A Hollywood Education: Tales of Movie Dreams and Easy Money

by David Freeman

A reporter for the New York Post decides to leave for Hollywood when he begins suffering from a compulsion to write fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

David Freeman is an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and journalist who studied playwriting and dramatic literature at the Yale Drama School and currently teaches screenwriting seminars in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife Judith Gingold.

Freeman wrote the last draft for Alfred Hitchcock's final project, The Short Night, a projected spy thriller which was never produced due to Hitchcock's failing health. Freeman wrote about his experiences in the 1984 book The Last Days of Alfred Hitchcock, which includes his completed screenplay.

Reviews

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat dated, but some things in Hollywood never change. After a successful, profitable career rewriting scripts, the narrator gives it all up to write his own screenplay. The End.

[Carrick Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book! I loved the writing style -- simple, but yet, with style, and it was just an easy, breezy read. The stories rang so true. As a person who lived in the Los Angeles area, I really could see these stories play out like this in real life. And, as a guy who worked briefly has a personal fitness trainer in a health club, I could really relate to the story about the trainer who made a name for himself by just pushing people hard, military-style without really having that much knowledge. I've seen stuff like that! Freeman has a really nice way of telling a story!

[Michelle Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book! I normally don't read books on this kind of topic. However, the stories felt so real and were so interesting, I was totally into this book. I didn't expect to finish it as fast as I did! Also, as a person who has spent a good amount of time in a gym, I could relate to the one story about the personal trainer who basically used his hardcore military-style of training and made a fortune on it. I've seen stuff like that before when I lived in Los Angeles! Also, what made the reading experience so enjoyable was Freeman's writing style. I liked his clear, easy-to-read, flowing prose that also had some style to it as well. I'm not a fan of pretentious writing, and Freeman definitely is not pretentious in his writing. I really liked his writing style, and I want to read his next book!