Julian David Stone

Julian David Stone with It's Alive captures the feel of a biopic with the rush of some of the 1930s madcap movies. His novel recounts the days before the filming of Frankenstein mixing historical facts with human speculation. The struggles of Silent Hollywood vs. Talking Hollywood is represented by the conflict between Carl Laemmle Sr. and Carl Laemmle Jr.. Stone hits upon the difference between Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff and their approaches to acting. How the burgeoning horror icons approaches will ultimately guide their places in Hollywood.

We know what the outcome is since Frankenstein is a classic but Stone let's us in on how it almost didn't happen. Also the reader gets glimpses into why the Laemmle's were put out of there own studio in 1936. The writing style and choices evoke in me the sense of those 1930's movies where the main character is trying to juggle many balls at once. the focus on three days add to the sense of urgency.

Highly recommended to Old Hollywood fans as well as fans of the horror movie genre. Fast paced, easy, enjoyable read that puts together a bit of lore from a bygone era.… (más)

The reader follows the writer/creator, Johnny, the star Felicity and the networks head executive Hogart and gets to know the process of putting together a weekly television show in the 1950s. Each of them have a totally different agenda and you get to see how the McCarthyism was destroying lives. There's a lot of attention to detail and clearly a lot of research went into it. The characters are interesting and you get a look at an incident in each of their pasts that has helped shape them into who they are now; although Hogart's was nowhere near on the same level as Johnny and Felicity's traumas.… (más)

The reader follows the writer/creator, Johnny, the star Felicity and the networks head executive Hogart and gets to know the process of putting together a weekly television show in the 1950s. Each of them have a totally different agenda and you get to see how the McCarthyism was destroying lives. There's a lot of attention to detail and clearly a lot of research went into it. The characters are interesting and you get a look at an incident in each of their pasts that has helped shape them into who they are now; although Hogart's was nowhere near on the same level as Johnny and Felicity's traumas.… (más)