Warner Brothers : Hollywood's Ultimate Backlot - A Book Review

Steven Bingen, co-author of the fabulous book, MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot, has sharpened his pencil and put words to paper once again in his marvelous new tribute to the WB backlot : Warner Brothers - Hollywood's Ultimate Backlot. This hefty 275 page coffee table book covers the inner and outer workings of one of the best studios in the business. It is chock full of behind-the-scenes Warner Brothers images from the Bison Archives and features a short but sweet introduction from the WB starlet herself, Doris Day. 

The Jeer : It's hard to find fault with this book, but if there is to be a jeer it is in the design layout of this particular edition. Unlike MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot, which featured a fantastic layout for reference use, this one turns the spotlight on Bingen's writing and utilizes its layout for great cover-to-cover reading but is hard to navigate for the info seeker. 

The Cheer : Steven Bingen has written a loving tribute to the real star of Warner Brothers Studios - the backlot; its fabulous sets and the creative team who helped to create them. The rare images are a delight and the appendix "Productions Shot on the Backlot" is worth the price of the book itself. 

The Skinny : Warner Brothers - Hollywood's Ultimate Backlot makes a great read for the avid classic film fan but would have benefited even more had it duplicated the layout of MGM: Hollywood's Greatest Backlot.