Success in Hollywood: Director Frank Capra Story
Director Frank Capra is well known for the Christmas classic “It's a Wonderful Life,” but he is also known for other successful films like; It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take It with You, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. He worked with some of the most successful actors in Hollywood and produced epic films. This book chronicles a story of his struggle during his career in Tinseltown against politics, bureaucracy, and rivalries for the creative freedom.
Director Capra had a reputation for fierce independence when dealing with studio bosses. On the set he was said to be gentle and considerate, and his films often carry a message about basic goodness in human nature and show the value of unselfishness. His style is often termed "Capra-corn." Sometimes, "Capraesque" for the dramatic ends as we see in “It’s a Wonderful Life” and other Capra’s movies. His films championed the common man, as well as his use of spontaneous, fast-paced dialogue and goofy, memorable lead and supporting characters, made him one of the respected filmmakers of the 20th century.
Each film of Frank Capra is discussed in separate chapters in this book that provides fascinating details about his challenges in working with studio executives and movie stars. His passion for creative stories and transforming them into Capra-Corn style movies is memorable for movie fans. My favorite film of Frank Capra is the 1932 film “American Madness,” which illustrated his mastery over making movies, he was a visionary and a had a unique style. In fact, Capra was disappointed, according to the author, when the Academy did not nominate him for that year’s Oscar Award in the “Best Director” category. This book is informative and readable.
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