Serious Movie Lover

WHO THE DEVIL MADE IT (1997/KNOPF) by PETER BOGDANOVICH Director/writer Peter Bogdanovich’s conversations-with-directors tome, Who the Devil Made It, is a spectacular achievement—and one hell of a gossipy beach-ready paperback.  Collecting a lifetime’s worth of revealing and often quite personal conversations with an amazing array of nearly every great early-to-mid-20th century Hollywood filmmaker, PB is in giddy film historian mode here—and just as enthusiastic as the movie-crazy, star-struck kid he used to be.

The book’s best conversations are often just as much about the writer’s own personal experience with the subjects as the subjects themselves.  While most film nerds are familiar with PB’s long and fruitful friendship with Orson Welles (read his 1992 gem This is Orson Welles), his long personal relationship with gadfly raconteur Howard Hawks is less well known. The longest chapter by far, Hawks is brimming with dishy dirt about everybody, period (Howard Hawks did not give a shit, yo!), and it is he who provided the book’s title, remarking on his preference that a director make his style known through his pictures so viewers will recognize a director’s work even if they arrived after the opening credits have rolled, never needing to ask, “Well, who the devil made it?”

Check out this roster of Totally Bitchin’ Dead Guys: Howard Hawks, Allan Dwan, Alfred Hitchcock, George Cukor, Leo McCarey (on his death bed, basically), Fritz Lang, Josef von Sternberg, John Ford (not actually featured in this tome but somehow working his way into everybody else’s stories)…and this is only a portion of the great directors featured in the book.  In this captivating collection (and his stellar follow-up companion piece focused on actors, Who the Hell’s in It) PB has given a priceless gift to future generations of film enthusiasts—you-were-there glimpses into the lives, works, triumphs, and tragedies of these trailblazing pioneers.  Who the devil made it, indeed.

Grade: A+