DeMille Presley, Cecilia; Vieira, Mark A.

Cecil B. Demille : The Creation of the Hollywood Epic

Colossal. Stupendous. Epic. More than any filmmaker in the history of the medium, Cecil B. DeMille mastered the art of the spectacle. In the process, he became a filmland founder and went on to become the most commercially successful director in history. DeMille told his cinematic tales with painterly, extravagant images: the parting of the Red Sea (The Ten Commandments), train wrecks (The Greatest Show on Earth); orgies (Manslaughter); battles (The Buccaneer); riots (This Day and Age); Ancient Rome (The Sign of the Cross); Ancient Egypt (Cleopatra); and the Holy Land (The Crusades). For the first time, the best of these images will be showcased in Cecil B. DeMille: The Invention of the Hollywood Epic. This lavish volume cracks open the King Tut’s tomb of cinematic treasures that is the Cecil B. DeMille Archives, presenting storyboard art, concept paintings, and an array of photographic imagery. Complementing historian Mark A. Vieira's authoritative production histories is Cecilia DeMille Presley, recalling her grandfather’s thoughts on his various films, script conferences, and visits to sets, including the Egyptian expedition to film The Ten Commandments, that included an unplanned stint as a fill-in director for her famed grandfather. Cecil B. DeMille: The Invention of the Hollywood Epic celebrates the work of a legendary filmmaker and the remarkable history of Hollywood.