Books about Showman from Amazon.com

One of the earliest practitioners of "the show business, " P.T. Barnum built his reputation largely on the exoticism of others. A man of complex motives, Barnum possessed a unique genius and his influence on popular culture is evident to this day. Barnum will be a three-hour Discovery Channel special airing in October. Illustrations, 260 in color..
Price: $24.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

David Merrick is the most astonishing showman of our time, and perhaps of all time. No other producer, not even Florenz Ziegfeld nor the combined lights of the Shubert brothers, has equalled his percentage of hits or his demonic flair for publicity. In this first-ever biography, Howard Kissel from his decade-long investigation reveals the man, the mask, and the myth of David Merrick. The charismatic and reclusive mogul emerges as a Broadway version of Howard Hughes, with his own panoply of eccentricities, genius and neuroses. Merrick's much publicized and oftentimes staged battles and feuds are re-ignited here full force with such major personalities as Barbra Streisand, Jackie Gleason, Ethel Merman, Lena Horne, Woody Allen, Peter Ustinov, Andy Griffith, Anthony Newley, Peter Brook, and Carol Channing. Over a hundred interviews with the major players in Merrick's drama - from his pre-Merrick St. Louis childhood as David Margoulies to his latest divorce - has yielded the first serious interrogation of a life that until now has been the sole creation of Merrick's own invention and press wizardry..
Price: $8.79 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Showcasing key characters from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, this exciting collection expands the story from the international film blockbuster, exposing key events from the epic tale not shown on screen. Join Queen Amidala, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker, along with a top-flight creative cast in this essential piece of the Episode I mythos. Also includes the hard-to-find Episode I The Phantom Menace #1/2, previously available only from Wizard magazine..
Price: $5.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"[A] highly entertaining showbiz memoir . . . The shows were fantastic " - The Washington Post "We laughed and we cried at Cy Feuer's wonderfully warm, brash, and colorful memoir of his life in the New York theater and happily recommend it to anyone who has ever been to a Broadway musical. . ." - Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan. This is the rags to riches story of Cy Feuer, who, after becoming the executive officer of the Air Corps film division in World War II, teamed up with the late Ernie Martin to become a legendary Broadway musical producer. Their first hit was Where's Charley? in 1948 featuring Ray Bolger. Next up was the smash Guys and Dolls, which enabled them to hire Cole Porter for their next show, Can-Can. Feuer signed 17-year-old Julie Andrews for her Broadway debut in The Boyfriend, another hit. He hit the bulls-eye one more time with How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, his third collaboration with composer Frank Loesser. The first five musicals Feuer and Martin produced were hits, and at one point, all were running simultaneously on Broadway. He would later go to battle with Bob Fosse as producer of the acclaimed 1973 film version ofCabaret..
Price: $6.38 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Samuel Bronston produced some of the greatest and most remembered epic films of the sixties El Cid, King of Kings, Fall of the Roman Empire, John Paul Jones, and Circus World. With a literal 'cast of thousands', and the biggest and most historically accurate sets ever built, the films have become legendary. The Magnificent Showman tells the stories behind the making of these memorable films, and explores the ambitious and quixotic man who brought them into being. This is the story of the film making empire Bronston created in Spain, hiring reknowned Directors like Nicholas Ray and Anthony Mann, and attracting first rate talent like Charlton Heston, Christopher Plummer, Stephen Boyd, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, James Mason, Alec Guinness, Rita Hayworth, David Niven, John Wayne and others. In many way, the drama off screen was as exciting as the action in front of the cameras. This book highlights the behind the scenes drama and conflict as Bronston struggled to bring these great stories to the big screen, and documents the extravagance that led to tremendous success, and then colossal failure as the Bronston empire collapsed in a series of legal battles and bankruptcies. Creating an amazing 6 major films in 6 years, Samuel Bronston left a legacy of artistic quality and innovation that are fondly remembered to this day. Films will never again be made in the way Bronston made them. Then, and now, Samuel Bronston remains The Magnificent Showman..
Price: $22.23 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Long before the recognized birth of ragtime and jazz such hard-working travelers as Perry George Lowery blew their horns and led their bands throughout America, shaping the sound of modern music while performing in cities and towns across the nation.

An exhausting on-the-road life caused Lowery's name to fade from music history. Even after dazzling America as a marquee soloist and the leader of minstrel and circus bands, Lowery (1870-1942) ended up in an unmarked grave in Cleveland, Ohio.

This biography, the only book-length study of this groundbreaking African American cornet player, resurrects his name. It is the story of a quiet maverick who became the standard that shook American music.

Lowery came from hardscrabble black settlers in Kansas. His family created an environment in which he could develop his musical talent. His life follows the evolution of American music via the circus, minstrelsy, and the vaudeville stage. From 1895 through 1942, he made his name not only as a musician but also as an author, columnist, teacher, showman, and entrepreneur. H. C. Brown of the Boston Conservatory called him the "World's Greatest Colored Cornet Soloist."

A road-weary show veteran, Lowery landed a spot in the Ringling Brothers Sideshow Band at the height of the golden age of circuses.

At a time when the nation slammed the doors on African American travel and opportunity, his work with the Ringling Brothers changed the music scene. By 1910, as a result of his performances, there were fourteen circus acts that employed African American bands.

Clifford Edward Watkins is professor of music at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. His work has been published in the Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and Feel the Spirit: Studies in Nineteenth-Century Afro-American Music..
Price: $50.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Drawing on Selznick's personal papers, this revealing biography of the Hollywood legend describes Selznick's integral role in the history of Hollywood film, his private life, and the colorful characters of the movie industry. 40,000 first printing. $60,000 ad/promo. Tour..
Price: $25.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]