRONG at timesBy EPluribusUnum100The author is quite right in drawing attention to the paucity of material regarding casting in Alfred Hitchcocks films; but unfortunately this book does little to remedy that deficiency. This book contains no original research; and after deciding on a fairly superficial main thesis--Hitchcock did not give much credit to his actors--Ms. Coffin slavishly follows this idea through brief (6 to 8-page) chapters about the directors films from "Rebecca" through "Family Plot."These chapters offer very little depth or insight. There is NO bibliography and her notes reveal she has relied mostly on the Donald Spoto biography of Hitchcock; the Truffaut/Hitchcock interviews; and star biographies published decades after the fact rather than consult original documents. Her book often contains egregious errors. Here is a typical example from her chapter on "Dial M for Murder":ldquo;When first purchasing the property of the stage play; Hitchcock wanted to cast the most elegant and beloved actress of the time: Audrey Hepburn.rdquo; This is just plain wrong. "Dial M for Murder" started shooting on July 30; 1953. Audrey Hepburn had already completed "Roman Holiday" in 1952; but the film did not get released until late August; 1953 and her TIME magazine cover came in September; 1953. In July; 1953 Hepburn was still an unknown to American moviegoers except for bit parts in foreign films (like her 12-second walk-on as "Chiquita" in "The Lavender Hill Mob"). This makes the rest of Coffins "analysis" fairly painful reading; e.g. "Although a star like Audrey Hepburn would have been an undeniable box-office draw for audiences; she would have also been the biggest star in the movie..."Her chapter on "Psycho" fails to mention Hitchcocks overriding casting imperative with that film--getting the best actors he could for the lowest prices [Tony Perkins for $40;000; Janet Leigh for $25;000; Vera Miles for $10;000 (!)]--in the process of making a low-budget horror film. Coffin also does not seem to have actually watched any of Janet Leighs prior films when stating; "It was unexpected to see a good girl like Leigh with short hair in her bra and underwear; committing robbery and trying to escape." Leighs physical charms had unabashedly been presented throughout most of her previous career; and her portrayal of Linda; an alcoholic glamour girl marrying an older man for his money in "Safari" (1956) or Anna; a ruthless Soviet spy who uses sex to entrap John Wayne in "Jet Pilot" (1957) were hardly "good girl" parts. She literally had her bodice ripped (exposing her naked back) as Morgana in "The Vikings" (1958) and displayed plenty of cheesecake for the viewers of "Touch of Evil" (1958); so Hitchcock undressing her in "Psycho" was not unexpected at all: having her murdered while undressed was the coup.Apparently this book started as a college thesis--which is where it should have stayed until Ms. Coffin had done more research and consulted with more critical ( knowledgeable) editors that were available to her at Rowman Littlefield.P.S. 5-Star reviews from family members [SEE "Coffintom"] are simply EMBARRASSING!