I'll Have What She's Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies

by Daniel M. Kimmel

Overview

While film genres go in and out of style, the romantic comedy endures-from year to year and generation to generation. Endlessly adaptable, the romantic comedy form has thrived since the invention of film as a medium of entertainment, touching on universal predicaments: meeting for the first time, the battle of the sexes, and the bumpy course of true love. These films celebrate lovers who play and improvise together, no matter how nutty or at what great odds they may appear. As Eugene Pallette mutters in My Man Godfrey (1936), "All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people." Daniel Kimmel's book about romantic comedy is like watching a truly funny movie with a knowledgeable friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615780327
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	08/01/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Daniel M. Kimmel has been a film critic for more than twenty years, including reporting for Variety. His book The Fourth Network: How FOX Broke the Rules and Reinvented Television (also published by Ivan R. Dee) won the Cable Center Book Award. Mr. Kimmel is a past president of the Boston Society of Film Critics and teaches film at Suffolk University. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.

What People are Saying About This

Ty Burr

"You may think you know everything about the great romantic comedies of Hollywood, but unless you've read this book you're wrong. Dan Kimmel puts it all in one place with scholarly diligence, an ear for gossip and great dialogue, and a sheer love of the movies. A treat for neophytes and hardcore cineastes alike, not to mention a handy guide for in-home night viewing."--(Ty Burr, Boston Globe film critic, author of The Best Old Movies for Families)

Editorial Reviews

This entertaining book is like watching a funny movie while sitting beside a knowledgeable friend who enhances your enjoyment of it.
—Cecille Markell

Jewish Journal

Tony Curtis said romantic moments with Marilyn Monroe in "Some Like It Hot" were like "kissing Hitler" and Hector Elizondo was paid out of Garry Marshall's pocket for "Pretty Woman" because Disney balked at paying him top dollar for a small role. One of the surprises of this entertaining behind-the-scenes look at romantic comedies is how miserable everyone was. Comedy is hard, love is worse.

New York Post

This collection of self-contained essays about films, ranging from 'Adam's Rib' to 'Annie Hall' is full of behind-the-scenes details on the making of the movies. It's almost like being there.

Chicago Tribune

This collection of self-contained essays about films, ranging from Adam's Rib to Annie Hall is full of behind-the-scenes details on the making of the movies. It's almost like being there.

Chicago Tribune

You may think you know everything about the great romantic comedies of Hollywood, but unless you've read this book you're wrong. Dan Kimmel puts it all in one place with scholarly diligence, an ear for gossip and great dialogue, and a sheer love of the movies. A treat for neophytes and hardcore cineastes alike, not to mention a handy guide for in-home night viewing.

The Boston Globe - Ty Burr

Tony Curtis said romantic moments with Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot were like 'kissing Hitler' and Hector Elizondo was paid out of Garry Marshall's pocket for Pretty Woman because Disney balked at paying him top dollar for a small role. One of the surprises of this entertaining behind-the-scenes look at romantic comedies is how miserable everyone was. Comedy is hard, love is worse.

New York Post