Member Review

Zoetrope, Star Wars, and that Shark

Paul Fischer's captivating group biography, “The Last Kings of Hollywood,” chronicles the intense dynamic of rivalry, betrayal, and genius that forged the modern blockbuster. Focusing on Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg, the book details their ascent during the turbulent and transformative New Hollywood era, which spanned from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.

The book explores how these three "brazenly confident" young filmmakers navigated a declining studio system, engaging in both cooperation and intense rivalry. Their efforts led to the creation of market-defining blockbusters such as “The Godfather,” “Jaws,” and “Star Wars,” which fundamentally altered the motion picture landscape and ushered in the age of the independent blockbuster.

The book effectively analyzes the distinct personalities of the three directors and their complicated interactions with the business of Hollywood. Francis Ford Coppola is depicted as the flamboyant and erratic artist whose extravagant lifestyle and lavish spending, particularly with his studio American Zoetrope, often led to financial difficulties. George Lucas, in contrast, is depicted as the practical, technical loner who transformed into a shrewd entrepreneur. He amassed his wealth by securing the rights to the “Star Wars” franchise—a decision some critics view as a letdown, given his initial leanings toward more artistic projects. The youngest and most temperamentally stable of the three, Steven Spielberg, is recognized for his mastery of the mainstream American sensibility and his skill in navigating the established studio system.

The dramatic core of the narrative centers on the tumultuous, love-hate dynamic between Coppola and Lucas. Despite their successful joint ventures, the two frequently found themselves at odds, particularly concerning financial matters. Coppola notably backed Lucas's hit “American Graffiti” by lending his name as producer, yet he opted not to finance the project—a decision that cost him a share of the profits from the $700,000 film that eventually grossed $200 million. A deeper rift formed when Coppola subsequently took over a long-developing Lucas project, which ultimately became “Apocalypse Now,” an action Lucas perceived as a betrayal that created a wedge between them for years.

While Steven Spielberg's stories in the book are fascinating and entertaining, his narrative is less dramatically compelling than those of the other two "Last Kings." Despite the immense success of his pictures, his story simply doesn't carry the same dramatic weight. The book also provides insights into other notable young directors like Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, and Peter Bogdanovich, and Spielberg's prominence seems to fall somewhere in between the core subjects and these other directors.

Despite being billed as the "untold, intimate story," the book suffers a huge loss by not including interviews with Coppola, Lucas, or Spielberg. Nevertheless, "The Last Kings of Hollywood" is an informative and enjoyable read for anyone interested in New Hollywood and film history. It provides an excellent study of the personalities and economics that launched the modern blockbuster, offering a fresh perspective on how these three men fought for independent freedom and, in doing so, redefined American cinema for generations.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheLastKingsOfHollywood #NetGalley