A "lively" memoir by the Hollywood legend about the making of Spartacus , with a foreword by George Clooney ( Los Angeles Times ). One of the world's most iconic movie stars, Kirk Douglas has distinguished himself as a producer, philanthropist, and author of ten works of fiction and memoir. Now, more than fifty years after the release of his enduring epic Spartacus , Douglas reveals the riveting drama behind the making of the legendary gladiator film. Douglas began producing the movie in the midst of the politically charged era when Hollywood's moguls refused to hire anyone accused of Communist sympathies. In a risky move, Douglas chose Dalton Trumbo, a blacklisted screenwriter, to write Spartacus . Trumbo was one of the "Unfriendly Ten," men who had gone to prison rather than testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee about their political affiliations. Douglas's source material was already a hot property, as the novel Spartacus was written by Howard Fast while he was in jail for defying HUAC. With the financial future of his young family at stake, Douglas plunged into a tumultuous production both on- and off-screen. As both producer and star of the film, he faced explosive moments with young director Stanley Kubrick, struggles with a leading lady, and negotiations with giant personalities, including Sir Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, and Lew Wasserman. Writing from his heart and from his own meticulously researched archives, Kirk Douglas, at ninety-five, looks back at his audacious decisions. He made the most expensive film of its era--but more importantly, his moral courage in giving public credit to Trumbo effectively ended the notorious Hollywood blacklist. A master storyteller, Douglas paints a vivid and often humorous portrait in I Am Spartacus! The book is enhanced by newly discovered period photography of the stars and filmmakers both on and off the set.

The world of Aaron Spelling is one we all know from hours spent in front of the TV screen. Dynasty, Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, The Mod Squad, Hart to Hart - these shows claimed huge audiences and define him as one of the most successful showmen of all time. Never told before, Aaron Spelling is the story of his life from the Prime-Time King himself - personal, revealing, filled with confidential facts on such Hollywood greats as Michelle Pfeiffer, Heather Locklear, Farrah Fawcett, Joan Collins, and Ricardo Montalban. Now for the first time, Spelling opens the door to his backstage world with his candid observations about Hollywood and the TV business, along with the inspiring rags-to-riches story of a poor Jew from Texas who overcame insurmountable odds to become the most successful TV producer ever.

On October 12, 1994, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen-three of Hollywood's biggest players-announced they would form a new studio to produce feature films, television series, and pop music recordings. It didn't have a name, though Katzenberg's reference to his partners as the "Dream Team" eventually led to the company being dubbed DreamWorks. What the three men were attempting hadn't been done in more than sixty years: create a movie studio that could compete with the already existing major players. In The Dream Team , Daniel Kimmel tells the behind-the-scenes story of DreamWorks' rise-and the end of the dream eleven years later, when most of the company was sold off or shut down. Its plan for 1,087 acres of studio facilities that would include residences and retail operations came to naught. Its animation division was split off and went public. Its principals had already begun to go their own ways. Mr. Kimmel explores DreamWorks' successes: best-picture Oscars for American Beauty and Gladiator ; a near miss (but box office success) for Saving Private Ryan ; a smash animated hit Shrek winning the first Oscar ever for best animated feature and pointing the industry toward computer animation. But he also investigates why an enterprise with such promise failed to reach the heights. Was it the company's diffuse management style, or had the industry changed and consolidated so greatly that it was now impossible for new players to break into the ranks? Mr. Kimmel offers intriguing answers, showing how, more often than not, the guys tilting at windmills usually end up on the ground.

David Winters has produced and directed over 80 feature films and over 200 television shows and TV movies, and is recognized as nothing short of an icon in the entertainment industry. In Tough Guys Do Dance, David shares many fascinating and, at times, jaw-dropping behind-the-scenes stories regarding his associations with some of the biggest names in show business--names like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, and Michael Jackson, to name a few. It is filled with personal stories of David's life that at times may seem hard to imagine and is told with David's personal voice and real-life humility in a way that only he could tell. David's work in the legendary Broadway show and film West Side Story inspired millions of boys and men alike to embrace the art of dance and truly showed them that "tough guys do dance" Whether you are a student of dancing or an aspiring actor or producer, this book will prove to be one of the most entertaining reads you will ever experience.