Harry Cohn willed Columbia Pictures to become a major Hollywood studio, arising Phoenix like out of the muck of "Poverty Row" mediocrity in the Thirties by producing some of the Silver Screen's great triumphs. Columbia films won 52 Academy Awards during King Cohn's reign including Best Picture Oscars for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, ALL THE KING'S MEN, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, ON THE WATERFRONT and BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI.

Cohn, a transplanted New Yorker born to immigrant parents, was the quinessential Runyonesque character--crude, commanding, ruthless but possessing a "heart of gold" beneath the tough veneer. He was the inspiration for Willie Stark in ALL THE KING'S MEN and Harry Brock in BORN YESTERDAY. Cohn played the role of mogul as tough guy to the hilt.

Veteran entertainment journalist, biographer and Hollywood observor Bob Thomas recreates the man and his times with a lively anecdotal prose style and an insider's eye that discerns between the real and the hype.

Cohn has long endured a bad rap hung on him by the "creative community" that passed through Columbia's portals and over which he often rode roughshod. Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, George Stevens, Barbara Stanwyck, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Glen Ford and many, many others bemoaned Cohn's crassness, tyrannical interference and bullying ways but did their best work under his "oppressive," "untutored" and "uncouth" dominion.

Columbia, under Cohn's supervision and control, invented the screwball comedy, perhaps the American cinema's most significant contribution during The Great Depression, and remained the pre-eminent producer of this genre until the outbreak of World War II.

Cohn understood and felt a kindredness with his plebian audience that many of his patrician "creative" employees did not. Thomas' excellent biography goes a long way toward rehabilitating the "Ogre of Gower Gulch" with those who believed Cohn to be the undeserving and unappreciative beneficiary of Frank Capra's genius.

This updated version of Bob Thomas's biography of Columbia studio chief Harry Cohn is very enjoyable reading. Since its original publication, anonymous sources have come forward and new facts and anecdotes have been incorporated. The brusque, outspoken Cohn appears to have been only concerned with Columbia's most important productions, and Thomas's text reflects this bias. If you're looking for details about Columbia's bread-and-butter product, including its popular "B" pictures, westerns, short subjects, serials, and cartoons, you won't find anything here, and even some of the studio's "A" pictures receive only passing mention. Thomas keeps the spotlight on the colorful Cohn, with some incredible stories and quotes. A great read for movie buffs.

"I am the king here. Whoever eats my bread sings my song". (Harry Cohn).

"I don't have ulcers - I give them". (Harry Cohn).

"I kiss the feet of talent". (Harry Cohn).

This is a marvellous and outstanding book that everyone with an interest in Hollywood should read. Once started it is hard to put down! Harry Cohn was the notorious head of Columbia Pictures from 1924 until his death in 1958. It is a remarkable story of the former song plugger who became the feared chief executive of Columbia Pictures during the "Golden Years of Hollywood". Harry Cohn was a very reclusive man who seldom gave interviews so Bob Thomas has done an exceptional job in putting together this account of Cohn's life. He put in hours of efficient research for this book and spoke with many people who knew Cohn and the stars and directors who worked for him.

Harry Cohn's brother Jack was the first to go into the film business but Harry soon joined him. Jack was based in New York dealing with the business and financial side and Harry was in charge of film production in Hollywood. There was no love lost between the two brothers and they were constantly arguing with each other. Columbia could not compete on an equal footing with the other major studios such as MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox and initially made cheap westerns and second features to begin with but Cohn was ambitious and wanted to produce more prestigious films. His luck changed when he had the enormous good fortune to persuade director Frank Capra to join Columbia who made a series of first rate quality films for the studio. The Capra films were box office successes (and Oscar winners) and brought in the much needed dollars to expand the studio and purchase important screenplays, and hire other talented writers and directors etc. The name of Columbia then became recognised and its films obtained a wider audience.

Columbia did not have a large roster of stars under contract like the major studios so they had to discover new talent and develop their own stars. One of Harry Cohn's discoveries was a dancer named Margarita Cansino - he cast her in a few Columbia features and loaned her out to other studios and then the big build up started. Cohn decided her name should be changed so she became Rita Hayworth and went on to become one of Columbia's top stars.

Columbia's biggest box office success in the 40's was the biographical musical "The Jolson Story". This was not an easy film to get off the ground as the New York office were convinced that Jolson was a "has been" whose career was finished and that the American public would not be interested to see a film about his life. Another problem was the casting - James Cagney and Danny Thomas both turned down the leading role and other actors were considered including Jose Ferrer and Richard Conte. Jolson desperately wanted to play himself in the film but in his 60's was obviously too old. The eventual casting of Larry Parks in the role of Jolson was a masterstroke - he was absolutely brilliant - in fact we can't now imagine anyone else doing it as he is so identified with the two Jolson films.

In 1949 Marilyn Monroe was signed to a contract at Columbia for $175 a week. She appeared in a B picture called "Ladies of the Chorus" but when her six months contract was up Harry Cohn ordered her to be dropped - "She can't act", he said. Some of his associates at Columbia never allowed Cohn to forget he had dismissed Marilyn Monroe who as we all know went on to become a major Hollywood star!!

Harry Cohn was responsible for creating another star at Columbia when he signed Kim Novak to a contract. He tried her out in small budget pictures such as "Pushover", "Phffft", and "Five Against the House". Cohn was not initially impressed by her acting but she did well enough in these films for him to agree to cast her in a major production with top stars - "Picnic" - featuring William Holden, Rosalind Russell and Cliff Robertson. "Picnic" established Kim Novak as a star and she went on to make several other successful films.

The 50's brought even more success to Columbia with films such as "Born Yesterday" (1950) which won the Best Actress Oscar for Judy Holliday. Even more popular was "From Here to Eternity" (1953) which won the Best Picture Oscar and seven other awards. ("Eternity" became the biggest money maker in Columbia's history and Harry Cohn was very proud of the film). "Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) was another Columbia success winning the Best Picture award and six other Oscars.

To sum up "King Cohn" is a marvellous book, full of interesting anecdotes about the stars and "behind the scenes" information what it was like to be in charge of a busy Hollywood studio and with such a fantastic character as Harry Cohn running things there are many wonderful stories to tell. Harry Cohn had the reputation of being something of a monster and tyrant at the studio but this book reveals that he did many kind acts often helping out his employees and stars when they were in financial trouble (sometimes giving them substantial amounts of money) and visiting friends who were in hospital. He enjoyed his image as a tough boss and did not want these stories to be publicised. "King Cohn" is a fascinating read. Buy it - you will enjoy every chapter!

Even without SQUADRON SUPREME, his excellent runs on CAPTAIN AMERICA and QUASAR speak for themselves. But this is one of his finest hours.

This limited series is not the first appearance of the Squadron Supreme; they had shown up in several issues of THE AVENGERS, parodying DC's trademark heroes and "proving" that the Avengers would beat them.

But it was the late, great Mr. Gruenwald who took them and placed them in a superb mini-series that combined comedy, drama, and action with moral arguments.

Even to this day, the questions remain. Who was right--Hyperion or Nighthawk? Where EITHER of them right? And so forth.

Rest in peace, Mr. Gruenwald. After writing this, you've earned it.

Other reviews have mostly summed it up. This story is superb. Mr. Gruenwald is underappreciated genuis. It's unfortunate he, and the Squadron, haven't been appreciated sooner. And, that Mr. Gruenwald didn't get to see his most cherished creation enjoy the recognition and popularity it deserves. The exciting and innovative concepts and ground-breaking devices aside, I enjoyed the heck out of the Hyperion character. With Superman being one of the premier characters of the superhero genre, and practically a pop-culture institution today, it seems odd that unlike other hit characters, he has never seriously been emulated. But it is that very popularity that prevented it. He is so recognizable, writers were just too afraid of being "copycats". Leave it to Gruenwald to have the courage to create his own version of a classic(as well as the rest of JLA), and instill it with it's own identity, and his own unique vision. Not unlike an "ElseWorlds" story, there is much familiar, and much strikingly different. Powers and origin parallel. But Hyperion, like the other Squadron characters, has his own unique quirks, hang-ups, dreams, and ambitions. The story takes the "What-If?" concept to extremes, as Hyperion and the Squadron say and do the things their "original" counterparts wouldn't even think. Fans of Superman and/or JLA should love this, as will any fans of good comic story telling. Don't pass on this one, if you miss it the second time, you may regret it.

I recently bought and read the collection after having read the original limited series back in the 1980s. The late Mr. Gruenwald's storytelling skills and love for the old JLA series continue to shine. I loved some of MG's takes on the classic heroes. How would Superman change his outlook if he abandoned his Clark Kent persona? How would the Golden Age Wonder Woman act if she outlived Steve Trevor and lost her Amazon homeland? Would Batman be more effective on the streets or the White House? We see all kinds of fantastic technology in comics, but what would happen if it was unleashed on the real world? Before Kingdom Come, he had the courage to present the ramifications of great power taking on greater responsibility at the expense of free will. Unlike KC, SS does not get bogged down in dark tones and endless fights, while it still allows the reader to empathize, as well as root for, the Squadron even though they have gone beyond their lawful duty. One wonders what comics would have looked like today if Squadron Supreme had been the big influence instead of Watchmen.

Bethany Cabe, Tony Stark, and Justin Hammer! Just through in Jack Daniels and you have the greatest Iron Man story arc ever! This TPB starts off with all out action against one of my personal favs, Prince Namor. Next move to Iron Man in all out battle against Blizzard, Whiplash, and The Melter in one of fav places on earth, Atlantic City, New Jersey! And that's not all! Iron Man murders an ambassador and then goes after Justin Hammer in Monaco without his armor! All out battle ensues on Hammer's private island against a handfull of super baddies! End it all with a heart touching story about Stark finding his way of the sauce (with some help from the beautiful Bethany Cabe)! A great buy for any comic fan!

Maybe it's because it was the very first Iron Man storyline I ever read (in its original comicbook form - issues #120-128), but in my opinion this widely-acclaimed collection is still a masterpiece after all these years! While the overall plot may have arguably been equalled in later years, notably in the Armor Wars story arc, the sparkling art combination of John Romita Jr and Bob Layton still remains unrivalled, either by any IM artist since or even by Bob Layton alone! Indeed, never have two Iron Man artists complimented each other so perfectly. David Michelinie's James Bond-style plot sees Tony Stark frequent glamorous locations such as an Atlantic City Casino and the Mediterranean while facing a shadowy nemesis in the form of Justin Hammer - a Bond-style villain! However, the alcohol-driven theme still has the power to deliver a relevant message today. My only complaint with the TPB is that I would've prefered that it included a picture of each of the covers of the individual issues at the start of each chapter. But that is only a minor flaw.

This TPB, together with the aforementioned Armor Wars saga, is the definitive Shellhead story. If you can get hold of both, then by all means do. However, if you choose to only read one, purchase this: it demonstrates clearly why Michelinie/Romita Jr/Layton were the original Iron Man dream team!

....this collection is well worth the price. Writer David Michelinie along w/partner/artist (and best friend) Bob Layton, and John Romita Jr. created these original tales set in the very early 80s. We are first introduced to consummate corporate baddie Justin Hammer, and Iron Man alter ego Tony Stark goes through his first bout w/alcoholism. If you can find all of these original comics (in good shape) for less than the cost of this TPB, go for it. But I wouldn't hold my breath!

There is a good deal to recommend this book. It is for the most part well-written, and the idea behind the book is outstanding. However I have quite a few problems with it. The opening tale by John Tynes is somewhat too short to overcome by backstory and characterization a rather ugly incident that takes place within it, equating experience with the Deep Ones to a version of combat syndrome, and that taints the rest of the book. Other tales fare somewhat better, and have some very thought-provoking concepts, adding a bit of science fiction to the world of the Mythos. One can become a ghoul, for instance, by reading a certain book, and a certain Great Old One can tear holes in the spacetime continuum in order to attract males for her followers (kind of silly, but effective within the tale). On the whole, I liked it, but for me that is the crux of the biscuit-I wanted to love it, and did not. Fell far short of the expectations that were engendered in me by the blurbs on the back cover and the front cover recommendation from Lucius Shepard. Can't give it a thumbs-up, but worth looking at if you have the money. Slim for the price.

I really enjoyed reading this book. As with any collection of short stories, I liked some more than others, but there were none in here that I didn't like. There were a couple that I consider to be real gems. My only real complaint is that it's not much book for 12 bucks. It's about half an inch thick, with eight stories in it. I guess maybe it's priced higher than most paperback books because of the cost involved for a small company to have smaller quantities of a book like this printed, but I must admit I was a bit disappointed with it in this respect.

I have always been a fan of way-out-there lunatic sci-fi/horror but unfortunatly most of the sci-fi and horror out there is just really insipid banal mainstream garbage. This book is different, the stories pull no punches and will blow you away. There is some violent violence and BIZZARE sexual stuff in this book so it is probably NOT for kids. Highly recommended and far better than the other Delta Green fiction "Rules of Engagement."

I was born a Met fan and will remain one as long as the Mets exist. As I type this, I'm listening to Fred Wilpon talk about how Art Howe is going to turn the Mets around. This after the 2002 Mets, the team with the third highest payroll in baseball, finished last in the National League East.

My thoughts, naturally, turn to this book.

At the end of the abyssmal 1992 season for the New York Mets, Bob Klapisch and John Harper--beat writers for the NY Post and NY Daily News--felt the need to rant, to give the fans the necessary information to answer the question "how could this have happened?" The highest payrolled team in the history of baseball, the team that made Bobby Bonilla the highest paid player ever, finished with the third lowest record in the National League. I mean, we had David Cone, Dwight Gooden and Sid Fernandez in our starting rotation! We got Bobby Bonilla to replace Darryl Strawberry! That ring should have been ours!

Any Met fan reading the above knows what happened on the surface (and what continued to happen in 1993 and --UCK-- 1994), but the deeper story is nastier still.

This book lifts the rock on the Mets and what is crawling underneath is not pretty. The egos alone are ridiculous, but throw in the infighting, the firecrackers, the rape accusations, the press lockouts, and the non-stop party attitude that looks from here like Animal House without the humor.

You've got to feel sorry for Jeff Torborg and Buddy Harrelson, who didn't have a chance with this pack. As you'll see, though, the owner and General Managers also get their due.

NOW I want to see the 2002 edition of this book. This book proved to me that there is tons of stuff that go on behind the scenes. What happened in 2002?

It's also nice to reminisce about a time when sports writers didn't pull as many punches with their writing. Nobody is spared; the GM, the owners, past managers, players, etc.

Not to knock ESPN which is not local enough, or radio commentary like "Mike & The Maddog" which I believe to be too much a mouthpiece of the team, but this book also stands up as a testament to newspaper coverage which goes into more and better detail than cable can offer.

These guys bled Blue and Orange every day from spring training to the end of the year because it was their job. When that blood went bad, they wrote this book. As a Met fan, let me say "Thank You". This book takes that coverage to the next power. It is something you do not see enough of.

The only real flaw in this book is that it could have been a little better organized. The chronology is a bit vague; background-setting flashbacks show up and go on for pages until you've forgotten what you're getting background on. It is a minor quip, though, and I didn't even notice it until subsequent readings.

This book will probably shock you, but you should still pick it up.

The competition between newspapers in the New York market of the late '80s and early '90s was a precursor to 24-hour sports networks and the Internet in terms of bringing the personal and the issues of the locker room to the fore. Every paper was printing a game story, so the way to distinguish your coverage was to get the office politics, the behind-the-scenes stuff -- Vince Coleman and the golf club. David Cone and the allegations. Sid Fernandez in the doghouse. Buddy Harrelson, the manager who lost control. Bobby Bonilla and everybody. While the player stuff was interesting, I found this much more intriguing as a study of mass media and competition, and just as valid now as ever. A must-read for anyone interested in sports journalism.

The book talks about the 1992 New York Mets which was full of overpaid underachievers who were expected to get into the World Series after finishing below .500 in 1991 for the first time since 1983. It shows the apparent rape and other sexual charges to players like Vince Coleman, Daryl Boston, David Cone and Doc Gooden. It showed the Mets of '92 did more off the field then on the field and you can tell by there record and the fans of New York were outraged that a proud franchise would sink to this level and not succedd. Its a very good book, every Mets fan should have it.

The author is very thorough when discussing ACL injuries, surgery, and rehab. However, he doesn't address other types of injuries. I had a meniscus repair and was disappointed to find only a half a paragraph writen about meniscus injuries.

An easy-to-read overview of knee problems that actually helped me! I have been dealing with knee pain for the past three years and visited many doctors, specialists and physical therapists - as well as trying many of the "alternative" treatments (massage, herbs, supplements, glucosamine, chiropractors, liniments, etc.) - with very little feeling of hope, empowerment or enlightenment, and very slow progress. I was so happy this book addressed the spiral of frustration when knee problems prevent exercise, which leads to weight gain, which causes more knee problems... And I was thrilled that this book provides many knee-strengthening exercises with easy-to-follow photos and directions. Not everything in the book was applicable - the book covers knee injuries in children, provides photos of various knee surgeries, and talks quite a bit about "baby boomers" (I am only 31) and professional athletes, but I am still very glad I read this book! Considering that it only took me one evening and one morning to finish, and I was able to gain quite a sense of hope and a lot of information, I do recommend it. Good luck!

I've suffered from knee pain for the last three years due to prblems after surgery, which on reflection I would have not done! However, this book out of the others I've bought is the best. Particularly for rehab exercises, good photos with good instructions for each stage within the exercise.

If your looking for a book to help you with your rehab, this is the one.

This TPB reprints Uncanny X-Men #168-176. It tells of Angel's kidnapping by the underground mutant outcast group known as the Morloks, Cyclops meets Madelyne Pyor (who is a clone of Jean Grey created by Sinister), Wolverine's marriage in Japan with Mariko and introduces Rogue into the X-Men.

This collection of stories is pretty good and the art is the standard of the time, which was in the early '80s. I still think Marvel charges way too much for their TPBs, but it doesn't really make your wallet bleed anywayz. But it's a pretty good read if you want to know some more background info on the X-Men.

A grieving Scott Summers lost his true love Jean Grey, when she killed herself to save the world from the overpowering Phoenix. Now he's met Madeline Pryor, who has an uncanny likeness to his former love...very uncanny!

Meanwhile, Wolverine prepares for his marriage to the Japanese beauty, Mariko; Storm gets a new look and becomes the leader of a unlikely group of mutants; Kitty starts exploring her love for Peter/Colossus; and an enemy seeks help from the X-Men.

I enjoy "From the Ashes." The artwork is classic and the story is entertaining and adventurous. And this is a highlight in Claremont storytelling.

If you're an X-Men fan, you'll like this.

I've been a fan of the X-Men for years and years now, and I have to say, this is one of my all time favorite X-Men graphic novels. It chronicles some truly great moments from X-Men history. The two chapters concerning the X-Men's visit to Japan, the tragic, failed wedding of Logan to Mariko, and Wolverine's ultimate battle with the Silver Samuraii, is the stuff that made X-Men one of the greatest dramatic-action comic book series of all time.

The younger generation of comics fans who got hooked during the wacky 1990's/Jim Lee/Rob Liefield/Image years will probably overlook the simplistic beauty of Paul Smith's artwork. But his subtle handling of facial expressions, his accuracy with human anatomy, and his technique for panel-to-panel storytelling is flawless. As a kid of the 80's who is now a working professional artist, I learned more about the basic craft of drawing comics from looking at Paul Smith's work in these stories than I did from "How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way."

Claremont's writing here is also superb, with a good balance between the everyday, normal lives of the X-Men, to their crazy, violent adventures, to their mixed-up, emotionally turbulant personal relationships. And of course, his interweaving of many tangled subplots. X-Men books became unnecessarily talky in later years, with dialogue and captions crowding the art, but this volume presents stories from the classic era when Claremont preferred to keep the chatter to a minimum and occasionally even shut up altogether and let the artwork tell the story by itself.

And finally, the fun front-and-back cover illustrations by Art Adams, are just the icing on the cake. This one is worth every nickel.

The five issues of the class Forties series ALL-STAR collected here show a transitional period with the Justice Society of America: this is, is Roy Thomas explains in his intelligent introduction to the volume, just before the great series of Justice Society stories that have been so classically remembered by comics enthusiasts. This has the first of those stories, the marvelous "Revenge of Solomon Grundy," with its superb artwork (especially in the Joe Kubert Hawkman chapter) and terrific narrative suspense. The other stories collected here are a mixed blend: the Psycho-Pirate story is enormously disappointing, but the Brain Wave story "The Dreams of Madness!" is particularly surreal and nightmarish, and the Landor story has a nifty gimmick. There's too much dreary Johnny Thunder antics for my own personal taste in these stories, and not enough Wonder Woman (why wouldn't they let her participate in the adventures?), but it's got a great Forties feel to it.

I never grew up durring the Golden Age. And you don't need to be to enjoy this book. This book reprints All-Star JSA issues #3 - 6. The book features the VERY first Super Hero Team! The stories are corney, sure, but it's still fun and entertaining to this day. Like one reviewer said, if you get one Archive you'll want to get them all - it's that good! Comic fans will love this book, and it's other volumes.

This story features interesting characters, like Spectre, Dr. Fate, Golden Age Flash and Green Lantern, Hour Man, The Atom, Hawkman (also features Hawk girl in one issue) and my favorites Sandman and Jonny Thunder!!! All are classic heros that even appear today, like in Comics such as "Spectre" (Who is Hal Jordon now) and "JSA" written by Awsome Writer Goeff Johns.

Buy this book if your a comic fan! Even if you aren't into comics, it's a great place to start and learn. (May as well Start at the begining of Comic Histroy)

Anyone who is a true fan of comic books will truly appreciate this hard cover edition of the first Super Hero Team--The Justice Society of America. This team of heroes set the stage of their silver age counterparts, as well as, the Justice League of America. I am glad DC has put together these Archive Editions as an easy way to capture hard to find and out of print titles. You could easily spend thousands of dollars and long hours at comic conventions to buy back issues. I for one am hooked. Once you buy one, you'll want to buy the whole set.

In his final year of high school Chip Hilton, All-State quarterback, is ready to lead his veteran Valley Falls High School team to a second straight championship. Tragedy strikes when coach Henry Rockwell is hospitalized and is fighting for his life. One of the towns leading citizens and the head of the school board conspire to oust the "Rock". They bring in an unscrupulous outsider and install him against Rockwell's recommendation. He quickly causes disharmony and chaos on the team. Hilton is suspended from the team several times. The way that Chip deals with adversity and fights back, makes great reading. It also teaches excellent values to young folks. A must read for Chip Hilton fans

I have read just about all of the 20+ volumes in the Hilton series and this has always been my favorite. In addition to being good sports stories, Chip always had to overcome some evil forces to triumph in the end. The evil is so strong in this story, that I want to punch the air in satisfaction when Chip wins out - no matter how many times I have read the book. If you are new to the series, however, I would suggest you start with the first story - "Touchdown Pass" - and go from there.

This volume seems to be one of the favorites of Chip Hilton fans everywhere. The forces of evil mobilized against Chip are particularly bad and the final scene actually a bit violent (well, at least by the standards of fifty years ago). Read and see how far we, as a people, have fallen in half a century. Of course, better still, read the original. The current edition has been updated to satisfy the dogmas of feminism and the cliches of youth culture. Gosh, doesn't anyone get that it was those very forces which destroyed the world of Chip and Coach Rockwell and gave us America of 1999?!