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Who the Devil Made It: Conversations with ...
Peter Bogdanovich, award-winning director, screenwriter, actor and critic, interviews 16 legendary directors over a 15-year period. Their richly illuminating conversations combine to make this a riveting chronicle of Hollywood and picture making. A Literary Guild Selection. 62 photos.
849 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 1997
About the author
Peter Bogdanovich
61 books97 followersPeter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors (which included William Friedkin, Brian DePalma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Michael Cimino and Francis Ford Coppola, among others), and was particularly relevant during the 1970s with his film The Last Picture Show.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 18, 2021
A chatty, informative volume, worth one's attention, as most GRs indicate, but I do wish Peter B had been able to interview some of the post-60s "greats" -- Altman, Blake Edwards, Scorsese, Schlesinger, Losey, Spielberg and Bogdanovich. Author Bog is the star of his own Hollywood downfall/tragedy. Directing 3 smash hits in a row, he fell in love with himself and his IMAGE. He made an expensive bomb no one could defend - the miscast mess, "At Long Last Love." Appearing on late night tv talk shows he slobbered over his famousness, a self-destruct before our eyes. He was a boor. Soon he was a pivotal player in an LA murder and his career became a chapter for a new edition of "Hollywood Babylon."
As this volume proves, he has intelligence, sensitivity and a creative vision. But he lost it all at the movies.
As this volume proves, he has intelligence, sensitivity and a creative vision. But he lost it all at the movies.
August 21, 2015
This is a hefty tome, enough to call it a doorstopper of a book, at 800 pages. Peter Bogdanovich is the mensch who interviews a pantheon of Golden Age film directors:
Robert Aldrich, George Cukor, Allan Dwan, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Walter Huston, Chuck Jones, Fritz Lang, Joseph H. Lewis, Sidney Lumet, Leo McCarey, Otto Preminger, Don Siegel, Josef von Sternberg, Frank Tashlin, Edgar G. Ulmer, and Raoul Walsh.
Each conversation is prefaced with some words from Peter Bogdanovich, who has been critic, director, and few forget, and a journalist. In interviews that easily could have lapsed into ‘talking shop’ and alienated readers, Bog gives free rein to his subject. There is some tech talk: filming inside a studio versus outside. The majority of the conversations were centered on perception and process, the role of the director as a storyteller, as facilitator, who had to elicit performances from actors. I had read through this book slowly, and had skimmed here and there at times, while I was taking the TCM Summer of Noir course. The Chuck Jones chapter was intriguing because I hadn’t given much thought to animation (he gave us Bugs Bunny). Obviously, since I was studying film noir, I focused on Fitz Lang, Edgar Ulmer, and Raoul Walsh, before I visited Hawks and Preminger.
A lot of their discussions reinforced what I was learning in the online class: émigré directors fled one world of darkness and relayed it to the silver screen in that best metaphor of the times, film noir. The Studio System and traded talent around, a practice that was accepted as a given. The personalities are distinctive. Fritz Lang came across as a very difficult man, a perfectionist, if not somewhat sadistic. Preminger didn’t seem too far from the same mold. Von Sternberg is repressed. Huston was a prodigious reader and astute writer. That Cukor was gay, discreet for the era, but hardly closeted, was a revelation. The Howard Hawks chapter was my favorite because I have enjoyed so many of his films; he did it all: screwball comedies, film noir, and westerns. He speaks lovingly of his actors: the laconic John Wayne, the volatile Bogart, and the terrified Dean Martin, and I suspect that HH had had a crush on Bacall. I had not known that Hawks had died as a result of complications from tripping over his dog.
This book is a historical document, a treasure for cinephiles. Sidney Lumet left us in 2011. I will look for Bog’s conversations with actors.
Robert Aldrich, George Cukor, Allan Dwan, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Walter Huston, Chuck Jones, Fritz Lang, Joseph H. Lewis, Sidney Lumet, Leo McCarey, Otto Preminger, Don Siegel, Josef von Sternberg, Frank Tashlin, Edgar G. Ulmer, and Raoul Walsh.
Each conversation is prefaced with some words from Peter Bogdanovich, who has been critic, director, and few forget, and a journalist. In interviews that easily could have lapsed into ‘talking shop’ and alienated readers, Bog gives free rein to his subject. There is some tech talk: filming inside a studio versus outside. The majority of the conversations were centered on perception and process, the role of the director as a storyteller, as facilitator, who had to elicit performances from actors. I had read through this book slowly, and had skimmed here and there at times, while I was taking the TCM Summer of Noir course. The Chuck Jones chapter was intriguing because I hadn’t given much thought to animation (he gave us Bugs Bunny). Obviously, since I was studying film noir, I focused on Fitz Lang, Edgar Ulmer, and Raoul Walsh, before I visited Hawks and Preminger.
A lot of their discussions reinforced what I was learning in the online class: émigré directors fled one world of darkness and relayed it to the silver screen in that best metaphor of the times, film noir. The Studio System and traded talent around, a practice that was accepted as a given. The personalities are distinctive. Fritz Lang came across as a very difficult man, a perfectionist, if not somewhat sadistic. Preminger didn’t seem too far from the same mold. Von Sternberg is repressed. Huston was a prodigious reader and astute writer. That Cukor was gay, discreet for the era, but hardly closeted, was a revelation. The Howard Hawks chapter was my favorite because I have enjoyed so many of his films; he did it all: screwball comedies, film noir, and westerns. He speaks lovingly of his actors: the laconic John Wayne, the volatile Bogart, and the terrified Dean Martin, and I suspect that HH had had a crush on Bacall. I had not known that Hawks had died as a result of complications from tripping over his dog.
This book is a historical document, a treasure for cinephiles. Sidney Lumet left us in 2011. I will look for Bog’s conversations with actors.
October 21, 2020
This is a well made and interesting account of many cinema classics. My lower rating stems from my understanding of the way that Bogdanovich made his way in the movie business by sycophancy and misogynistic means of the day, using his first wife Polly Platt, production designer of his true hits like Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, What's Up Doc, etc. and the woman behind the man (see the podcast "You Must Remember This" and the series Polly Platt: the Invisible Woman http://www.youmustrememberthispodcast...). Is it fair for me to rate a book that I really liked based on the poor behavior of the author? I'm not sure, but I liked it less when I found out that Bogdanovich is a jerk.
March 19, 2022
The book is a collection of interviews of 16 movie directors that the author knew, and, as a bonus, he discusses the scandals and tribulations of his own life and career in the book’s introduction. The interviews were done at various times between the 1960s and the 1990s; many were previously published as magazines articles. Several of the directors did work in silent films. If you have an interest in movies, the book should be broadly entertaining. Some of the directors' life stories, their revelation of how certain famous scenes were shot, their complaints about their producers and heads of studios, and their stories about actors are often both interesting and amusing.
Did you know that Lana Turner was originally cast to play the lead in Anatomy of a Murder, but she refused to wear a pair of slacks that the director, Otto Preminger, had selected? Preminger told her agent that if she didn’t like it, she could turn the picture down. Preminger said that she probably thought he was bluffing, but the role went to Lee Remick.
Howard Hawks, while discussing Barbary Coast (1935), commented that it was the first time he had used Walter Brennan, and told the story that a man came up to him in tears after the movie’s preview and said that he didn’t know how to thank Hawks. Hawks didn’t know who he was until Brennan took out his teeth. He had never seen him except in makeup and Brennan was playing (and often played) characters who were older than he was.
The directors interviewed are Allan Dwan, Raoul Walsh, Fritz Lang, Josef von Sternberg, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Cukor, Alfred Hitchcock, Edgar G. Ulmer, Otto Preminger, Joseph H. Lewis, Chuck Jones, Don Siegel, Frank Tashlin, Robert Aldrich, and Sidney Lumet.
Did you know that Lana Turner was originally cast to play the lead in Anatomy of a Murder, but she refused to wear a pair of slacks that the director, Otto Preminger, had selected? Preminger told her agent that if she didn’t like it, she could turn the picture down. Preminger said that she probably thought he was bluffing, but the role went to Lee Remick.
Howard Hawks, while discussing Barbary Coast (1935), commented that it was the first time he had used Walter Brennan, and told the story that a man came up to him in tears after the movie’s preview and said that he didn’t know how to thank Hawks. Hawks didn’t know who he was until Brennan took out his teeth. He had never seen him except in makeup and Brennan was playing (and often played) characters who were older than he was.
The directors interviewed are Allan Dwan, Raoul Walsh, Fritz Lang, Josef von Sternberg, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Cukor, Alfred Hitchcock, Edgar G. Ulmer, Otto Preminger, Joseph H. Lewis, Chuck Jones, Don Siegel, Frank Tashlin, Robert Aldrich, and Sidney Lumet.
January 4, 2023
Who the Devil Made It is a delightful book, and Bogdanovich's admiration for the filmmakers he interviews is clear throughout. The one thing that makes me uncomfortable about Peter Bogdanovich is his reverence for D.W. Griffith and Birth of a Nation, an enthusiasm that is shared by several of the directors interviewed in this book. (Read Colorization by Will Haygood for insight into just how terrible Griffith really was.) In every other way, this is a fascinating book and a must read for all film buffs. It's long (800+ pages for the hardcover edition) but the division of the book by director makes it easy to absorb in smaller segments.
March 2, 2020
Extensive conversations with 16 movie directors, with introductions to each interview. Very enjoyable, but it did drag on. The interviews with Howard Hawks, and Alfred Hitchcock were illuminating.
August 25, 2024
Sweet book of the directors who Peter Bogdanovich admired. Offered excellent anecdotes that will help me with a San Francisco Movie Course I'll be leading soon.
March 19, 2022
The book is a collection of interviews of 16 movie directors that the author knew, and, as a bonus, he discusses the scandals and tribulations of his own life and career in the book’s introduction. The interviews were done at various times between the 1960s and the 1990s; many were previously published as magazines articles. Several of the directors did work in silent films. If you have an interest in movies, the book should be broadly entertaining. Some of the directors' life stories, their revelation of how certain famous scenes were shot, their complaints about their producers and heads of studios, and their stories about actors are often both interesting and amusing.
Did you know that Lana Turner was originally cast to play the lead in Anatomy of a Murder, but she refused to wear a pair of slacks that the director, Otto Preminger, had selected? Preminger told her agent that if she didn’t like it, she could turn the picture down. Preminger said that she probably thought he was bluffing, but the role went to Lee Remick.
Howard Hawks, while discussing Barbary Coast (1935), commented that it was the first time he had used Walter Brennan, and told the story that a man came up to him in tears after the movie’s preview and said that he didn’t know how to thank Hawks. Hawks didn’t know who he was until Brennan took out his teeth. He had never seen him except in makeup and Brennan was playing (and often played) characters who were older than he was.
The directors interviewed are Allan Dwan, Raoul Walsh, Fritz Lang, Josef von Sternberg, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Cukor, Alfred Hitchcock, Edgar G. Ulmer, Otto Preminger, Joseph H. Lewis, Chuck Jones, Don Siegel, Frank Tashlin, Robert Aldrich, and Sidney Lumet.
Did you know that Lana Turner was originally cast to play the lead in Anatomy of a Murder, but she refused to wear a pair of slacks that the director, Otto Preminger, had selected? Preminger told her agent that if she didn’t like it, she could turn the picture down. Preminger said that she probably thought he was bluffing, but the role went to Lee Remick.
Howard Hawks, while discussing Barbary Coast (1935), commented that it was the first time he had used Walter Brennan, and told the story that a man came up to him in tears after the movie’s preview and said that he didn’t know how to thank Hawks. Hawks didn’t know who he was until Brennan took out his teeth. He had never seen him except in makeup and Brennan was playing (and often played) characters who were older than he was.
The directors interviewed are Allan Dwan, Raoul Walsh, Fritz Lang, Josef von Sternberg, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Cukor, Alfred Hitchcock, Edgar G. Ulmer, Otto Preminger, Joseph H. Lewis, Chuck Jones, Don Siegel, Frank Tashlin, Robert Aldrich, and Sidney Lumet.
July 1, 2023
Had mucho long-term fun with this book - collection of in-depth interviews with directors of classics - such a Howard Hawks, Chuck Jones, Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Don Siegel; most I read, skipped a few because their work had not interested me. Went for some mild stimulation, fascinating to read their various takes on where the movie industry was headed and compare in my brain with where it is now. And gossip and info on how studios and filming were run back then, actors worked with meddling producers. The title quote is from Hawks who, when asked what movies he liked, he said he liked those that he could tell who the devil made them. Meaning visual style, themes, interests. Which, with streaming and an abundance of superheros slush and technique over content, is hard to discern beyond people like Wes Anderson and a few others whose framing and production values are instantly recognizable (before there was Kubrick, Fellini, Bergman and such who, seeing the first frames, you knew who was in charge). The vast majority of directors are anonymous, efficient, without strong personality, productive.
March 24, 2021
This is Peter Bogdanovich's compendium of interviews with top American and emigre film directors, stretching back from the Silent Era (Allan Dwan, Raoul Walsh) to the "Golden Age" (Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Leo McCarey) to important figures in cinema from the 1950s to 70s(Joseph H. Lewis, Sidney Lumet, Don Siegel). Most of the interviews are comprehensive and contain thoughtful introductory essays. A great book for film lovers!
December 20, 2018
Essential reading for any film buff with loads of insight into styles and decisions made by legendary directors. Fascinating discussion that will make you want to see every movie spoken of, which is tough even today. Bogdanovich was probably the best bridge between the classic and modern (70s) Hollywood and this will help show why.
November 21, 2023
I asked for this book for Christmas of 2021 and it did not disappoint. The conversations were both funny and interesting and you learn a lot about film directing! It's more than a 1000 pages long, but it did not take me long to finish it.
Also, the day after I finished it was when Peter Bogdanovich died. :(
Also, the day after I finished it was when Peter Bogdanovich died. :(
January 13, 2025
A collection of interviews with famous movie directors -- Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, George Cukor and many others. Fascinating for those interested in the history and details of professional movie making through the 20th century. Rather uneven -- some subjects and interviews are more interesting than others. 3 stars for me -- others may feel differently.
June 14, 2023
Exhaustive research! Amazing writer (as well as Director) brings you right in on the conversations with these incredible Creators of Cinema. If you like movies, you'll like this book. If you Love Film, you will Love this book !
August 9, 2019
If you love classic films and the stories about the creative process behind them, this is a must-have book, if you can find it.
August 18, 2019
I love this thread! I am always so worried about spoiling the book that my reviews are usually just a few sentences and basically pointless. lol Thanks for all of your input!
November 1, 2020
Invaluable.
March 16, 2021
A great compilation of interviews Bogdanovich conducted with 20th century movie directors like Howard Hawks, John Ford, Raoul Walsh, Alfred Hitchcock and others.
May 31, 2021
16 in-depth interviews of many known, and a few lesser known important American filmmakers. Bogdanovich really does his homework before starting these long interviews, most of which were done in the sixties, and topped off with follow-up interviews in the eighties or later. The filmmakers all come off as sincere, touching, very human, expert film professionals, even Otto Preminger, despite his reputation of an on-set tyrant. What's surprising is how much most of these directors shy away from camera effects. They try to limit the number of close-ups, camera movements and jump cuts to moments when they are essential to the story development. If we've seen the movies they are talking about, it's surprising how easy it is for us, the readers, to remember the film scenes they are talking about! And it's striking that most became famous for films where acting is the strongest motor behind the film's success. Most, if not all, count on developing a strong emotional bond with the actors. They invest a lot of time talking with them about the story and more importantly, about the mood of each scene, in order to obtain the magical moments that make a successful film. Though a long, door-stopper of a book, it's an easy, flowing read that really leads us to get to know -- really know, the humans behind some of our favourite filmmakers.
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June 22, 2009Read the STOP SMILING interview excerpt with writer and director Peter Bogdanovich
A HITCHCOCKO-HAWKSIAN'S GUIDE TO HOLLYWOOD
By James Hughes
(This interview originally appeared in STOP SMILING The Auteur Issue)
Before directing films like Targets (1968), The Last Picture Show (1971) and Paper Moon (1973), New York native Peter Bogdanovich was a journalist, interviewing Hollywood legends throughout the Sixties and Seventies for publications like Esquire, under editor Harold Hayes. (Several interviews are compiled in two books: Who the Devil Made It and Who the Hell's In It.) Here, Bogdanovich discusses his appreciation of director Howard Hawks, and the influence of Hawks's films on the auteur theory.
Stop Smiling: In the Sixties, when you were documenting the thoughts and opinions of the golden-age directors, how did you observe their take on American cinema at the time, when younger, more inexperienced directors were suddenly empowered by the auteur theory?
Peter Bogdanovich: I don't think they liked the way it was going. Anyone from the golden age of Hollywood wouldn't have liked the way it ended up, because it was fragmented and thrown apart and drifted into dirty movies.
SS: Would the auteur theory rankle them?
PB: No, a lot of them liked that, because they were included in it. People like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and George Cukor. Orson Welles didn't think too much of what was happening. He felt that the films people were making were imitations of films they liked when they were young, which was true and not true. When you're in the middle of an epic change, it's hard to tell that you're in it. Filmmakers of my era didn't sit around and say, “Well, we're the new Hollywood.” Nobody really thought of that, it just sort of happened. I had my feet firmly planted in both eras. I was talking to the older guys, and making my own films, and continued to talk to the old guys and watch the old films. I kept that going for a while. I'm still involved.
Read the rest of the interview excerpt...
A HITCHCOCKO-HAWKSIAN'S GUIDE TO HOLLYWOOD
By James Hughes
(This interview originally appeared in STOP SMILING The Auteur Issue)
Before directing films like Targets (1968), The Last Picture Show (1971) and Paper Moon (1973), New York native Peter Bogdanovich was a journalist, interviewing Hollywood legends throughout the Sixties and Seventies for publications like Esquire, under editor Harold Hayes. (Several interviews are compiled in two books: Who the Devil Made It and Who the Hell's In It.) Here, Bogdanovich discusses his appreciation of director Howard Hawks, and the influence of Hawks's films on the auteur theory.
Stop Smiling: In the Sixties, when you were documenting the thoughts and opinions of the golden-age directors, how did you observe their take on American cinema at the time, when younger, more inexperienced directors were suddenly empowered by the auteur theory?
Peter Bogdanovich: I don't think they liked the way it was going. Anyone from the golden age of Hollywood wouldn't have liked the way it ended up, because it was fragmented and thrown apart and drifted into dirty movies.
SS: Would the auteur theory rankle them?
PB: No, a lot of them liked that, because they were included in it. People like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and George Cukor. Orson Welles didn't think too much of what was happening. He felt that the films people were making were imitations of films they liked when they were young, which was true and not true. When you're in the middle of an epic change, it's hard to tell that you're in it. Filmmakers of my era didn't sit around and say, “Well, we're the new Hollywood.” Nobody really thought of that, it just sort of happened. I had my feet firmly planted in both eras. I was talking to the older guys, and making my own films, and continued to talk to the old guys and watch the old films. I kept that going for a while. I'm still involved.
Read the rest of the interview excerpt...
January 26, 2010
Who The Devil Made It is a hefty tome with over 800 pages; I was certain I'd pass it on once I'd read it, but I find myself returning it to its spot on the shelf for future reference. The book is a series of interviews Bogdanovich conducted with film directors, many famous & formative in cinematic arts.
Think of a classic movie and it's likely its director is in this book talking about it. For those who are just interested in certain movies or film star tales, their is a comprehensive index. If you're interested in movie making, the business or the nuts & bolts of telling stories, there's lots of great information in this book.
Among the directors included are: Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, Chuck Jones, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Cukor, Josef von Sternberg, Edgar G. Ulmer, Sidney Lumet, and Allan Dwan. You may not recognize all their names, but chances are, you know some of their movies.
Bogdanovich, a director himself, describes each director's background and their interactions over the years to introduce each interview. They all seemed quite comfortable talking to him even in cases where it was difficult due to ill health. Comprehensive filmographies are also included.
A pretty fascinating variety of inside looks into the business from silent pictures through Hollywood's golden studio age and its subsequent decline. Even so, I read it over the course of about five months interspersed with other books, definitely conducive to reading sporadically in chunks. Or just find the bits that interest you, perhaps after you rent or catch a flick on TCM.
Think of a classic movie and it's likely its director is in this book talking about it. For those who are just interested in certain movies or film star tales, their is a comprehensive index. If you're interested in movie making, the business or the nuts & bolts of telling stories, there's lots of great information in this book.
Among the directors included are: Alfred Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, Chuck Jones, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Cukor, Josef von Sternberg, Edgar G. Ulmer, Sidney Lumet, and Allan Dwan. You may not recognize all their names, but chances are, you know some of their movies.
Bogdanovich, a director himself, describes each director's background and their interactions over the years to introduce each interview. They all seemed quite comfortable talking to him even in cases where it was difficult due to ill health. Comprehensive filmographies are also included.
A pretty fascinating variety of inside looks into the business from silent pictures through Hollywood's golden studio age and its subsequent decline. Even so, I read it over the course of about five months interspersed with other books, definitely conducive to reading sporadically in chunks. Or just find the bits that interest you, perhaps after you rent or catch a flick on TCM.
October 7, 2015
Each chapter is an interview with a different filmmaker about his craft or particular movies. Overall I found it to be a good introduction and overview, but not really worth the time if you are serious about any of the directors discussed. I'd much rather recommend classics like Truffaut's Hitchcock, Lumet's Making Movies, or Jones' Chuck Amuck where you could get a real feel for the person and a deeper understanding of their work.
It's a good introduction or overview, but I wouldn't consider it essential.
It's a good introduction or overview, but I wouldn't consider it essential.
June 15, 2013
A great read! So many fascinating and great directors in their own words. I'm sure you have to be a film fanatic to really get into this book, but then I'm thrilled when I here the story of how tracking shots were invented - by the very person who did it! Bogdanovich was in my town around the time I was reading this and I so wish I'd had a chance to chat with him about it. I've read a number of thin, grandiose or just plain pointless books on film, and this is a great contribution to the seventh art.
January 13, 2008
Enjoyable, in-depth interviews with directors from Hollywood's golden age. Bogdanovich's knowledge, enthusiasm, and ability to get artists to talk candidly about their craft makes this a must-read for any classic film fan.
February 22, 2008
Worth it alone for the Howard Hawks interview.
A perfect almalgam of anecdotes, film theory, and the directors craft. Ignore what you know of PB's films, and accept him as an ideal vassal for the greats' lumpishness and brilliance.
A perfect almalgam of anecdotes, film theory, and the directors craft. Ignore what you know of PB's films, and accept him as an ideal vassal for the greats' lumpishness and brilliance.
June 1, 2011
Humongous book. Most directors talked about names and who received credit for whatever movie instead of their process of filmmaking. I was a little disappointed but pretty informative, if you care who did what.
March 8, 2026
Extraordinario compendio de entrevistas a grandes directores. La mejor, la de Fritz Lang. Sorprende la sequedad de Von Sternberg ( y la brevedad de su entrevista). Una espléndida manera de conocer los entresijos del arte del cinematógrafo que tantas cbras maestras legó en el siglo XX.
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August 15, 2008worth it
February 11, 2013
Wonderful interviews by a notable director - Bogdanovich. His conversation with Walter Huston is especially memorable.
July 25, 2013
Excellent, detailed, and never boring.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews