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Alistair Cooke at the Movies
Covering seventy-five years of brilliant reporting, Alistair Cooke At the Movies , edited by Geoff Brown, gives us a new insight into the world of film from one of the twentieth century's most beloved writers.
Long before Alistair Cooke became known for his Letter from America BBC Broadcasts, he was a film reviewer. He began writing about cinema as a Cambridge undergraduate and continued to report on film when he went to live in New York, never losing his passion for the movies.
This vivid and fascinating new collection brings together the very best of Cooke's writing about film. It selects the most sparkling of his little-known flilm reviews, and contains his journalism on everything from the trauma of the Hollywood blacklist to the robbery of Zsa Zsa Gabor's jewels. It also includes his affectionate recollections of various stars he knew and admired, among them Charlie Chaplin and Humphrey Bogart.
'Alistair Cooke was a serious movie fan ... his passion for films is sharply caught in this collection' Philip French, Observer
'Opens windows into the history of a medium ... the highlights of this thorough volume are Cooke's reminiscences of his meetings with the stars' The Times Literary Supplement
Alistair Cooke (1908-2004) enjoyed an extraordinary life in print, radio and television. The Guardian 's Senior Correspondent in New York for twenty-five years and the host of groundbreaking cultural programmes on American television and of the BBC series America, Cooke was, however, best known both at home and abroad for his weekly BBC broadcast Letter from America , which reported on fifty-eight years of US life, was heard over five continents and totalled 2,869 broadcasts before his retirement in February 2004, far and away the longest-running radio series in broadcasting history.
366 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 24, 2015
Disclaimer: ARC viaNetgalley
For me Cooke is always Masterpiece Theatre. This is true even after I heard his Letters, and beautiful things they are too. No, he is always Masterpiece because it though his presentation of Adam Bede on PBS that I got introduced not only to that beautiful book but George Eliot as well, and some things you can never repay.
I must admit that I enjoyed this less than the other Cooke book I’ve read, American Homefront. This isn’t because I find reporting better than reviews, but it’s because I haven’t seen all the movies that he reviews. Most of the reviews cover movies in the 30s-40s, with some reviews and commentary after. (Cooke didn’t like the Godfather all that much, mostly because people cheered in the wrong places).
This isn’t to say that the book is worthless. It’s not. Sometimes, Cooke is snarky, and sometimes he isn’t, but his observations about film and about Hollywood stars is always apt. He discusses Katherine Hepburn’s career and it is hard to disagree with him, even if one does like ditzy Katherine Hepburn movies. His critiques of Monroe are almost heartbreaking, and the only author who matches him is Steimen. This is particularly when he mentions in passing, Monroe’s marriage to Arthur Miller. He analyzes Greta Garbo, and his conclusion about her talent comes in movie that one would not think it would. His essay on Chaplin details not only the man’s comic genius but his work habits as well.
This book is a pleasure for Cooke fan, but a great pleasure for an old time movie buff.
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August 20, 2025lots of very interesting observational gems in here. gotta hand it to the man, he’s funny.
March 15, 2015
For those of us who enjoyed Alistair Cooke on Masterpiece Theatre, this is a real walk down memory lane. It's nice to reacquaint ourselves with this gentleman but it is also a pleasure to see him in the early stages of his career.
He was a fan and when he reviewed or interviewed, his love of film oozes forth. He had a series of assignments from a number of media on both sides of the pond and this collection gives some insight into the presenter that he became.
He loved Chaplin and Hepburn. He was not too sure of Hitchcock and was not an afficianado of screwball comedies. But whether he liked or disliked what he reviewed, he was never mean spirited and always had an appreciation for the impact on the audience.
Perhaps, some of the most jaw-dropping comments came when he did a piece about the advent of videotape. He thought the entrance of Beta and VHS would take a large bite out of network television. He even surmised where it might lead. Considering he wrote the piece in the 1970's. one wonders if he had a crystal ball. While he did not, could not, have imagined streaming, he was correct about the revolutionary impact of taking movies and putting them in the living room. He would probably be the biggest fan of on-demand and streaming, not because he would have begrudged the old order its income but because, as a fan, having movies at his fingertips would have been the ultimate pleasure.
He was a fan and when he reviewed or interviewed, his love of film oozes forth. He had a series of assignments from a number of media on both sides of the pond and this collection gives some insight into the presenter that he became.
He loved Chaplin and Hepburn. He was not too sure of Hitchcock and was not an afficianado of screwball comedies. But whether he liked or disliked what he reviewed, he was never mean spirited and always had an appreciation for the impact on the audience.
Perhaps, some of the most jaw-dropping comments came when he did a piece about the advent of videotape. He thought the entrance of Beta and VHS would take a large bite out of network television. He even surmised where it might lead. Considering he wrote the piece in the 1970's. one wonders if he had a crystal ball. While he did not, could not, have imagined streaming, he was correct about the revolutionary impact of taking movies and putting them in the living room. He would probably be the biggest fan of on-demand and streaming, not because he would have begrudged the old order its income but because, as a fan, having movies at his fingertips would have been the ultimate pleasure.
March 9, 2015
Certain people are a world-renowned expert in their chosen field. Alistair Cooke is among one of the very few truly reliable film critics. This book encapsulates the 1930s through 2003.
If there is one core idea behind this essay collection, it's that film will endure no matter what. Bring on television. Bring on the video cassette recorder. Film still stands, and always will.
Cooke's reviewing style wasn't just to recap plot. Anyone can do that. This also isn't just film criticism, pointing out the shortcomings of a particular film. What AC gives the reader is a catalogue of the filmgoing experience as a whole and how film is above all a reflection of the times - whenever they may be.
He writes about all the temporary fads, such as the drive-in theatre. But by the same token, it also writes about the things that are still relevant today, such as why blockbusters are released in the summer.
The only downside of the book is its sheer length. There are simply far too many essays. The last section containing mostly obituaries could probably have been cut. I also did not feel the need for so many Chaplin articles.
But for the truth film historian this is a must read collection.
If there is one core idea behind this essay collection, it's that film will endure no matter what. Bring on television. Bring on the video cassette recorder. Film still stands, and always will.
Cooke's reviewing style wasn't just to recap plot. Anyone can do that. This also isn't just film criticism, pointing out the shortcomings of a particular film. What AC gives the reader is a catalogue of the filmgoing experience as a whole and how film is above all a reflection of the times - whenever they may be.
He writes about all the temporary fads, such as the drive-in theatre. But by the same token, it also writes about the things that are still relevant today, such as why blockbusters are released in the summer.
The only downside of the book is its sheer length. There are simply far too many essays. The last section containing mostly obituaries could probably have been cut. I also did not feel the need for so many Chaplin articles.
But for the truth film historian this is a must read collection.
January 6, 2020
Much More than a Collection of his Movie Reviews
Mr. Cooke wrote movie reviews for only a small portion of his career instead he wrote about American Culture, Politics and the Famous. Prior to this book, I had only seen Alistair Cooker as the host of Masterpiece Theatre on my local PBS Station. I enjoyed his wit and frankness through his many articles in the book. Well doneMr, Cooke.
Mr. Cooke wrote movie reviews for only a small portion of his career instead he wrote about American Culture, Politics and the Famous. Prior to this book, I had only seen Alistair Cooker as the host of Masterpiece Theatre on my local PBS Station. I enjoyed his wit and frankness through his many articles in the book. Well doneMr, Cooke.
January 24, 2016
Great read. Reading this book was like having a box of chocolates that you could savour one at a time for several weeks. Cooke's personal take on movies, Hollywood, some of the great names, and some of the lesser known ones shone with respect, humour and, in many cases, honest friendship.
July 11, 2016
I loved reading this collection of reviews, essays and interviews. Mr Cooke was such an erudite, witty and charming man. I never missed Omnibus when it was on TV. I especially enjoyed his interview with Charlie Chaplin. I really miss Mr. Cooke-he was one of a kind.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews