Noted film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon offers a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of both major and marginalized figures who have dynamically transformed the landscape of international cinema in the twentieth century. Fifteen interviews spanning two decades of research are collected here, with many appearing in uncut form for the first time. Dixon’s interviewees represent a wide range of cinematic professions (directors, animators, actors, writers, and producers) from several branches of cinema (artistic, avant-garde, and commercial) with Dixon providing an introduction prior to each interview.

Purposeful in his selections, Dixon offers up voices from twentieth-century cinema that have never before had the chance to speak at such length and detail, as well as much more well-known figures addressing unique and obscure aspects of their respective careers. Collectively, this volume presents a treasure trove of firsthand information of keen interest to film scholars and movie buffs alike, while providing a glimpse into the future of cinema in the twenty-first century.

Review

“By means of his carefully planned, intelligent interview technique, Dixon has focused upon both ‘sung’ and ‘unsung’ heroes. . . . Unlike other interviewers, he has not only sought out neglected characters but has asked them pertinent questions relating to their contributions to cinema. This collection of essays is an important complement to Dixon’s other work.”— Tony Williams , coeditor (with Rocco Fumento) of Jack London ' s The Sea Wolf : A Screenplay

About the Author

Wheeler Winston Dixon is the James Ryan Endowed Chair of Film Studies, chair of the film studies program at the University of Nebraska, and editor-in-chief of the Quarterly Review of Film and Video. He has authored or edited over fifteen books on cinema, including The Second Century of Cinema: The Past and the Future of the Moving Image and Film Genre 2000: New Critical Essays.