Vertigo: The Making of a Hitchcock Classic

Vertigo is undeniably Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece (if not one of them) and perhaps his best film. To view it once is to be devastated. With each subsequent screening, most viewers notice bits of business, depths of thought, and stunning ironies that had previously eluded them. The first time I watched the film I was about nine years old and thought the movie was boring. But I have seen the film twice since and come to appreciate the film greatly. Vertigo is a riveting experience, haunting its fans in the same way that Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) is haunted by the mysterious Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak). 

Upon researching the film, author Dan Auiler found that "this odd, obsessional, very un-matter-of-fact film was created" under "systematic, businesslike, matter-of-fact circumstances." His book gives us the opportunity to witness the construction of a film that seems at once amazing complex and absolutely seamless. He discusses the painstaking development of the screenplay (including its controversial explication of the mystery only two-thirds of the way through the film), the decision to cast Novak instead of Vera Miles opposite Stewart, the typically meticulous Hitchcock shoot, the film's amazing special effects and extraordinary credit and dream sequences, and the legendary musical score composed by Bernard Herrmann. 

The book also includes a forward by Vertigo enthusiast Martin Scorsese, and hundreds of production photos, reproductions of memos, storyboard sketches, and posters. Vertigo: The Making of a Hitchcock Classic is available in paperback and hardcover. If you are a fan of the movie, this book is a must-have.

 

LASSIE: The Radio Series (Re-Discovered)

Good news for fans of Lassie! A complete set of the radio scripts were found and presently being scanned into digital format. And this is a major discovery...

The fictional female collie made her debut in a 1938 short story by Eric Knight, which would later be expended into a 1940 full-length novel, Lassie Come Home. In 1943, MGM Studios released a theatrical version of the novel. This led to six additional feature-length movies with the same collie as the hero.

The dog playing the role in those movies was Pal. His owner and trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, then acquired the trademark name of "Lassie" from MGM and began taking the dog on the road for public paid appearances at circuses, rodeos and county fairs. From 1947 to 1950, the character of Lassie was the star subject of a weekly adventure series, sponsored by Red Heart Dog Food. (No surprise as to the sponsor.) To date, very few of the radio broadcasts exist in recorded form but now that we have the complete run of radio scripts, an episode guide can be created. 

The radio version has been relatively unexplored and barely documented except in brief entries in encyclopedias. With luck, much more will be documented in the near future.

I have always said that magazine articles first began as slide show presentations. Books first began as magazine articles. And thanks to books, archival materials get scanned digitally for preservation. So in the coming year or two I suspect there will be a slide show presentation about the history of the radio program. Something equally to cheer for on top of this major discovery.

Funko Pops presents The Twilight Zone

This was a big announcement a week ago... especially trending among the Twilight Zone fandom. The company known for creating inexpensive Funko Pops figurines, licensed, will be offering The Twilight Zone among their offerings later this year. Among them is "The Narrator" (more than likely because Rod Serling's name could not be licensed). Fans of the TV series take note: grab them while you can since this is available as a pre-order, for an October release.

Link enclosed:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CND1GH5R?psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp