Slow Fade to Black
Subtitle: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: Mar 22, 2016
Language: eng
Format: paperback
Number of pages: 288
ISBN-13: 9780520289673
Description: "Slow Fade to Black completes Richard B. Jewell's richly detailed two-part history of the RKO film studio, which began with RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan Is Born, published in 2012. This second volume charts the studio's fortunes, which peaked during World War II, declined in the post-war period, and finally collapsed in the 1950s. With unparalleled access to archival materials, Jewell chronicles the period from 1942 to the company's demise in 1957. Some of the towering figures associated with the studio were Howard Hughes, Orson Welles, Charles Koerner, Val Lewton, Jane Russell, and Robert Mitchum. In addition to its colorful cast of characters, the RKO narrative features key moments in entertainment history: Hollywood collaboration with Washington, film noir, censorship, HUAC, the rise of independent film production, and the impact of television on film. Taken as a whole, Jewell's two-volume study represents the most substantial and insightful exploration of the Hollywood studio system to date"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Source title: Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures