A Tale of Movies, The Mob (And Sex)
Now in paperback
In 1967, Peter Bart, then a young reporter for the New York Times, decided to upend his life and enter into the dizzying world of motion pictures. Infamous Players is the story of Bart's remarkable journey at Paramount, his role in its triumph and failures, and how a new kind of filmmaking emerged during that time.
When Bart was lured to Paramount by his friend and fellow newcomer, the legendary Robert Evans, the studio languished, its slate riddled with movies that were out of touch with the dynamic sixties. By the time Bart left Paramount in 1975, the studio had completed an extraordinary run with such films as The Godfather, Rosemary's Baby, Harold and Maude, Love Story, Chinatown, Paper Moon, and True Grit. But this new golden era at Paramount was also fraught with chaos and company turmoil. Drugs, sex, runaway budgets, management infighting, and even the Mafia started finding their way onto the Paramount back lot, making it surely one of the worst-run studios in the history of the movie industry.
As Peter reflects on the New Hollywood era at Paramount with insider details and insightful analysis, here too are his fascinating recollections of the icons from that era: Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Polanski, and Frank Sinatra among others.
For over five decades, Peter Bart has viewed Hollywood from an incomparable vantage point. The stories he tells and the lessons we learn from Infamous Players are essential for anyone who loves movies.
Maybe it’s because I came of age with the great movies that Peter Bart brought to the screen, but I couldn’t put this book down. I thought I knew a thing or two about Hollywood, and that’s exactly how much I did know. Herewith, the rest.”
With a sly smile, Peter Bart tells of an era when the naïve belief in risk based on personal taste produced some of the greatest movies ever made.”
Peter Bart has done a fine job of laying bare a seamy area in movieland history, when some pretty bad stuff got swept under the rug –he is to be thanked for his honesty.”
It’s a must-read for anyone and everyone, whether you are in the business, want to be in the business, or have any curiosity as to how Hollywood really works. Bart writes in such an eloquent and accessible way that you never want to put it down.”
Disclosing truth in Hollywood is fraught with peril –it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it –and Peter Bart does, with style and outrageous humor!”
Peter Bart’s Infamous Players give the reader an amazing behind-the-scenes look at his years at Paramount Pictures, during a time when both movies and Hollywood were changing forever. Bart’s cast of characters includes some of the most important figures in film, and he writes about them with great insight and honesty.”
Peter Bart has intimate knowledge of the movie industry, and his book gives a frank perspective that the public rarely gets to see, from someone who has spent over four decades on the inside. ”
Hollywood made some great movies during this wacky period of time. Bart manages to capture it all with his droll sense of humor. I found it thoroughly enjoyable.”
