Picture

By Lillian Ross,

Book cover of Picture

Book description

A classic look at Hollywood and the American film industry by The New Yorker's Lillian Ross, and named one of the "Top 100 Works of U.S. Journalism of the Twentieth Century."

Lillian Ross worked at The New Yorker for more than half a century, and might be described not only…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Picture as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

We had to go back to the 1952 book that essentially invented this format. Lillian Ross was a writer on staff at The New Yorker when she received the opportunity to be a fly on the wall during the production of The Red Badge of Courage (1951), writer/director John Huston’s adaptation of Stephen Crane’s novel of the American Civil War.

She tracked the film from start to finish, explaining how the two-hour version that Huston regarded as his best work became a sixty-nine-minute afterthought. Ross’s depiction of MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer clearly influenced the studio kingpin in one of…

From Renee's list on biographies of a single movie.

Want books like Picture?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Picture.

Browse books like Picture

Book cover of The Devil's Candy: The Anatomy of a Hollywood Fiasco
Book cover of The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood
Book cover of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,593

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the American Civil War, presidential biography, and Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln 103 books