Showman of the Screen

Joseph E. Levine and His Revolutions in Film Promotion

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by A. T. McKenna

Type

Biographies

Subject

Others persons > Joseph E. Levine

Keywords

Joseph E. Levine, producer

Publishing date

2016

Publisher

University Press of Kentucky

Collection

Screen Classics

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Hardcover • 296 pages
6 ½ x 9 ¼ inches (16.5 x 23.5 cm)

ISBN

978-0-8131-6871-5

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Book Presentation:
Short, immaculately dressed, and shockingly foul-mouthed, Joseph E. Levine (1905–1987) was larger than life. He rose from poverty in Boston's West End to become one of postwar Hollywood's most prolific independent promoters, distributors, and producers. Alternately respected and reviled, this master of movie promotion was responsible for bringing films as varied as Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956), Hercules (1958), The Graduate (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and A Bridge Too Far (1977) to American audiences.

In the first biography of this controversial pioneer, A. T. McKenna traces Levine's rise as an influential packager of popular culture. He explores the mogul's pivotal role in many significant industry innovations from the 1950s to the 1970s, examining his use of saturation release tactics and bombastic advertising campaigns. Levine was also a trailblazer in promoting European art house cinema in the 1960s. He made Federico Fellini's 8 (1963) a hit in America, feuded with Jean-Luc Godard over their production of Contempt (1963), and campaigned aggressively for Sophia Loren to become the first actress to win an Oscar for a foreign language performance for her role in Two Women (1960).

Despite his significant accomplishments and prominent role in shaping film distribution and promotion in the post-studio era, Levine is largely overlooked today. McKenna's in-depth biography corrects misunderstandings and misinformation about this colorful figure, and offers a sober assessment of his contributions to world cinema. It also illuminates Levine's peculiar talent for movie- and self-promotion, as well as his extraordinary career in the motion picture business.

See the publisher website: University Press of Kentucky

See the complete filmography of Joseph E. Levine on the website: IMDB ...