Editorial Review

This new version of the Read more

Reviews (85)

In desperate need of review!!
1999?It's 2006!!Come on, folks!!Excellent book that needs an update!!

A Trekkie Must Have
There were so many facts in this book. A book with every single charector, equiopment, episode, and important event from every single series is just what a trekkie needs. Each entry explains which episode and series it is from, and there a bunch of notes in italics explaining how something was done. I fully recomend this book. It has entries from "surprise pary" to the "dominian war." And if there was a flaw in time and a charector was duplicated they had a seperate entry on that charetor. How could a trekkie not have this book?

A Great Reference Book!
This is Encyclopedia is a must have for any fan. It has information that will take hours to read but the time will fly and you won't even realize how much time you've spent reading it! There are illustrations and TV pictures for some of the topics. From people, to places, to things, this book pretty much has it all.
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Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Fiction    3. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    4. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    5. Science Fiction    6. Science Fiction - General    7. Science Fiction - Space Opera    8. Star Trek films    9. Star Trek television programs    10. Television - Guides & Reviews    11. Television - History & Criticism    12. Fiction / Science Fiction / General    13. Films, cinema    14. Reference works    15. Television   

Reviews (1)

"Disney A to Z" is a "Must Own" for any Disney Fan
I can safely say this book is a "must have" for any fan of Disney. Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Film & Video - Reference    3. General    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts/Dance    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Reference - General    8. Television - Reference    9. Cinema industry    10. Encyclopaedias & Reference Works    11. Films, cinema    12. Juvenile Nonfiction / Reference / General    13. USA   

Editorial Review

If you're a fan or student of American TV, you must have this book, which provides descriptions of 5,400 series and their major participants from 1948 to 1995. The information is presented in alphabetical order in entries up to several pages long. Special broadcasts are also listed chronologically in an appendix. Thankfully, the index is comprehensive, so you can easily trace the mayfly-like flitting of stars, personalities, and lesser deities from show to show. And, I don't usually say this, but it's really a heck of a bargain. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Fun and Informative
First, we might note that "... To the Present," in the book's title, means through late 1995.So nothing in the last ten years is included.For years, I have enjoyed "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present" by Brooks and Marsh.I prefer the format of the Brooks and Marsh book to that of the NcNeil book--e.g., the cast is in list form, which makes for easier and quicker reading; the showing time is also included.The chief advantage of the McNeil book is that it includes daytime TV, which the Brooks and Marsh book does not.

Exhaustive and necessary
Where this book is not as easy to use as Brooks and Marsh's "Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows"(see my review for this one), it offers more-as far as the addition of daytime shows and more explanation of the entries. I like the other guide mainly because it's a good quick reference for prime time. However, if I'm really interested in detail or, again, a daytime program-like some Saturday morning cartoon of my childhood-then this is the one to get. I have both books, actually-for reasons specified here.

The Ultimate TV Reference
Alex McNeil's "Total Television" is the Mother of all TV reference volumes.If you can't find it here, it ain't worth knowin' about.How he was able to compile all this information covering 50+ years of TV is beyond me. Crack open this book at any page and you will be reading for hours, probably days. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Encyclopedias    3. Performing Arts    4. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    5. Sociology    6. Television - Guides & Reviews    7. Television Plays And Programs    8. Television programs    9. United States    10. Performing Arts / Television / General    11. Television   

Reviews (8)

American Sideshow
Great sideshow book!
A Good Read
This book was a good read. But I would not recommended it for research purposes unless you have read other books on the subject. In this book Hartzman makes numerous side comments that are insulting especially to an individual who suffers from a disability. I do not find his personal feelings or side comments worthwile. My hope would have been that Hartzman had cited his sources rather than stating all his research as if it were fact. It is a pretty well known fact that Giants, Midgets, and Fat People were not as tall, short, or fat as advertised. This book would make a good read but only after one has done other research on the matter.

Compelling encyclopedia of fascinating people, more context would have been great
This book makes fascinating reading.It's mainly done in an encyclopedia style, with entries for many, many people who chose to exhibit their unusual features or talents.The author obviously feel strongly that they have a right to do so, and shows much caring and respect for them.I really liked how he followed their lives all the way through if he could find the information, so they were presented as people and not just shows.
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Circus    3. Circus performers    4. Dictionaries    5. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    6. New Age    7. Performing Arts    8. Performing Arts/Dance    9. Sideshows    10. Specific Groups - General    11. United States    12. Biography: film, television & music    13. Body, Mind & Spirit / Spirituality / General   

Reviews (3)

An excellent tool
I studied this book religiously as I was preparing for the 1995 College Tournament.It contains a great deal of the "must-have" knowledge that you can expect on Jeopardy!: Presidential trivia, geography,literature, etc.The most notable thing lacking is a section onart/architecture.

It worked for me
The book is a great review for anyone going on the show.The knowledge is quite broad and allows work/creator recognition.I used the book to worm my way into the T of C finals.

VERY HELPFUL for the prospective contestant
Good review book for a Jeopardy contestant prospect. It is a little outdated, but still useful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Encyclopedias    4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    5. General    6. Jeopardy (Television program)    7. Miscellanea    8. Questions and answers    9. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - Pentecostalism    3. Encyclopedias    4. General    5. Islam    6. Reference    7. Religion    8. Religion - Commentaries / Reference    9. Religion And The Media    10. Religious broadcasting    11. Christian theology    12. History of religion    13. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    14. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    15. Religion / General    16. Second World War, 1939-1945    17. Television   

Reviews (5)

Entertaining, informative, but not definitive yet
Oliver Trager's "Keys To The Rain" is far from the "definitive" Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. As another reader notes, there are errors including some he didn't mention that I'll add here: The original September 1974 New York recording of "If You See Her, Say Hello," re-recorded in Minneapolis for its release on "Blood On The Tracks," was not included on "Biograph" (Trager may be confusing it with "You're A Big Girl Now"), but on "The Bootleg Series, Volume 1-3." Trager also claims Dylan's 1984 "Real Live" failed to make the charts. Not so. It failed to make the top 100, but it did have a brief, albeit dim, blaze of glory in the Billboard Top 200. There are other errors, most of them fairly minor, but their cumulative effect makes one question Trager's reliability too often.
Less Than Definitive
Keys to the Rain is undoubtedly a valuable guide to Bob Dylan's recorded output.The book is well-researched and written in a straightforward, accessible style.
If you appreciate (or are interested in) Mr. Dylan's art...
I've got Trager's 1997 book--The American Book of the Dead: The Definitive Grateful Dead Encyclopedia--and have plucked it off my shelf numerous times.I'll be doing the same with his latest effort, this Dylan encyclopedia.It is interesting that with all the Dylan books out there, it took until 2004 for something like this to appear.For the hardcore aficionado, this will be similar to Krogsgaard's Positively Bob Dylan and Heylin's Stolen Moments (as far as its usefulness), but to the casual observer it's a chance to get to know the songs Dylan has chosen to record and perform--not to mention biographical info.Photos throughout, and enough details in its 700-plus pages to keep one busy throughout 2005 (and 2006 and 2007, etc.)It's not dry either, I'd say Trager has a fondness and apprecation for the music.
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Subjects:  1. 1941-    2. Discography    3. Dylan, Bob,    4. Genres & Styles - Folk & Traditional    5. Genres & Styles - Rock    6. Music    7. Music/Songbooks    8. Reference    9. Biography: film, television & music    10. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    11. Rock & pop    12. USA   

Reviews (1)

Encyclopedia of the lavender screen
This engaging encyclopedia contains over 160 entries and includes notable actors, actresses, screenwriters, directors, comedians and more (both living and dead), as well as specialized topics. Entries on individuals cover a page or two while broader subjects (like "American Television - Dramas and "British Television") are much lengthier. Contributors include professors, scholars, writers and critics in the field. For the most part, entries are thorough, covering a person's career and accomplishments as well as illuminating their private life and what part, if any, their sexuality had on their professional lives. Some subjects are more revealing than others. For example, entries on Agnes Moorehead and Cary Grant, two examples of famous "were they or were they not?," don't really include any new information, aside from gossip, and the basis for their inclusion is questionable. On the other hand, recently deceased contemporary subjects, who never publicly came out, like Roddy McDowell, James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, are included. Famous bi-sexuals (like Tallulah Bankhead, Errol Flynn, Brad David and Margaret Cho) are included. A notable highlight of the book is the inclusion of contemporary actors, like Dan Butler, Alan Cumming and Lily Tomlin. There are so notable omissions (like Leslie Jordan, Sara Gilbert and David Hyde Pierce), but the editor states that the book is not meant to be comprehensive and the lack of information on certain individuals is often the reason for their absence. Hopefully, this is a reference work that will be revised in years to come. It is a helpful and informative source. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Cinema/Film: Book    3. Dictionaries    4. Film & Video - History & Criticism    5. Film & Video - Reference    6. Film Criticism    7. Gay Studies    8. Gays    9. Gays in the performing arts    10. Gender Studies    11. Performing Arts    12. Popular Culture - General    13. Television (Performing Arts)    14. Gay & Lesbian studies    15. Social Science / Gay Studies   

Reviews (4)

MARVELOUS WHO'S WHO OF HOLLYWODO CHOREOGRAPHERS
In this expansive encyclopedia, author Billman offers a comprehensive who's who of Hollywood film choreographers and dance directors from the start of the movie business. Each entry provides a brief biography/perspective of the talent under examination as well as providingtheir film credits and listing their career contributions in other mediums.
An impressive work
This book will delight you if you love dance in movies. I picked it up out of curiosity and found myself lost in its pages in no time. Even as someone who knows a lot about dancing in the movies, I keptsaying "I didn't know that!" as I read through the various biographies. It's most impressive the way the author has cross-referenced the complex relationships between dancers and choreographers. As director of the Academy of Dance on Film, he has access to the "backstory" of how things really happened, and this book is filled with wonderful anecdotes.

An Indispensable Resource
This book is a totally unique resource.It contains both a history of dance on film (by decade) and a veritable biographic encyclopedia of film choreographers and dance directors, from the well known to those who should be. Despite the massive research that must have been required for this book, it does not read like an academic tome, but is written in a lively, enjoyable style that makes it difficult to put down.An added bonus are the numerous. and often rare, photographs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Choreographers    3. Choreography    4. Dance - General    5. Dance in motion pictures, tele    6. Dance in motion pictures, television, etc.    7. Film & Video - Reference    8. Film catalogs    9. General    10. History    11. Performing Arts    12. Performing Arts/Dance    13. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    14. Special Subjects In Motion Pictures   

Subjects:  1. 1915-    2. Encyclopedias    3. Film & Video - Direction & Production    4. Film & Video - General    5. Film & Video - Reference    6. Performing Arts    7. Performing Arts/Dance    8. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    9. Welles, Orson,    10. Biography: film, television & music    11. Individual film directors, film-makers    12. Reference works   

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Reviews (1)

Covers All Of McCartney's Music, Charities And Everything Paul
Bill Harry thoroughly details all of McCartney's songs, records, tours, friends, pets, studios, producers and charities. It includes wonderful biographies of Linda and Heather Mills McCartney. You can learn about his many animal rights endeavors, his vegetarianism and numerous other charitable causes that he promotes. Every other Paul McCartney book is utterly incomplete. Bill Harry's comprehensive research is laudable, commendable and a must buy for any Paul McCartney fan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Composers & Musicians - General    4. Genres & Styles - Pop Vocal    5. Reference    6. 20th century    7. Biography: film, television & music    8. Performing Arts / General    9. Reference works    10. Rock & pop    11. USA    12. Bargain   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    3. Science Fiction    4. Science Fiction - General    5. Television - Guides & Reviews   

Subjects:  1. Animated television programs    2. Animation    3. Encyclopedias    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts/Dance    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Reference    8. Television - General    9. United States    10. Reference works    11. Television   

Reviews (9)

BEST BOOK OUT THERE ON ELTON JOHN
Dates,songs,eras in Elton's career;it's all here. There's A Mistake
While the book is a fun read with Elton facts in alphbetical order, this is a mistake in the book that has just bugged me for a while. The two authors, especially one of them, is known as a major Elton historian. Why then, did he make the mistake?. The error in question is this - In describing the "Honky Chateau" album, it was stated that "Rocket Man" and "Honky Cat", the two singles off the album, were Elton's first top 10 singles?. Uh, sorry, but wrong. 2 years prior to this record, "Your Song" was a top 10 hit on the Billboard single charts. How can such a big historian make that mistake?.

Rock on rocket man
Mr.Bernardin has shared his wealth of knowledge on the subject of Elton John in a clear, concise and enjoyable format. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to know the all of Elton. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Chronology    4. Dictionaries    5. Discography    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    7. General    8. Genres & Styles - Pop Vocal    9. John, Elton    10. Performances    11. Reference    12. Rock Music    13. Biography: film, television & music    14. Composers & musicians    15. Contemporary popular music    16. Light orchestral, dance & big band music    17. Music / Popular    18. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (31)

Read On Down!!!
There are just so many different television shows that appeal to just about everyone. While primetime has accumilated huge success recently with shows like Desperate Housewives, and reality shows like American Idol, prime time has had almost everything come full circle all over again. That also has happened with game shows as well. With the recent prime time television success of Deal Or No Deal, The Price Is Right Million Dollar Spectaculars on CBS, and the celebrity-themed Game Show Marathon with Ricki Lake, game shows have definitely shown they are still surviving. For those who want to know what made a game show what it was, can find it right here. ITS A GREAT GAME SHOW BOOK
I HAVE THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TV GAME SHOWS BOOK ITS GREAT IT GIVE YOU GREAT INFORMATION OF ALL THE GAME SHOWS AND IT BRINGS BACK SO GREAT MEMORIES I GIVE IT A 10!
For $200...pick a different reference book
I was dissapointed in the accuracy of information in "The Enycyclopedia of TV Game Shows".While the selection of photos from Schwartz's and Wostbrock personal collection is nice; the inaccurate information is something else.
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Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Encyclopedias    3. Game shows    4. Performing Arts/Dance    5. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    6. Reference    7. Television - Guides & Reviews    8. Television - History & Criticism    9. Reference works    10. Television   

Reviews (4)

Best book on the subject!
I am partial to animal actors, and am more likely to enjoy a movie or TV show that features our furry friends in a positive light. The same goes for books! I found this to be an absolutely fascinating and informative read. I purchased it after writing my own book on animals in the *movies*, and I know the amount of exhaustive research involved... my hat's off to Ken Beck!
A PET FAVE, OR WHO'S WHO IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM
Doggone it! Call this one a howling (and oinking, meowing and neighing) success. Here, Wrong dates occasionally to be found in this book
When the book reviews the wildlife that appear in the Full House series they claim Full House went off the air in 1994. It was actually '95 it went off the air. And the Mr. Ed series went off the air in 1966 not 1965. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals on television    2. General    3. Performing Arts    4. Performing Arts/Dance    5. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    6. Reference    7. Television - General    8. Television - History & Criticism    9. Reference / Trivia   

Reviews (15)

It amazed me...
The highest tribute that I can give to this book is that I could not find a single animated cartoon from my experience that it did not cover. I felt sure that I knew of a few obscure ones that would not be in here- and I was wrong. Moreover, I found much here that I wasn't familiar with. That absolutely amazed me.
Great!
This is one of the best books. Except one thing: mistakes and lies. Ok, what is with the mistakes in the voice-actor list? I mean: April Winchell as Sebastin the Crab? Tress Macnille as LanchPaud? Did two people do the voice of Velma? Of course not, there are some HUGE lies. But at least it was a good book. but it, just avoid the lies.

A longtime prelude to bcdb.com
If you're in search of information regarding a certain cartoon,you'll find it in this book. This book was first released in 1981,long before the debut of the Internet and The Big Cartoon Database,aka bcdb.com. This book only lists motion picture cartoons. It does not list comicstrips. Theatrical cartoons,Saturday morning television cartoons,animated features,you'll find them all. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animated films    2. Comics & Cartoons    3. Film & Video - General    4. General    5. History and criticism    6. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    7. Popular Culture - General    8. Reference    9. Television - Reference    10. United States    11. Comic book & cartoon art    12. Film theory & criticism    13. Reference works    14. Television   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (20)

absolutely no real facts only real facts about marilyn in play here i am mother by nancy miracle
it seems to me they could have come up with at least her place of birth not the town but at least the state as donald spoto at least got right nancy miracle's play tells the real story and is available.

Dissapointed
i was hoping this book would contain better pictures of marilyn's most famous outfits from her movies. being a costumer
AMAZING!
As a rather new Marilyn fan/collector, this book is invaluable to me as a resource.It is a huge book, alphabetized and cross-referenced, covering everything from movies, music, books, and biographies to gowns, hotels, cars, cities, and family.There are also, of course, hundreds of gorgeous pictures!What I'm enjoying the most is that as I read other Marilyn books, I can fact-check and look up obscurely mentioned items to learn more, or gain perspective.An objective, fact-filled, exhaustive collection of Marilyn trivia. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1926-1962    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Encyclopedias    5. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    6. Individual Movie Actors And Actresses    7. Monroe, Marilyn    8. Monroe, Marilyn,    9. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    10. Popular Culture - General    11. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts    12. Biography: film, television & music    13. Films, cinema    14. Reference works    15. USA   

Editorial Review

You may well know that Mickey Mouse's first appearance was in the 1928 cartoon Read more

Reviews (10)

"Disney A - Z" -- your favourite guide through Disney's world
If you by some mysterious reason have not seen or heard of this title before, it is high time you buy yourself a copy now. Ever since it first came out in the mid-90's, Mr Smith's encyclopedia has been a valuable and highly informative resource to anyone interested in the vast Disney universe. Either if you're a committed Disneyphile, or just a common Disney enthusiast, this book will be your entertainment bible. Dave Smith writes in a casual, yet clearly factual and informative style, as each entry brims over with information on all kinds of Disney topics. In case you didn't know, Dave Smith is the founder of The Walt Disney Archives, located at the Disney headquarters in Burbank, California. Since 1970 this nice gentleman has presided over the archives, forming it into one the most elaborate and efficient corporate archives in the United States, and the world. Dave Smith has become an exceedingly valuable member of the Disney organisation, as no one knows more about Disney's history than Mr Smith himself. So, if you want to take part of Dave Smith's Disney knowledge there is no better way to do it than through this book. "Disney A - Z, the Updated Official Encyclopedia". Very highly recommended!

Great book
This book is a great information source about everything- theme parks, movies, television shows, people. It only has a couple glossy color photos. It has small black and white photos throughout the book - not glossy.

Great Disney Resource
This encyclopedia by Disney archivist Dave Smith has everything you would want to know about Disney's films, theme parks, television shows, and more. At a length of over 600 pages, this book overflows with information, most of which one might wonder why anyone would need to know. Questions such as "what Disney film was released on October 3, 1927?", "what Disney film stared Sean Conery before he landed the role of James Bond?", and "what stage show played at Walt Disney World's Tomorrowland Theater starting in 1984?" are all answered in this book, along with literally thousands of others. This book is a great resource for any Disney fan and a fascinating look at the evolution of the Walt Disney Company. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Dictionaries    3. Encyclopedias    4. Film & Video - Reference    5. General    6. Performing Arts    7. Performing Arts (Specific Aspects)    8. Performing Arts/Dance    9. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    10. Television - Reference    11. Walt Disney Company    12. Animation    13. Travel / Reference   

Reviews (1)

Ethnicities Celebrated
By JONATHAN KIRSCH, Special to The LA Times"...An illuminating and entertaining survey of films and television programs in which Latino actors, settings or themes figure prominently, "Hispanics in Hollywood" is full of such surprises. Anthony Quinn, perhaps best known as Zorba the Greek, is only one of many actors whose Mexican origins were once concealed, and there are many others whose Latino roots have only recently come to public attention, ranging from Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Cansino) to John Gavin (born John Anthony Golenar) to Raquel Welch (born Raquel Tejada). And it was a young Emilio Estevez who boldly reclaimed his own Latinofamily history and thus revealed to the world that the real name of his father, Charlie Sheen, is Ramon More often Latino actors found themselves in an awkward dilemma in Hollywood, as the authors of "Hispanics in Hollywood" point out--if their Latino identities were not concealed, they were put to use in depicting stereotyped Latino characters: "maids, slum dwellers, drug addicts and gang members," co-author Luis Reyes reminds us, or "cruel dictators, mustachioed bandits and beautiful se�oritas." Only in the last couple of decades have Latino actors and directors enjoyed the opportunity to tell stories about their own heritage in a more open, honest and affirming voice in movies such as "Zoot Suit," "La Bamba," "Stand and Deliver," "Selena" and "A Walk in the Clouds." Reyes, a movie publicist who is also a chronicler of Hollywood's Latin American heritage, describes the book as "an attempt to show the way Hollywood has depicted Hispanic Americans and Latin America, while also pointing out the contributions to Hollywood movies and television made by unsung Hispanic Americans as well as those more famous." Thus, his book can be approached as a serious effort to ponder the issues ofrace and ethnicity in American pop culture and, at the same time, as one of those useful reference works that can be pulled down from the shelf when puzzling over some old and obscure movie on cable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Dictionaries    3. Encyclopedias    4. Film & Video - History & Criticism    5. Hispanic American actors    6. Hispanic Americans in motion p    7. Hispanic Americans in motion pictures    8. Hispanic Americans on televisi    9. Hispanic Americans on television    10. Minority Studies - Ethnic American    11. Performing Arts    12. Performing Arts/Dance    13. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    14. Television - General    15. 20th century    16. California    17. Film & television screenplays    18. Individual actors & performers    19. Performing Arts / Television / General    20. Reference works