Howard Hawks (1896-1977) is one of America's great film directors. During a career that spanned fifty years and produced more than forty films, this writer, producer, and director made highly successful movies and managed to maintain remarkable artistic control during a time when studio moguls usually ruled. Hawks conquered virtually every genre, including action/adventure, comedy, western, film noir, gangster, science fiction, and musical films.
The remarkable diversity of his work may have kept Hawks from being as easily recognized as his contemporaries Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford. Hawks brought a unique stamp to all of his films by mixing dramatic and comedic elements, manipulating gender conventions, emphasizing story and dialogue, and eschewing cinematic trickery and sentimentality. His classic oeuvre includes films such as "Scarface," "Only Angels Have Wings," "His Girl Friday," "Sergeant York," "Bringing Up Baby," "The Big Sleep," "Red River," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," and "Rio Bravo."
This collection of interviews takes the reader from talks with his admirers in the French press to revealing discussions late in his life. By his own admission, Hawks was above all a storyteller. These interviews are replete with entertaining anecdotes. "Howard Hawks: Interviews" is a diverse collection offering valuable access to the life and career of one of the most fiercely independent filmmakers in the history of Hollywood.
Scott Breivold is an associate librarian at California State University, Los Angeles, and director of the university library's music and media center.