Page 88 - FOYER_Cannes 2001
P. 88

                                         When William Randolph Hurst offered Sime Silverman $1,200,000 for the
paper, Sime turned him down, saying, “If I wanted to turn VARIETY into a puff sheet, I could give
it to my son and have him make that much in a year!”
Any film buff worth their celluloid and interested in the history of mass media journalism, cannot fail to appreciate this quite extraordinary, 563 page (plus many photos), tome that VARIETY “mugg” Peter Besas has written on the “unauthorized” history of America’s great show-biz bible, VARIETY, and how a young Sime Silverman began his publishing empire on a wing and a prayer way back in pre-prohibition 1905, in the Knickerbocker Building, NY. “It’s a MUST read for all muggs”.
"Peter Besas remains so ardent that he has written an exhaustive, fre- quently fascinating and unflaggingly loving history of the paper and its plethora of colorful denizens..." LosAngelesTimes Oct1,2000- Entire front page of book review section
"...offers an artful balance of indus- trious reporting and golden-lit nos- talgia. The book abounds in evoca- tive period flavor as Besas recounts
how Variety earned its enviable rep- utation for brutal honesty and fla- vorsome jargon. A fascinating and affectionate insight into the genesis of a Hollywood legend." Moving Pictures - Sept 2000
"...slanguage and headlines and much, much more are lovingly detailed in Peter Besas’ massive, unauthorized history of Variety l905-1997 which might have defined the expression ‘labour of love’. A film buffs must." Academy - The British Academy of Film & Television Arts - August 2000
"...written in a lively, anecdotal style, while retaining well-docu- mented historical facts." German Press Agency - July 7, 2000
"...very well documented chronicle of the history of this famous publi- cation..." Fotograwas - Sept 2000
"...a sparkling account of the paper’s beginnings and a rare peek into what the paper was like from the inside. Besas catches the paper’s breezy style that marked the free- wheeling invent-as-you-go show- business of the time." The Toronto Star - Aug 18, 2000
“...interesting and well researched volume with many unique illustra- tions." Antiquarian Book Monthly - October 2000
“...brings back many memories of a great time with a great crew, all of whom have now ankled!” FOYER International Film Festival Guides - June 2000
  reviews “No Comment” VARIETY AND THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER





















































































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