Best Books on Old Hollywood

1.
City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940s
City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940s 4.11 avg rating — 1,110 ratings
2.
Falling Waters
Falling Waters 4.33 avg rating — 33 ratings
3.
Farewell, My Lovely (Philip Marlowe, #2)
Farewell, My Lovely (Philip Marlowe, #2) 4.09 avg rating — 41,873 ratings
4.
Souls for Sale
Souls for Sale 3.75 avg rating — 12 ratings
5.
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1)
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1) 3.94 avg rating — 165,232 ratings
6.
The Long Goodbye (Philip Marlowe, #6)
The Long Goodbye (Philip Marlowe, #6) 4.19 avg rating — 45,500 ratings
7.
The Five Acts of Diego Leon
The Five Acts of Diego Leon 3.22 avg rating — 115 ratings
8.
Fading Fame: Women of a Certain Age in Hollywood
Fading Fame: Women of a Certain Age in Hollywood 4.88 avg rating — 8 ratings
9.
The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock
The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock 3.87 avg rating — 1,559 ratings
10.
The Godfather (The Godfather, #1)
The Godfather (The Godfather, #1) 4.40 avg rating — 452,890 ratings
11.
Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist
Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist 4.34 avg rating — 960 ratings
12.
Confessions of a Hollywood Agent
Confessions of a Hollywood Agent 2.67 avg rating — 3 ratings
13.
The Star Machine
The Star Machine 4.07 avg rating — 879 ratings
14.
A Bright and Guilty Place: Murder, Corruption, and L.A.'s Scandalous Coming of Age
A Bright and Guilty Place: Murder, Corruption, and L.A.'s Scandalous Coming of Age 3.71 avg rating — 446 ratings
15.
Try and Stop Me
Try and Stop Me 4.03 avg rating — 36 ratings
16.
Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History
Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History 3.69 avg rating — 16 ratings
17.
American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood & the Crime of the Century
American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood & the Crime of the Century 3.51 avg rating — 3,046 ratings
18.
Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture
Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture 4.11 avg rating — 272 ratings
19.
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders 3.51 avg rating — 426 ratings
20.
Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder
Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder 3.75 avg rating — 1,754 ratings
20.
Marilyn's Red Diary
Marilyn's Red Diary 4.03 avg rating — 384 ratings
22.
Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master
Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master 3.90 avg rating — 72 ratings
23.
Screen Deco: A Celebration of High Style in Hollywood (Architecture and Film, No. 3)
Screen Deco: A Celebration of High Style in Hollywood (Architecture and Film, No. 3) 4.24 avg rating — 42 ratings
24.
The Prince of Beverly Hills (Rick Barron, #1)
The Prince of Beverly Hills (Rick Barron, #1) 3.94 avg rating — 4,006 ratings
24.
Beverly Hills Dead (Rick Barron, #2)
Beverly Hills Dead (Rick Barron, #2) 3.73 avg rating — 3,693 ratings
24.
Hollywood Babylon (Hollywood Babylon, #1)
Hollywood Babylon (Hollywood Babylon, #1) 3.67 avg rating — 6,423 ratings
27.
The Noir Style
The Noir Style 4.14 avg rating — 96 ratings
27.
Grace
Grace 3.81 avg rating — 1,114 ratings
27.
Who Censored Roger Rabbit? (Roger Rabbit, #1)
Who Censored Roger Rabbit? (Roger Rabbit, #1) 3.71 avg rating — 3,988 ratings
30.
The Black Dahlia (L.A. Quartet, #1)
The Black Dahlia (L.A. Quartet, #1) 3.78 avg rating — 93,951 ratings
31.
West of Sunset
West of Sunset 3.57 avg rating — 3,394 ratings
32.
Hollywood Remembered: An Oral History of Its Golden Age
Hollywood Remembered: An Oral History of Its Golden Age 3.98 avg rating — 42 ratings
33.
The Day of the Locust
The Day of the Locust 3.70 avg rating — 23,730 ratings
34.
The Garden of Allah
The Garden of Allah 3.57 avg rating — 58 ratings
35.
Robert Mitchum: Solid, Dad, Crazy
Robert Mitchum: Solid, Dad, Crazy 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings
36.
Hot Toddy: The True Story of Hollywood's Most Sensational Murder
Hot Toddy: The True Story of Hollywood's Most Sensational Murder 3.79 avg rating — 259 ratings
37.
Who the Hell's in It: Conversations With Hollywood's Legendary Actors
Who the Hell's in It: Conversations With Hollywood's Legendary Actors 3.98 avg rating — 385 ratings
38.
Walking With Dead People - Hollywood
Walking With Dead People - Hollywood 3.47 avg rating — 19 ratings
38.
Bloodletting: Book 4.0 - Bette
Bloodletting: Book 4.0 - Bette 3.64 avg rating — 33 ratings
38.
Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History
Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
38.
Bells of Avalon
Bells of Avalon really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 25 ratings
38.
Supporting Features: Writing and Interviews on Movies and Moviemakers
Supporting Features: Writing and Interviews on Movies and Moviemakers it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
38.
Two Lovers: the love story of Carole Lombard and Russ Columbo
Two Lovers: the love story of Carole Lombard and Russ Columbo 4.35 avg rating — 31 ratings
38.
Hollywood Starlet (The Pacific Pictures Series)
Hollywood Starlet (The Pacific Pictures Series) 4.45 avg rating — 11 ratings
38.
Bill Duke: My 40-Year Career on Screen and behind the Camera
Bill Duke: My 40-Year Career on Screen and behind the Camera
by: Bill Duke
3.98 avg rating — 53 ratings
38.
Delayed Rays of a Star
Delayed Rays of a Star 3.76 avg rating — 1,714 ratings
38.
You Can't Fall Off the Floor: And Other Lessons from a Life in Hollywood
You Can't Fall Off the Floor: And Other Lessons from a Life in Hollywood 3.67 avg rating — 124 ratings
38.
El salón de los artistas exiliados en California: Salka Viertel acogió en su exilio a actores, intelectuales prominentes y personas anónimas huidas del nazismo
El salón de los artistas exiliados en California: Salka Viertel acogió en su exilio a actores, intelectuales prominentes y personas anónimas huidas del nazismo 4.25 avg rating — 12 ratings
38.
Stanwyck
Stanwyck 3.61 avg rating — 203 ratings
38.
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick
The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick 3.96 avg rating — 6,507 ratings
38.
There Are No Small Parts: 100 Outstanding Film Performances with Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less
There Are No Small Parts: 100 Outstanding Film Performances with Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less 4.08 avg rating — 13 ratings
52.
Shake Well Before Using: A New Collection of Impressions and Anecdotes Mostly Humorous
Shake Well Before Using: A New Collection of Impressions and Anecdotes Mostly Humorous liked it 3.00 avg rating — 10 ratings
52.
Farber on Film: The Complete Film Writings of Manny Farber
Farber on Film: The Complete Film Writings of Manny Farber 4.35 avg rating — 112 ratings
52.
Conversations with Classic Film Stars: Interviews from Hollywood’s Golden Era
Conversations with Classic Film Stars: Interviews from Hollywood’s Golden Era 3.97 avg rating — 101 ratings
52.
Temporary Alliance: A Story of Old Hollywood (The Pacific Pictures Series Book 2)
Temporary Alliance: A Story of Old Hollywood (The Pacific Pictures Series Book 2) 4.20 avg rating — 15 ratings
52.
City of Devils (City of Devils #1)
City of Devils (City of Devils #1) 4.32 avg rating — 127 ratings
52.
The Dead
The Dead 3.44 avg rating — 1,473 ratings
52.
The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles
The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles 4.14 avg rating — 2,026 ratings
52.
I Just Kept Hoping
I Just Kept Hoping 3.62 avg rating — 47 ratings
52.
The Salon of Exiled Artists in California
The Salon of Exiled Artists in California 4.25 avg rating — 12 ratings
52.
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years 3.88 avg rating — 20,232 ratings
62.
A Long Hard Look at Psycho
A Long Hard Look at Psycho 3.97 avg rating — 61 ratings
62.
LIFE Hidden Hollywood: Rare Images of a Golden Age
LIFE Hidden Hollywood: Rare Images of a Golden Age
by: LIFE
3.56 avg rating — 16 ratings
62.
The Movie Star and Me
The Movie Star and Me 4.24 avg rating — 25 ratings
62.
Beautiful Invention: A Novel of Hedy Lamarr
Beautiful Invention: A Novel of Hedy Lamarr 3.76 avg rating — 152 ratings
62.
The Million Dollar Mermaid
The Million Dollar Mermaid 3.87 avg rating — 1,920 ratings
62.
The Girl from Hollywood
The Girl from Hollywood 3.45 avg rating — 186 ratings
68.
Why a Duck?: Visual and Verbal Gems from the Marx Brothers Movies
Why a Duck?: Visual and Verbal Gems from the Marx Brothers Movies 4.20 avg rating — 245 ratings
68.
The Making of Some Like It Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Classic American Movie
The Making of Some Like It Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Classic American Movie 3.84 avg rating — 374 ratings
68.
The Original Million Dollar Mermaid: The Annette Kellerman Story
The Original Million Dollar Mermaid: The Annette Kellerman Story 3.97 avg rating — 32 ratings
68.
Merton of the Movies
Merton of the Movies 3.84 avg rating — 55 ratings
72.
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood: Celebrity Gossip and American Conservatism
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood: Celebrity Gossip and American Conservatism 3.12 avg rating — 26 ratings
72.
Hollywood and History: Costume Design in Film
Hollywood and History: Costume Design in Film 4.09 avg rating — 101 ratings
72.
Girls in the Picture: A Novel
Girls in the Picture: A Novel 3.64 avg rating — 8,186 ratings
72.
Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel 3.88 avg rating — 2,499 ratings
76.
The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting
The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting 4.48 avg rating — 69 ratings
76.
Agee on Film: Criticism and Comment on the Movies
Agee on Film: Criticism and Comment on the Movies 4.26 avg rating — 205 ratings
76.
You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age
You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age 3.51 avg rating — 932 ratings
76.
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures
The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures 4.02 avg rating — 1,578 ratings
76.
I, Toto: The Autobiography of Terry, the Dog Who Was Toto
I, Toto: The Autobiography of Terry, the Dog Who Was Toto 4.11 avg rating — 172 ratings
81.
Val Lewton: the reality of terror (Cinema one, 22)
Val Lewton: the reality of terror (Cinema one, 22) 4.33 avg rating — 24 ratings
81.
Women in Horror Films, 1930s
Women in Horror Films, 1930s 4.69 avg rating — 13 ratings
81.
The Doom Patrol Archives, Vol. 1
The Doom Patrol Archives, Vol. 1 4.10 avg rating — 177 ratings
84.
Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career
Fearing the Dark: The Val Lewton Career 4.36 avg rating — 25 ratings
84.
At the Center of the Frame: Leading Ladies of the Twenties and Thirties
At the Center of the Frame: Leading Ladies of the Twenties and Thirties 3.60 avg rating — 10 ratings
84.
Girl About Town (Lulu Kelly Mystery #1)
Girl About Town (Lulu Kelly Mystery #1) 3.27 avg rating — 334 ratings
87.
The Glamour Factory: Inside Hollywood's Big Studio System
The Glamour Factory: Inside Hollywood's Big Studio System 3.86 avg rating — 42 ratings
87.
Those Crazy Wonderful Years When We Ran Warner Bros.
Those Crazy Wonderful Years When We Ran Warner Bros. 4.17 avg rating — 18 ratings
89.
Silent Stars Speak: Interviews with Twelve Cinema Pioneers
Silent Stars Speak: Interviews with Twelve Cinema Pioneers 3.67 avg rating — 6 ratings
90.
The Sound of Silence: Conversations With 16 Film and Stage Personalities Who Bridged the Gap Between Silents and Talkies
The Sound of Silence: Conversations With 16 Film and Stage Personalities Who Bridged the Gap Between Silents and Talkies 3.95 avg rating — 19 ratings
91.
My First Time in Hollywood: Stories from the Pioneers, Dreamers and Misfits Who Made the Movies
My First Time in Hollywood: Stories from the Pioneers, Dreamers and Misfits Who Made the Movies 4.10 avg rating — 68 ratings
92.
Goldwyn
Goldwyn 3.98 avg rating — 438 ratings
93.
The Women of Warner Brothers: The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies, with Filmographies for Each
The Women of Warner Brothers: The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies, with Filmographies for Each 3.93 avg rating — 14 ratings
94.
Of All the Gin Joints: Stumbling through Hollywood History
Of All the Gin Joints: Stumbling through Hollywood History 3.65 avg rating — 493 ratings
94.
Inside Warner Bros. (1935-1951)
Inside Warner Bros. (1935-1951) 4.11 avg rating — 27 ratings
96.
Idols of Modernity: Movie Stars of the 1920s
Idols of Modernity: Movie Stars of the 1920s liked it 3.00 avg rating — 18 ratings
97.
An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films
An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films 3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings
98.
Femme Noir: Bad Girls of Film
Femme Noir: Bad Girls of Film 3.87 avg rating — 31 ratings
99.
The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century
The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century 3.94 avg rating — 300 ratings
100.
Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age at the American Film Institute
Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age at the American Film Institute 4.38 avg rating — 106 ratings
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