Description
Book SynopsisDaniel Talbot changed the way the Upper West Side—and art-house audiences around the world—went to the movies.
In Love with Movies is his memoir of a rich life as the impresario of the legendary Manhattan theaters he owned and operated and as a highly influential film distributor.
Trade ReviewIn my family, the name Dan Talbot resonated like that of the Archangel Gabriel. He was the artists' champion. Dan was my father Roberto Rossellini's guardian angel when his films were shown in America. This book is a powerful reminder of Dan and Toby's enthusiasm and warmth for filmmakers and their art. -- Isabella Rossellini, award-winning actor, author, and producer
A vivid, boisterous, unputdownable memoir that offers a unique triple-headed perspective: the joys and travails of a theater owner, memories of movies and their directors from a sophisticated cinephile, and an inside look at the swashbuckling world of film distribution. You wouldn't know from Dan’s funny meditative style that these are the ruminations of a hero, the visionary entrepreneur who turned the New Yorker Theater into a beacon for the city’s passionate moviegoing community during its golden era. -- Molly Haskell, film critic and author,
From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the MoviesFilm buffs will find much to marvel at in this terrific book. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *
Cinephiles will be captivated by Talbot’s insights and passion. * Library Journal (starred review) *
The best...it chronicles Talbot's time running a string of iconic Manhattan movie houses, beginning with the New Yorker Theater in 1960. * Times Literary Supplement *
[An] engaging memoir. * Zoomer *
[A] frequently delightful book. * Air Mail *
The restless, inquisitive, exuberant mind on display in the home office comes vividly to life in the pages of the book. * West Side Rag *
In Love with the Movies is not so much a traditional memoir as it is a tribute and a scrapbook. * Cineaste *
This book is many things, and readers will find different aspects of it to be of the greatest value. * East Hampton Star *
A touching first-person account of their love for one another—and how their shared passion for cinema made American audiences fall in love with foreign and independent films. * Box Office Pro *
Table of ContentsForeword, by Werner Herzog
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Fragments from the Dream World
Part 1: Early YearsNueva York
The New Yorker Theater
Theater Diary: 1960
The Ideal Movie House
Other Side of the Tracks
What to Play
Bella and the Critic
Chandler Brossard
Part 2: Those Who Made Me LaughMae West and W. C. Fields
The Marx Brothers
Part 3: Unsung Film PioneersCollectors
Early Distributors
Ed Harrison’s Indian Idol
Mel Novikoff: West Coast Perfectionist
Presenting Don Rugoff: Manhattan Exhibitor Like No Other
Part 4: AcquisitionsEmile de Antonio and the Making of
Point of OrderNew Yorker Films
My Dinner with AndréRules of the Game
Part 5: Directors in My LifeYasujiro Ozu
Nagisa Oshima
Ousmane Sembène
Roberto Rossellini
Jean-Luc Godard
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Wim Wenders
Werner Herzog
Part 6: ShoahClaude Lanzmann
A Memory Project
Part 7: More DirectorsAgnès Varda
Jacques Tati
Glauber Rocha
Jean Eustache
Part 8: CriteriaFrom the Safety of My Living Room
RozhinkelMiura“Ignatz, don’t go so deep.”
Minyan
Part 9: ReflectionsClusters of Fragmented Moments
The New Frankness
Death Equals Freedom
Take to the Streets
Part 10: PortraitsPete Martin and the New Yorker Bookshop
Pauline Kael: Fueled by Fire
Vincent Canby: With Brains and Heart
Toscan: Gaumont’s Wit
The Indomitable Lia van Leer: Founder of the Jerusalem Cinematheque
Kieslowski, Malle, and Mastroianni: Three Lives and Three Deaths
Gianni Amico and Jacques Demy: Journal Excerpts
Part 11: Upper West Side CinemasUpper West Side
All Seats $1.00 at All Times
Cinema Studio
The Metro
The Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
The Nuts and Bolts of Running a Movie Theater
Festivals
Epilogue, by Toby Talbot
Appendix: Excerpts from Dan Talbot’s Festival Notes
Appendix: Stanley Kauffmann Interviews Dan Talbot
Appendix: Dreams on My Screen
Credits
Index
