LIFE, camera, action

TheLIFEarchives spotlight Hollywood and the magic of the movies

In November 1936, publisher Henry R. Luce launchedLIFEas a photo-led weekly news magazine with a clear purpose:To see life; to see the world; to eyewitness great events.Before readers attention was consumed by television,LIFEserved as their window to the world, and by the late 1940s, it was being viewed by 1 in 3 Americans. Jean Harlow was the first movie star to appear on aLIFEcover in 1937, and from then until 1972 over 200 covers featured Hollywood-related subjects, illustrating the strength of the bond betweenLIFEand the film industry.

Matching thesplendor of the finest Hollywoodproduction, this two-volume epic blockbuster tells the intertwined story of a magazine and an art form that embodied the pinnacle of American imagination. Meticulously researched and curated, it features over 600 images from the magazines archiveswell over half previously unseenand stars icons such asBette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Clark Gable, Steve McQueen, Sophia Loren, Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman, Jane Fonda, Brigitte Bardotand many more.LIFEhad special access to these celebrities following themon set, toextravagant parties, Oscar nightsand at home, providing readers with intimate glimpses of their lives away from the spotlight.

Volume 1 (1936-1950s)covers theGolden Age of Hollywood: dashing leading men, glamorous starlets, powerful studio moguls, andopulent lifestyles. Witness howLIFEdidnt just indulge fantasy, but also documented the inner workings of the industry and the collective effort that went into creating the illusions on the screen, from screenwriters and composers to publicists and acting coaches.Volume 2 (1950s-1972)focuses on theNew Hollywood, in which major studios gradually lost their stronghold, marked by a shift towardindependent films, international stars, and a more diverse array of voices and faces. See howLIFEreported from the sets of classic movies such asThe Godfather,Guys and Dolls, andThe Ten Commandments; and with the aid of exclusive editorial materials like contact sheets, tear sheets from the stories, and internal editorial notes, we learn howLIFEplanned and framed their innovative photo-essays.

Featuring introductory texts by photography criticLucy Sante, captions by film historian Justin Humphreys, and over 70 legendaryLIFEphotographers such asAlfred Eisenstaedt, Peter Stackpole, Gordon Parks, Lisa Larsen, Margaret Bourke-White, Gjon Mili, and many others,LIFE. Hollywoodis a celebration of the 20th centurys most important photography magazine and the irresistible allure of Hollywood and movie magnificence.