About the Author:
Michael J. Spencer studied film at NYU. He has written and produced a number of award-winning programs for various cable, broadcast and corporate organizations. His subjects cover topics as diverse as martial arts to a Papal mass, from the frontiers of modern medicine to the culture of tourism. Spencer divides his time between Colorado and New York.
Review:
When one hears the term Hollywood, many images come to mind--movie stars, bright lights, glamour, wealth and the birthplace of the film industry. But the American film industry actually began in the Northeastern United States, and it took about two decades before the industry settled permanently in California. This history is central to filmmaker/writer Spencer's story, which highlights that brief moment in time when Colorado played a major role in the genesis of the Western film. The pioneers who flourished there were household names, such as Colonel Selig (not really a colonel), famous for his Selig Zoo; Gilbert "Broncho Billy" Anderson, a well-known producer and the first cowboy star who couldn't ride a horse; and Otis B. (Obie) Thayer, who produced, acted in, and directed his films. VERDICT These pioneers were as wild as the West in which they worked, and Spencer's offering is a fast-paced, humor-filled, romping read. This book will appeal to both film and Western history buffs, but it is also so well written and engaging that the general reader will be enthralled -- --Teri Shiel, Library Journal
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