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My First Time in Hollywood: Stories from the Pioneers, Dreamers and Misfits Who Made the Movies
My First Time in Hollywood is a collection of intimate stories (along with over 60 vintage photos and illustrations) about coming to Southern California by forty-one legends of the film business. Actors, directors, set decorators, screenwriters, cinematographers, and editors—half of them women—give their initial impressions of Hollywood, tell of their struggle to find work, and recall their enduring love for making movies. Drawn from letters, speeches, oral histories, and autobiographies, each story is unique, but all speak to the universal struggle to discover our place, follow our passions, and become members of a community that will feed our soul.
330 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2015
11 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Cari Beauchamp
13 books23 followersCari Beauchamp is the award winning author of Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and The Powerful Women of Early Hollywood. She also edited and annotated Anita Loos Rediscovered: Film Treatments and Fiction by the Creator of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and co-wrote Hollywood on the Riviera: The Inside Story of the Cannes Film Festival. Her book, Adventures of a Hollywood Secretary: Her Private Letters from Inside the Studios of the 1920s, was published in 2006 and her current project, Joseph P. Kennedy Presents: His Hollywood Years, has just been published by Knopf.
Cari wrote the Emmy nominated documentary film The Day my God Died which played on PBS and she was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Without Lying Down: The Power of Women in Early Hollywood which she wrote and coproduced for Turner Classic Movies. She has also appeared in over a dozen documentaries.
She has written for Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and various other magazines and newspapers. She is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Scholar and her books have been selected for "Best of the Year" lists by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Amazon.
She has appeared as a featured speaker at venues throughout the United States and Europe including The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The British Film Institute, the Museum of Modern Art, The Edinburgh Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, The Women's Museum of Art in Washington D.C. and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Before turning to writing on a full time basis in 1990, she worked as a private investigator, a campaign manager and served as Press Secretary to California Governor Jerry Brown. She lives in Los Angeles.
Cari wrote the Emmy nominated documentary film The Day my God Died which played on PBS and she was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Without Lying Down: The Power of Women in Early Hollywood which she wrote and coproduced for Turner Classic Movies. She has also appeared in over a dozen documentaries.
She has written for Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and various other magazines and newspapers. She is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Scholar and her books have been selected for "Best of the Year" lists by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Amazon.
She has appeared as a featured speaker at venues throughout the United States and Europe including The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The British Film Institute, the Museum of Modern Art, The Edinburgh Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, The Women's Museum of Art in Washington D.C. and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Before turning to writing on a full time basis in 1990, she worked as a private investigator, a campaign manager and served as Press Secretary to California Governor Jerry Brown. She lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 24, 2016
Cari Beauchamp has done her homework and compiled a fantastic collection of stories from an array Old Hollywood's finest. Being an avid Old Hollywood fan and collector of biographies I was expecting to already know most of the stories in this collection and while there was certainly a few chapters on big Hollywood stars that came from books I'd already read Beauchamp evens this out by including those not often heard from. It was fascinating reading about the Old Hollywood system by not only those in front of the camera but from writers, directors, cinematographers, even choreographers and secretaries.
Great read for those who wish to learn more and a great refresher for avid Old Hollywood fans.
*Thank you Asahina & Wallace and Netgalley for this review copy.
Great read for those who wish to learn more and a great refresher for avid Old Hollywood fans.
*Thank you Asahina & Wallace and Netgalley for this review copy.
January 28, 2019
Tonight I go to dinner with [Howard] Hawks. I like him. He is one of the few half humans - to whom movies are a pleasant sideline, a thing to be done as work, not to be lived as a career. My health is superb. My spirit is strong. I have money. I gave Ma some hundreds. I have power, luck, everything - and YOU. I got YOU. Holy Jesus. These weeks - socially remembered - seem like something I passed on a boat among Samoans or some other unintelligible and mysterious tribe of manikins. Everybody I've met is nice but flapping in the wind, unrooted, empty, straining and a thousand times more tossed up for grabs than New Yorkers. The home life is invisible. All exiles. All with memories growing thin, desire thinning out, waiting for yesterday to come back. Good-bye my darling. Rosse is at the door. Fat, greyer, sadder, more confused and very touchingly shy.
So writes Ben Hecht to his bride in 1926. Ben Hecht, who would go on to pen The Front Page and His Girl Friday, who would deliver screenplays for Wuthering Heights and Notorious, and to whom David O. Selznick would pay ten thousand dollars to tighten up the script of Gone With the Wind. Ben Hecht, who was encountering the quiet fear for the first time; the dread that drifts down through the evening palms and fingers its way beneath the latch to enshroud the soul of every fresh sacrifice to Los Angeles. Where am I? What in heaven's name have I done? It's his first week in Hollywood. The terror looms large.
Cari Beauchamp has done some brilliant work here. She's combed through countless out-of-print memoirs, reminiscences, speeches, oral histories and motion picture archives to compile a collection of first-person accounts on the earliest days of Hollywood. She confines her frame to twenty years - 1909 to 1929 - to take us through the wild-and-wooly days of silent films and the birth of what would become the Studio System. These are brief reports and first impressions from a bevy of luminaries, among whom include Mary Pickford, Harold Lloyd, Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Cecil B. DeMille, Anita Loos, King Vidor, Hedda Hopper, Gloria Swanson and Myrna Loy. Each account is book-ended by a tight introduction and informative epilogue, all of which results in a string of rather glorious biographies-in-brief. Her selection is superb; her editing subtle yet precise. The whole is satisfyingly greater than its parts, and draws an evocative picture of the city in that burgeoning era.
I was thoroughly entertained. I certainly hope Ms. Beauchamp is planning a series of these.
So writes Ben Hecht to his bride in 1926. Ben Hecht, who would go on to pen The Front Page and His Girl Friday, who would deliver screenplays for Wuthering Heights and Notorious, and to whom David O. Selznick would pay ten thousand dollars to tighten up the script of Gone With the Wind. Ben Hecht, who was encountering the quiet fear for the first time; the dread that drifts down through the evening palms and fingers its way beneath the latch to enshroud the soul of every fresh sacrifice to Los Angeles. Where am I? What in heaven's name have I done? It's his first week in Hollywood. The terror looms large.
Cari Beauchamp has done some brilliant work here. She's combed through countless out-of-print memoirs, reminiscences, speeches, oral histories and motion picture archives to compile a collection of first-person accounts on the earliest days of Hollywood. She confines her frame to twenty years - 1909 to 1929 - to take us through the wild-and-wooly days of silent films and the birth of what would become the Studio System. These are brief reports and first impressions from a bevy of luminaries, among whom include Mary Pickford, Harold Lloyd, Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Cecil B. DeMille, Anita Loos, King Vidor, Hedda Hopper, Gloria Swanson and Myrna Loy. Each account is book-ended by a tight introduction and informative epilogue, all of which results in a string of rather glorious biographies-in-brief. Her selection is superb; her editing subtle yet precise. The whole is satisfyingly greater than its parts, and draws an evocative picture of the city in that burgeoning era.
I was thoroughly entertained. I certainly hope Ms. Beauchamp is planning a series of these.
February 11, 2018
Some years ago, I remember listening to an interview of David Lynch. He recalled that feeling of dazed amazement when he arrived in Hollywood from the East for the first time. He was especially taken with the sun.
So, it came as little surprise that Lynch’s comments were echoed by so many people experiencing their first taste of Hollywood so many decades before. And, yes, many of them were impressed (and occasionally overwhelmed) by the sun.
The book is a mixed blessing. It is intriguing to read about the makeshift production stages built outdoors and exposed to the elements. After reading comments from the fifth person to have similar experiences, the fascination wore away. There is a great deal of duplication.
Recollections range from the stolid to the sublime. I expected revelations from Lionel Barrymore, but received instead a celebrity lecture that wasn’t very informative or interesting. I contrast this with the observations of screenwriter Lenore Coffee who made me feel that I was there ... and I could have gone on reading that view of Hollywood for many more chapters.
Similarly, my impression of the self-serving Will Hays didn’t improve after reading his observations. However, I had never heard of Maurice Leloir, and his delightful memories of being a Frenchman in Hollywood just crackled with energy.
I found myself trudging through the book whenever the stories were “fact centered.” It was when the narrator drifted into gossip and glitz that the book excelled and became fun to read.
For those interested in the early days of Hollywood, MY FIRST TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is a good primer. You will learn a great deal ... and may be especially careful of where you sit if your host’s last name is Fairbanks.
So, it came as little surprise that Lynch’s comments were echoed by so many people experiencing their first taste of Hollywood so many decades before. And, yes, many of them were impressed (and occasionally overwhelmed) by the sun.
The book is a mixed blessing. It is intriguing to read about the makeshift production stages built outdoors and exposed to the elements. After reading comments from the fifth person to have similar experiences, the fascination wore away. There is a great deal of duplication.
Recollections range from the stolid to the sublime. I expected revelations from Lionel Barrymore, but received instead a celebrity lecture that wasn’t very informative or interesting. I contrast this with the observations of screenwriter Lenore Coffee who made me feel that I was there ... and I could have gone on reading that view of Hollywood for many more chapters.
Similarly, my impression of the self-serving Will Hays didn’t improve after reading his observations. However, I had never heard of Maurice Leloir, and his delightful memories of being a Frenchman in Hollywood just crackled with energy.
I found myself trudging through the book whenever the stories were “fact centered.” It was when the narrator drifted into gossip and glitz that the book excelled and became fun to read.
For those interested in the early days of Hollywood, MY FIRST TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is a good primer. You will learn a great deal ... and may be especially careful of where you sit if your host’s last name is Fairbanks.
November 1, 2015
This is a collection of short memoirs from some forty people who were in the film industry when it first started in Hollywood. It ranges from famous actors- Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore, and Gloria Swanson-to producers and directors (lots of them), to writers, and people who furnished the sets. It even includes the infamous Will Hayes, who was brought to Hollywood to institute censorship.
These first person pieces are gleaned from various sources- magazine articles, autobiographies, oral history, letters, and lectures. They are all about the very first time each of these people set foot in Hollywood, back when Hollywood was not even really Hollywood. The dates range from 1909 to the 1929, during the time in which Los Angeles and Hollywood exploded and grew exponentially, going from deserted semi-desert to built-up phenomenon.
All but one person entered Hollywood via rail. All remember the vast, boring plains they had to travel through. All remember being rather bemused by the lack of buildings in Hollywood. It’s as much a history of the town and the industry as it is memoirs, and I found it fascinating because of that (I grew up in Los Angeles). It includes lots of photographs, too.
These first person pieces are gleaned from various sources- magazine articles, autobiographies, oral history, letters, and lectures. They are all about the very first time each of these people set foot in Hollywood, back when Hollywood was not even really Hollywood. The dates range from 1909 to the 1929, during the time in which Los Angeles and Hollywood exploded and grew exponentially, going from deserted semi-desert to built-up phenomenon.
All but one person entered Hollywood via rail. All remember the vast, boring plains they had to travel through. All remember being rather bemused by the lack of buildings in Hollywood. It’s as much a history of the town and the industry as it is memoirs, and I found it fascinating because of that (I grew up in Los Angeles). It includes lots of photographs, too.
October 16, 2019
This is a fascinating book that gathers firsthand experiences from 1909 through 1929 of when movie industry people of all ages--children through older adults--first came to Hollywood. It's not just from the viewpoint of actors, either, but from various writers, set designers, even a costume designer. You really get a get sense of how the city grew up over that span of 20 years--and an even grander concept for how it has continued to evolve over the past century.
I had read several of the excerpts before, but the majority were new to me and quite enlightening. I took numerous notes for my research purposes and found out about more material to seek out. Really, though, this is a great book for anyone with an interest in the silent era and how Hollywood BECAME Hollywood.
I had read several of the excerpts before, but the majority were new to me and quite enlightening. I took numerous notes for my research purposes and found out about more material to seek out. Really, though, this is a great book for anyone with an interest in the silent era and how Hollywood BECAME Hollywood.
December 13, 2022
THE BIRTH OF THE MOVIES
A wonderful compilation of first-hand stories from the amazing, brave souls who went west with nothing but a vision and a dream to start a brand new industry.
Taking the reader from 1910 through 1929, there are actors, directors, producers, screen writers, film editors and more.
Some names will be familiar, some not, but each and every one is to be championed for being the innovators and visionaries who brought to life the motion picture industry.
There would be no ‘Hollywood Blockbuster’ today without these daring, artistic, inventive people who boldly led the way. For anyone who loves movies these are the people who are forever owed a debt of gratitude for their trail-blazing gumption.
A wonderful compilation of first-hand stories from the amazing, brave souls who went west with nothing but a vision and a dream to start a brand new industry.
Taking the reader from 1910 through 1929, there are actors, directors, producers, screen writers, film editors and more.
Some names will be familiar, some not, but each and every one is to be championed for being the innovators and visionaries who brought to life the motion picture industry.
There would be no ‘Hollywood Blockbuster’ today without these daring, artistic, inventive people who boldly led the way. For anyone who loves movies these are the people who are forever owed a debt of gratitude for their trail-blazing gumption.
November 16, 2015
This is a collection of forty-one memoirs about coming to Southern California, written by people who later became legends in the film industry. Several of these I had read before but there were many that were new to me, and putting the memories together in one collection highlighted the similarities of experience and emotion upon arriving in Los Angeles; the exotic landscape, the sunshine, the flowers (almost everyone noted the long gone orange blossoms), and ambition, anticipation, and hope. Beauchamp has edited each chapter to provide biographical information and there are many vintage photos and illustrations. It’s an easy, pleasant read, and because the chapters are self-contained it was a good book to read at lunch, while on a train, over the morning coffee, or as a palate cleanser between large chunks of Claude Levi-Strauss, (God help you).
April 29, 2015
eARC: Netgalley
Loved it!
This is a fascinating glimpse into the earliest beginnings of Hollywood. I recognized many of the names and it was interesting to learn about their contributions to the brand new field of film making.
Thanks to Cari Beauchamp for gathering all of these stories together in one book!
Loved it!
This is a fascinating glimpse into the earliest beginnings of Hollywood. I recognized many of the names and it was interesting to learn about their contributions to the brand new field of film making.
Thanks to Cari Beauchamp for gathering all of these stories together in one book!
August 11, 2015
Terrific collection!
Cari Beauchamp is just one of the most interesting writers about Hollywood history. This collection of vignettes from all sorts of Hollywood types is funny and interesting. Beauchamp's notes put them in context.
Cari Beauchamp is just one of the most interesting writers about Hollywood history. This collection of vignettes from all sorts of Hollywood types is funny and interesting. Beauchamp's notes put them in context.
July 4, 2016
ARC copy received via NetGalley
A fascinating glimpse into the formative years of Hollywood, and its early stars.
Due to comments by other reviewers I was aware that a lot of these stories were taken from other publications but it was great to be able to read them all complied together.
A fascinating glimpse into the formative years of Hollywood, and its early stars.
Due to comments by other reviewers I was aware that a lot of these stories were taken from other publications but it was great to be able to read them all complied together.
December 1, 2015
Great book!
Some of these stories were familiar, others were a new ride of that roller coaster we call Hollywood. Excellent compilation of a wide variety of people and characters. Yay Cari!
Some of these stories were familiar, others were a new ride of that roller coaster we call Hollywood. Excellent compilation of a wide variety of people and characters. Yay Cari!
February 7, 2016
Pieces in their own words from actors, actresses, directors, editors, screen writers, etc. in the film industry describing the first time they came to Hollywood. Covers the time period of 1909-1929. Interesting to read about the different impressions they all had.
July 15, 2016
Having read oodles on film history, it was interesting to see how impressions were different as time went on.
June 30, 2015
A nice collection of pieces culled from other sources. As I had several of the original sources, not all of it was new to me, but again, still enjoyable to read.
November 11, 2015
Quite enjoyable to read, especially if you're a fan of Old Hollywood.
August 28, 2016
Some familiar; some new.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews