Book Review: 20th Century-Fox: Darryl F. Zanuck and the Creation of the Modern Film Studio

I've long been an admirer of Scott Eyman, going back to titles such as PRINT THE LEGEND: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN FORD, LION OF HOLLYWOOD: THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF LOUIS B. MAYER, ERNST LUBITSCH: LAUGHTER IN PARADISE, and EMPIRE OF DREAMS: THE EPIC LIFE OF CECIL B. DEMILLE.

In more recent years I've reviewed Eyman's JOHN WAYNE: THE LIFE AND LEGEND and CARY GRANT: A BRILLIANT DISGUISE. I've also had the pleasure of chatting with the author at events such as the Lone Pine Film Festival.

Given that background, I was delighted to receive a copy of his latest book, 20TH CENTURY-FOX: DARRYL F. ZANUCK AND THE CREATION OF THE MODERN FILM STUDIO. It was published by Turner Classic Movies and Running Press.

This new book is considerably shorter than the typical Eyman book, but no less interesting; indeed, it's a breezy, fast-paced read which is both concise and filled with sharply noted insights. It provides a terrific overview of the studio, William Fox, and especially Darryl F. Zanuck (seen here), who was both tyrant and genius.

Fox grew up a poor New Yorker who mostly cared about making money, yet while under his control the Fox studio was also at the forefront of new technology, including the early widescreen process seen in Raoul Walsh's THE BIG TRAIL (1930) -- a film which, incidentally, I was able to see Eyman discuss at the 2018 Lone Pine Film Festival.

Fox went bankrupt during the Depression and his namesake studio eventually merged with Darry F. Zanuck's 20th Century Pictures, becoming 20th Century-Fox. Fox provided most of the assets, including a worldwide distribution network and a film library, while 20th Century provided Zanuck's movie-making brilliance.

Eyman sketches Zanuck's passion for movies, his ability to meet changing times, his uncanny knack for both writing and editing, and his ability to recognize future film stars; 20th Century-Fox started out with just a handful of actors who were box office successes, but Zanuck built up a stable of popular stars. In one such case (encouraged by his wife Virginia), Tyrone Power jumped from a bit part in GIRLS' DORMITORY (1936) to the lead in LLOYDS OF LONDON (1936), becoming one of the studio's greatest stars for many years.

As was often the case with other studio heads of the era, Zanuck was consumed by his work. His family received short shrift, with Virginia also tolerating his serial infidelity; at one point they were separated for 17 years, reconciling when he was in poor health late in life. Son Richard would eventually go to work for his father as the head of production, but his father also fired him a few years later, so their relationship was anything but simple.

In the end the story of Zanuck and his studio is both admirable and tragic; Zanuck's passion for his job over family is tremendously sad on a personal level, yet resulted in scores of films which still entertain and inspire today.

The book concludes with a brief look at the studio in the post-Zanuck years, including its years under Alan Ladd Jr. and its acquisition by Disney.

Eyman has an engaging writing style, and despite a relatively low page count, he manages to hit the high points in such a way that he tells the story with a sense of depth, which doesn't feel in any way as though he's simply skimming the history. I found the book of such interest that I managed to speed through it in just a couple of sittings.

I reviewed an advance uncorrected proof, so I won't comment on any typographical or spelling issues which very likely didn't make it into the final copy.

There was one stray factual tidbit which puzzled me, a comment that John Ford got permission to bury Tom Mix in a military cemetery despite Mix having been a deserter. Perhaps the anecdote strictly refers to gaining the permission and nothing more; it caught my eye as Mix is buried on a steep hill at Forest Lawn Glendale. It's possible this was caught before final printing. Otherwise, it's evident from Eyman's books that he knows his stuff and researches deeply.

The index was not yet prepared for the advance copy. The book also has end notes and a short bibliography, as well as black and white photographs. I reviewed a softcover edition; the final page count given by both Running Press and Amazon for the published hardcover copy was 304 pages.

20TH CENTURY-FOX: DARRYL F. ZANUCK AND THE CREATION OF THE MODERN FILM STUDIO is a recommended read.

I have at least three more book reviews in the works! Stay tuned.

Thanks to TCM and Running Press for providing a review copy of this book.

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