The Variety History of Show Business

The transition from silent movies to talkies, the British invasion of Broadway spearheaded by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sony's 1989 buyout of Columbia Pictures, and Michael Jackson's recording of his Thriller album are among the events and trends spotlighted in 40 chapters written with all the zing, liveliness and incisive wit of Variety magazine's regular news coverage. Special emphasis is given to momentous ``firsts:'' Cecil B. DeMille's shooting of The Squaw Man , the first feature-length western, in a barnyard in the sleepy Hollywood of 1913; the premiere of Eugene O'Neill's Beyond the Horizon in 1920, which brought serious drama to Broadway; the first night of The Ed Sullivan Show in 1948 on a $475 budget; the 1950 launch of Beulah , the first TV show to feature an African American as its main character; and MTV's debut cable broadcast in 1981. But this delightful showcase, fabulously illustrated with 100 film stills, photos and Variety news clips, goes beyond nostalgia with trenchant analysis that distinguishes schlock from substance. With chapters on John Barrymore as Hamlet, Pal Joey , Oklahoma! , Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Beatlemania, Steven Spielberg's Jaws , the TV miniseries Roots , and TV's role in political debate from Watergate to the Senate confirmation hearings on Clarence Thomas, this hugely entertaining show biz history offers something for everyone. (Nov.)