The Film 100

I received this book as a gift from a friend, who knew I was an avid film buff. Reading through the table of contents, I was initially stunned that I was unfamiliar with so many of the names. But within minutes of scouring a few chapters, I must say that I was floored by the audacity of the ranking, and after a bout of dissapointment over seeing some of my favorites omitted, I dived in and thoroughly committed myself to the task of understanding these innovators. This book is truly amazing, mainly because it takes so much of the glitter out of the eyes of filmlovers and forces them to see the honest contributions of the behind-the-scenes people. I have returned to it frequently for insight and have journeyed off to seek out the films Smith recommends. What an eye-opener! I whole-heartedly advice anyone interested in cinema to get their hands on a copy.

The author's love & respect of the film industry began at 6 years old. The Marx Brothers and Mae West/W. C. Fields movies filled our home with laughter. He watched and enjoyed all types of movies. This pastime was to inspire The Film 100, a book he researched meticulously. The 100th anniversary of cinema was a perfect time for Scott to commemorate film. This book has been commended by film professors and scholars as research material. Newspaper reviews have been extremely favorable. An avid reader of biographies, I often find authors exploiting their subjects in print. Scott has not compromised the intregity of "The Film 100." Most of all, he is a kind and caring person.

Unlike the other individual who allegedly "reviewed" this book, I have actually read the entire book cover to cover. If the other armchair critic had actually spent the time to read the book (instead of admittedly only glancing at a few chapters), he would have seen that "The Fillm 100" is a smart, insightful look at the lives, careers and continuing influence of the true pioneers of the film industry. The book is intelligent, entertaining, informative and a must-read for all film lovers.

The above reader has taken some liberties in recounting the passages of my book; Lasky's essay does not state that SQUAW MAN was the first film "shot" in Los Angeles, nor does it credit De Mille with Cruze's COVERED WAGON. In actuality, the point made was that SQUAW MAN was the first film made by Lasky in Hollywood, and that De Mille efforts as a "director-general" involved him in a number of productions, including Cruze's influential western. It seems while browsing through a bookstore, the reader managed to steal away with a few lines, and missed the context of the essays completely. It would be unfortunate if a few slight ambiguities in the text should warrant a wholesale disregard for the valuable lessons these 100 lives still offer.