The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood

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Reading David Thomson's new book, The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood is like listening to a favorite older uncle reminisce about his Hollywood career; it's full of interesting stories of yesteryear, lots of valuable insights, and probably good for you--even if some sections go faster than others. Thomson is an accomplished critic who has written for The New York Times and Salon (among others), and is also the author of several books on the subject of show biz, including The New Biographical Dictionary of Film. In The Whole Equation (a reference to F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel about Hollywood, The Last Tycoon), he attempts to cover "the history of American movies," and "the history of America in the time of movies." To do so, he brings in finance, film theory, and just plain gossip. (For those who haven't heard how Jean Harlow died, prepare to watch the facade of glamour crumble as never before.)

It's an ambitious project to say the least, and the movie business is probably too complex a subject to sum up in 350-plus pages. Often a reader can start a chapter, purportedly on one topic, and find themselves completely off the grid--or at least buried under a lot of words--a few pages later. Like that favorite uncle, Thomson isn't necessarily quick to make his point, nor afraid of straying from his main subject. Nevertheless, many parts of the book are enjoyable and valuable--particularly for those who really want to learn about the history of American filmmaking, and wouldn't mind finding out what Brando got paid for Last Tango in Paris in the process. --Leah Weathersby

Book Description

With the same style and insight he brought to his previous studies of American cinema, acclaimed critic David Thomson masterfully evokes the history of America’s love affair with the movies and the tangled history of Hollywood in The Whole Equation.

Thomson takes us from D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, and the first movies of mass appeal to Louis B. Mayer, who understood what movies meant to America–and reaped the profits. From Capra to Kidman and Hitchcock to Nicholson, Thomson examines the passion, vanity, calculation and gossip of Hollywood and the films it has given us. This one-volume history is a brilliant and illuminating overview of “the wonder in the dark”–and the staggering impact Hollywood and its films has had on American culture.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining, Intellectual Look At The Movie Industry.......2006-07-27

The Whole Equation shouldn't work. It's written in a rambling style that is at times pompous, at times overly dismissive, and almost always self-indulgent. Additionally, Thomson tends to place much more importance on certain themes (like Nicole Kidman's performance in The Hours) than they deserve, thus bogging down the flow of the book.

And yet, The Whole Equation does work. Once one get accustomed to the style, it's very clear that Thomson has married an intellectual's knowledge of the medium with a film lover's experience to create a history that is both informative and challenging. Particularly important are Thomson's ruminations on societal issues that motion pictures have impacted; like the increase in divorce rates, the power of celebrity, and the easy with which violence is seen as a viable (if not the only) option for dealing with disagreement. These ruminations make it clear that the strange mix of pretension and greed that fuels a movie's creation may not produce results that are beneficial to society.

In the end, I was glad that my frustration with the writing style didn't overwhelm my appreciation for the book's themes. This book certainly isn't for everyone. But, for those looking for a new perspective on this topic, The Whole Equation will prove to be a worthy guide to that strangely powerful form of modern expression known as the motion picture.

An Erudite Scholar Waxes About the Business and Creative Sides of Hollywood Moviemaking.......2006-02-24

As someone who has casually perused his monumentally encyclopedic "The New Biographical Dictionary of Film", I recognize author David Thomson for the deep well of cinema knowledge he obviously possesses. With an obviously fertile mind, he is able to discern filmmaking trends and styles others have not thought to synthesize in their thinking. His writing can get scholarly and sometimes off-putting, but for the most part, he is quite accessible. His latest book is a provocative and personable read of a macro-level subject one would think too onerous to capture adequately in one tome. Not only does he attempt to tell the history of Hollywood but how it has influenced the rest of society here and globally.

Taken appropriately from a line in "The Last Tycoon", F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished roman à clef about legendary MGM production chief Irving Thalberg, the title refers to the delicate balance between movies as entertainment and the business side where the source of funds and the quest for profits affects how movies are made. In fact, as the practical facilitator between a struggling new studio and a monomaniacal director in danger of excessive cost overruns, Thalberg himself is the subject of an interesting essay on how he maintained this precarious balance during the intensely stressful filming of Erich von Stroheim's epic 1925 silent classic, "Greed".

Spanning the generations since then, Thomson covers personalities ranging from D.W. Griffith to Nicole Kidman, and he is at his best when he focuses on the artistic side of the equation. For example, he opines knowledgeably that silent films were due to meet extinction because of the Victorian theatrics and stilted movements that were necessary to compensate for the lack of dialogue, even though others are adamant that silent films are a lost art. The author can also get curmudgeonly as in his assertion that screenwriter Robert Towne should have made "Chinatown" a novel rather than a movie script and thereby ignoring the virtues of the resulting film, which most people consider a modern classic. Tom Cruise would give Thomson, obviously not a fan of Method acting, a standing ovation for his opinion that Marlon Brando's dependence on psychiatry during the filming of "On the Waterfront" was a decidedly destructive force, but again the result would prove otherwise.

Intriguingly, despite his passion for the films and personalities involved, it is the business side that receives the most emphasis in Thomson's treatise. He goes deeply into the studio structures and the functionaries who are needed to make these companies run and make a profit. In this spirit, he goes into the power struggles and scandals that are as much a part of the industry as the films themselves. It is really in these sections that the author gets somewhat dry and overly explanatory. Regardless, Thomson is always worth a read just to see the results of his erudite mind in full intellectual flight.

The Whole Equation.......2005-09-02

Discursive and digressive, David Thomson's `The Whole Equation' is less a history of Hollywood than a meditation on the business of making pictures. The book's title comes from a line in F. Scott Fitzgerald's `The Last Tycoon' and refers, I believe, to the multi-faceted quality of picture making. Motion pictures are products, widgets produced by a place called Hollywood; they are also art, as well as a mirror to our culture, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

I wanted to like this book. Thomson seems to be a well-respected film critic and I'm not averse to jumping on a passing bandwagon, but I also wanted to learn a little of the history of Hollywood. You know, facts piled upon facts? Thomson is more inclined to impression and analyses, some of it a bit off the board. The chapter "Divorce, America Style" examines the connection between the rise of the divorce rate in America with what was happening in motion pictures. It isn't the first, or the last, time Thomson strays to pursue such things.

If you have the patience for it there are some amusing moments, but if you're like me, looking for a just-the-facts history of Hollywood `The Whole Equation' isn't it.

Challenging and rewarding.......2005-09-02

I hate Hollywood with the heat of a billion suns. Let me elaborate on that statement: I hate the Hollywood CULTURE with the heat of a billion suns. I despise celebrities who attempt to push their extreme left-wing pabulum off on the rest of the country, and I despise television programs and tabloid publications that spring up to cover the private lives of these same celebrities. Why should I care about what Brad Pitt does in his free time? Does he care about my life? Not likely. Far too many people hang on every word these people utter and follow every activity of their lives. Why? I suspect people unhappy with their own existence take comfort in following the trials and travails of those with money. Since I'm secure with the path of my own life, more or less, I feel no need to worship a bunch of airheads out in Tinseltown. I do, however, love my horror, science fiction, and action movies. That's why I decided recently to read David Thomson's "The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood." Also, the fact that I saw the book referenced in articles on two separate blogs inspired me to give this one a shot. I'm glad I did. For the most part, the book eschews tabloid antics in favor of a serious investigation of the inner workings of the movie business.

Thomson, who has spent his whole life writing about cinema, sets out to describe the byzantine workings of Hollywood. It's not easy uncovering the "whole equation" of the moviemaking business, an equation Thomson claims only a handful of people have ever understood in its entirety, but the author gamely attempts to describe it. Using F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel "The Last Tycoon" as well as the film "Chinatown" as reference points throughout the book, Thomson claims that Hollywood has always attempted to balance the art of making money with the making of movies that classify as art. I soon discovered that his efforts to prove this thesis paled in comparison with the information contained in each chapter of the book. We've got in-depth examinations of such studio moguls as Louis B. Mayer, David O. Selznick, and Lew Wasserman. Early Hollywood whiz kid Irving Thalberg receives great attention here, as do some of the great directors and actors of the silent era such as Erich Von Stroheim, Charlie Chaplin, and D.W. Griffith. Thomson's insights include crediting Chaplin with making the new business of movies attractive to the middle class. You can read about the behind the scenes machinations of "Gone With the Wind" and the trials and travails of writers in Hollywood.

One chapter covers the introduction of sound into the picture business by claiming that the ability of actors to make use of silence increased by orders of magnitude the dramatic potential of films. Intriguing. Another chapter tries to show how the movie studios somehow captured the sunny climes of Southern California on celluloid and then transmitted that light to audiences (which makes one wonder about the recent trend to lens movies in Canada and Romania, among other places). Fans of noir will love Thomson's examination of the genre. Not only does he discuss such classics as Edgar Ulmer's "Detour," Michael Curtiz's "Mildred Pierce," and Carol Reed's "The Third Man," but he also has a few interesting things to say about the darkness lying at the heart of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." Thomson concludes that noir arose as a result of the austerity of the studio bosses--which accounts for the sparse, cheap look of the films--as well as a bleak attitude in the country brought about by the horrors of the Great Depression and the Second World War. The author's treatment of modern filmmaking revolves around the wonders of Spielberg, Altman, and Coppola and the emergence of the summer blockbuster phenomenon.

I liked this book, but those looking for a treatment of filmmaking from the 1960s on will not find much for their perusal. The vast majority of the book covers the earliest days of filmmaking, probably because such a time more resembled the art and magic that Thomson so desperately wishes to see in cinema. Another potential problem with "The Whole Equation" is that we frequently lose sight of the parts of the equation. That's acceptable, I guess, since Thomson makes clear from the start that few comprehend it--including, one concludes, the author. A more coherent narrative might have helped elucidate the parts of the equation--the author flits from one topic to another and back again with frightful regularity--but there's so much of interest here to both casual viewers and serious cinema aficionados that one can overlook his faults. My favorite theme in the book, more than the discussions on various aspects of moviemaking or specific films, is the absolute idiocy of Hollywood when it comes to making money. If you think these guys are savvy financial gurus, think again. They hemorrhage the green stuff in shocking ways. Studios sold the rights to classic films to television for nothing back in the 1950s. They also failed to understand the importance of television and videotape, and we're seeing this ignorance again with the new medium of DVD.

"The Whole Equation" is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of the movie business. It's not an easy book to get through, not by a long shot, but the persistent reader will learn a lot about how this crazy business dominates so much of our national and personal life. Can we ever understand the intricacies of Tinseltown in a moral or economic sense? It's doubtful, although Thomson takes us incredibly close to finding an answer.

A very hard read.......2005-08-05

It just goes on and on about things I don't care about

The Whole Equation: a History of Hollywood

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The Whole Equation: a History of Hollywood
David Thomson
Manufacturer: Abacus Software Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0349117691

Book Description

Get your mojo working as you take a musical trip from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago's gritty South Side and points beyond with Blues For Dummies, an insightful, toe-tappin', music lovers' guide to the blues. Popular blues guitarist Lonnie Brooks serves as your tour guide through the life and times of the blues, from the acoustic mystique of Robert Johnson and Son House to the urban blues men and women of today: John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, B.B. King, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and, of course, Brooks himself.

Blues For Dummies travels from sad to glad, with stops along the way at heartache and despair, hope and joy, on the road to great music. Get hip to the different styles and eras of the blues; discover what makes the blues so blue; find out "Who's Who" among four generations of blues musicians; and make tracks to the best blues clubs on the planet with this great, easygoing reference. Plus, take a listen to some of the greatest blues recordings of all time (from Muddy Waters and Little Walter to Bobby "Blue" Bland, Buddy Guy, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown) on the exclusive audio CD that comes with Blues For Dummies.

Customer Reviews:

An extremely uneven and biased picture of blues guitar.......2007-03-16

First of all my credentials: I've played blues guitar professionally. This book only covers the tiny fraction of the total picture of blues guitar; that fraction that is best known to the mass public. I would think the purpose of a book like this would be to educate people in the things they DON'T know about.

The biggest problem is the extremely poor coverage given to pre-war country blues. The only such player discussed in any depth is Robert Johnson (who is so well known because Clapton won't shut up about him, NOT because he is better than anyone else) and the men who pretty much created the genre (Charlie Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, etc.) get almost no coverage at all. Post-war Chicago blues (which is the only blues the authors seem to think matters) would not exist if it wasn't for these men. Modern blues is equally glossed over.

I should also point out an out-and-out falsehood: the authors claim that is you want to make money playing the blues you should get an electric guitar and join a blues band. I've made far more money playing fingerstyle country blues than I ever have playing electric blues. There are a LOT more electric blues players out there; hence the available gigs are a lot thinner on the ground. What the authors really ought to say is that the demands aren't as high; you can be a relatively mediocre player and be successful in a band, but you won't make money as a fingerstyle blues player unless you have a dynamite technique.

I've generally been very impressed with the "for dummies" books, but this one leaves me cold. Next time try covering all aspects of blues guitar.

Wrong CD track info......or wrong track?.......2003-01-27

This book is ok...not great....but ok for someone who is wants to cut their teeth on the blues. The main problem I have, is with the CD. Overall it's excellent except for one problem. The 10th track is listed on page 349 as Walkin' the Boogie(alternate take) by John Lee Hooker. After listening to the CD I realized they're dead wrong. The recording is Willie Dixon doing Walking the Blues. Two totally different songs with a similar name. I contacted the publisher about this omission but have not received a response or acknowledgement to date. It is a shame....because both of these artists have made significant contributions to the blues and to confuse them, seems to suggest that not enough care was taken when this book was first published.

An indespensible guide for blues lovers.......2003-01-03

I have found this an indespensible guide for promoting my novel, "Forever Retro Blues." I've been on 8 radio programs as a guest and with a title like "Forever Retro Blues," I'm expected to know something. Conveying the Blues through fiction when I had plenty of time to research was one thing. But now I may only get a few hours to buff up on someone the host mentions when they schedule the interview. I grab this book along with "All Music Guide to the Blues" and throw the CD on. The CD is great additon to any collection. I love that this book even has suggestions for introducing blues to kids. Unfortunately, the website are out-of-date.

Great Teaching Tool.......2002-08-22

This is a wonderful book for people that want to learn about the Blues. You just can't go wrong with Lonnie Brooks.
The history part is very good and informative. The listed musicians are wonderful. Good research went into this book.
The accompanying CD is pretty good. You can only put so much music on a CD. It must have been a difficult task deciding what songs to include on the CD.
Understand that this work is not complete. There are many musicians and songs that are not listed that should be, however, the attempt to introduce the Blues to the reader is pretty good. Enjoy it.

Good book ,could be better!.......2002-06-13

I enjoyed reading this book .I especially enjoyed the accompaning CD.I think it was a compehensive book about the Blues.
My concern is that it failed to convey the love of music,the distinguised authors obviously have.It has a who is who chapter which I belive is comphensive but still It reads like,for lack of a better description,a phone book.
I have listened to performers performing on a stage tell their own stories or events in Blues music that are fascinating and that just stick in ones mind.And soul and flavor of the music just comes through.Ofcourse performing is not the exactly writing.

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A Good Place to Start
Waste of a bonus CD
Great Book!
THE BEST PLACE TO START
An approachable introduction to Jazz

Jazz for Dummies
Dirk Sutro
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0764550810

Book Description

Every jazz lover’s got his or her favorites. For some, it’s John Coltrane’s breathy, bitter-sweat ballad, “Naima.” For others, it’s Duke Ellington’s hard-jiving swing opus “Take the A Train.” Then there’s Miles Davis’s epic-making Kind of Blue, the improv tour de force in which Miles, Trane, and Cannonball trade solos and achieve sheer melodic transcendence. Whether you like it hip or mellow, hot or cool, Dixieland or avant garde, jazz is a vast and many-faceted sound space (and soul space) that you could spend a lifetime exploring. And it couldn’t hurt to have a savvy guide like former Los Angeles Times jazz critic and author Dirk Sutro to help you navigate its many depths and riches.

In Jazz For Dummies, Sutro takes you deep into the history and soulful sounds of jazz. From Sachmo to Bird, Mingus to Weather Report, you get a rare behind-the-scenes look at the masters and their music, and you:

Get the lowdown on jazz, firsthand, from today’s greats
Get inside the different types of jazz—from big band to bee-bop to funk
Get a handle on the concepts, terms, and conventions that distinguish jazz from other forms of music
Get a perspective on the history of jazz
Put together a fine jazz collection of your own
Recognize the key characteristics of particular players’ sounds

Whether you’re getting into jazz for the first time or you’re been in the scene for years, Jazz For Dummies is a treasure trove of facts, insights, and guidance on:

One hundred years of jazz—from Dixieland to fusion and beyond
Great front men and women, on sax, trumpet vocals
Keyboard geniuses of jazz from ragtime to the present
Percussionists, bassists, and guitarists of note
Shopping for jazz recordings and finding live jazz in your area

The bonus CD features a sampling of vintage recordings, including cuts by Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Tatum, and others.

Your swingin’ guide to the world of jazz, Jazz For Dummies lets you tune into the different jazz styles and help you become a more savvy listener.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Place to Start.......2004-08-27

Both the accolades and criticisms of the reviews above are accurate. As someone new to jazz, I wanted to hear some examples of what makes jazz unique - such as syncopation, emphasis on chords, and slurred notes. The CD does not deliver this, but neither does any other introduction to jazz that I could find. The closest thing is the PBS web site for Ken Burns' Jazz, which has a virtual piano that morphs "Mary Had a Little Lamb" from the nursery rhyme tune into a jazz version, step by step.

The author's emphasis on performers and "names" is true, but all music is developed by people. Jazz (more so than other music types) has evolved from the performers and their personalities. The different eras of jazz seem to be best explained by the creative changes of people playing it. Jazz as a whole today seems to be strongly influenced by the major figures of the past, such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Thelonius Monk. Understanding these types of figures, and the others who have been influenced by them, explains a lot about the development of jazz. There are some omissions in the book that seem to be common from the jazz "elite", for example Glenn Miller. While maybe not the best performer of big band swing jazz, he certainly was one of the most popular.

If you are interested in jazz, want to know more about it and the people who made it what it is, this book is a good place to start. After that, let your own taste be your guide as to where you go next.

Waste of a bonus CD.......2002-11-10

The nicest aspect of this book is it's accompanied with a 10-song CD, including great tunes such as Sonny Rollins' "Way Out West" and Miles Davis' "Oleo." But the author doesn't say much about these pieces. I personally would've loved to see some detailed annotaion about the song structure, instruments, melodic development, etc.

In fact, Sutro is mostly interested in names. He spends only about 5-10 pages on what constitutes jazz: swing, improv, and so on. This is what I wanted more of. I want to listen to a piece of music and have someone whisper in my ear "notice the synocpated the beat here." I also would like a clearer description of the differences between historical periods. How does hard bop differ from bebop? Sutro gives me some names in each group, but he doesn't help me to *hear* the difference. Why not use the bonus CD to help us out here?

Great Book!.......2002-01-04

This is a wonderful book in finding out who to listen to and a little about them. Just read it and give it a chance! You'll be surprised, it's great!

THE BEST PLACE TO START.......2001-12-04

"Jazz for Dummies" takes this complex Americal classical music and distills its basic history and players into a form that newcomers and oldtimes alike will appreciate. Important eras, from early New Orleans to Bebop and Free-Jazz, are represented, as are dozens of jazz's heroes. I found it particularly helpful how the book is divided by sections that trace the history not only of jazz's greatest eras, but also of its great instruments and instrumentalists. Most books about jazz deal with theory, in esoteric language. Sutro's book is admirable for the ways in which it makes jazz accessible to newcomers who want to experience its power. He shows you how to start a collection, which CDs might be of interest, and how to find your own personal path into this epic music. Five stars!

An approachable introduction to Jazz.......2001-01-12

This has been a great reference book that I've used extensively while watching the "Jazz" film series by Kenneth Burns on public TV. All the key points and players have been presented in "Jazz for Dummies" and it has helped me identify names, understand musical concepts and follow the chronology of the jazz players, and their influences, as they are introduced on the TV series. Clearly the author has a deep appreciation for jazz and shares his passion in an approachable style rather than showboat himself by adopting a more academic tone. I totally disagree with one of the other reviewers appearing on this web page. His pet peeve about Miles Davis' album "Kind of Blue" being slighted in the book is unfounded. On page 141 Mr. Sutro recommends listening to this album as an introduction to Davis' music. This is a very cool album, it has a reputation as the ultimate "make out" music. But it's my conclusion that serious jazz afficionados would agree with Mr. Sutro that some of Davis' other albums such as "Birth of the Cool" and "Sketches of Spain" are far more indicative of the range of his talent. There's decades of great jazz music to choose from and Mr. Sutro has done a commendable job pointing novice listeners in the right direction.

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Jazz For Dummies, 2nd Edition (Dummies)
Dirk Sutro
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471768448

Book Description

Includes a list of more than 100 recordings for your jazz collection

The fun and easy way to explore the world of jazz

Jazz is America's greatest music, but with over a century's worth of styles and artists, where do you begin? Relax! This hep cat's guide delivers the scoop on the masters and their music -- from Duke Ellington to Charlie Parker to Wynton Marsalis. It's just what you need to tune in to the history and musical structure of jazz and become a more savvy listener.

Discover how to
* Understand the traits and roots of jazz
* Tune in to jazz styles, from big band to bebop
* Listen to great jazz artists
* Catch a live jazz performance
* Succeed in a jazz ensemble

Praise for Jazz For Dummies

"Now you can finally know about one of . . . America's greatest contributions to world culture."
--Jon Faddis, jazz trumpeter

"Fun to read. . . . An important stepping stone to understanding this complex and profound music."
--James Moody, jazz saxophonist

"Dirk Sutro is madly in love with jazz and . . . he knows what he's talking about."
--"Chubby" Jackson, jazz bassist

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Jazz Fur Dummies
Dirk Sutro
Manufacturer: Wiley-VCH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 3527702954

Book Description

What does civilization mean to the inhabitants of a Serbian town after yet another bloody war on the Balkan Peninsula? How was it possible that people who had been friends and neighbors for so long ended up killing each other? And how do they deal with this barbarity in the post-war period?

The figure of the gypsy, who often appears in Serbian popular culture, has always been invested with the mysterious power to unveil the mendacious undertones in the program of civilization. Wherever he appears - in jokes, songs, tales, literature, or movies - the civilized order is unmasked. This motif can be seen most dramatically in bars and taverns, where gypsy musicians lead their Serbian customers in veritable celebrations of unreason. "This is real," Serbs say about these gatherings where the canons of propriety and civilized behavior are overthrown with obvious relish. "This is life."

The author, who spent several months in Serbia investigating these wild meetings, relates the 'unreason' of the behaviour in these bars to the atrocities committed during the war which broke out during his stay. Highlighting how the program of civilization brings with it the need to construct an image of humankind more compatible with the lessons of history, Gypsies, Wars and Other Instances of the Wild may be read as a case-study of how war-infested societies cope with wartime traumas.

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