Classic Films 411
- Jeannie
- Nov 1
- 2 min read
Are you old enough to remember dialing “411” for directory assistance? In the pre-Google era, that was the only way to get out-of-town phone numbers.
As a classic film historian and host, I’m often asked how I know so much about so many pictures. A lot of that info was gathered as a kid who watched way too much television (thanks, Mom and Dad!)
I also spent every dime of my hard-earned babysitting money on movie books.
Today, my go-to sources are online sites and reviewing advance copies of biographies about actors and filmmakers. Want to do some sleuthing of your own?
For general information
Type the names of actors, directors, producers and film titles into the Search bar. Instantly, you’ll see a list of credits for each entry. Or do a deeper dive by using the Advanced Search option (in the drop-down menu) for things like Collaborations between, say, actors and directors. I guarantee you’ll learn a ton of Hollywood history and find the answers to countless trivia questions.
If you want to hunt down movies, TV shows, books & more
This site is a free treasure trove for fans of film, TV, radio, pop culture and ephemera. Archive.org doesn’t have everything ever shot or printed, but it’s amazing what they’ve uploaded. I’ve streamed great (and obscure) movies, read magazine articles, and gone down many pleasurable rabbit holes here. Warning: You can easily tie up an entire day, if you’re not careful.
Overviews on various topics
A good place to start general research, but clicking on links and footnotes within the listings can deepen your knowledge. Beware: The content is written by ordinary people, so it can sometimes be misleading or inaccurate.
25 recommended books about Hollywood
Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge by Joseph McBride
Conversations with Wilder by Cameron Crowe
Michael Curtiz by Alan K. Rode
A Front Row Seat by Nancy Olson Livingston
Dark City by Eddie Muller
A Talent for Trouble: The Life of Hollywood's Most Famed Director, William Wyler by Jan Herman
Making The Best Years of Our Lives by Alison Macor
Camera Man by Dana Stevens
George Cukor’s People by Joseph McBride
The Men Who Made the Movies by Richard Schickel
Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams by Gary Giddins
Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews by Carl Rollyson
A Life on Film by Mary Astor
By Myself by Lauren Bacall
A Life in the Movies by Fred Zinnemann
Wild Bill Wellman: Hollywood Rebel by William Wellman, Jr.
Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris
Garson Kanin’s Hollywood by Garson Kanin
Bring On the Empty Horses by David Niven
Buster Keaton Remembered by Eleanor Keaton and Jeffrey Vance
Forbidden Hollywood by Mark Vieira
A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940 by Victoria Wilson
50 Classic Motion Pictures by David Zinman
Warner Bros. Presents by Ted Sennett
Bogart & Huston by Nat Segaloff
Comments