David Lean

Silverman ( The Fox That Got Away ) here breezily traces the career of the director of such classic films as The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia. Starting out as a studio gofer in the late 1920s, Lean ``apprenticed in every department,'' ultimately making a name for himself as a film editor. His 1942 directorial debut was In Which We Serve , starring and co-directed by Noel Coward. Some 168 mainly black-and-white photographs illustrate an entertaining film-by-film text of behind-the-scenes goings on; difficulties encountered at remote locations and by intractable weather; the actors Lean worked with and the friendships he developed during the making of his 16 movies. Although the design and production values of this volume are nowhere near Lean's perfectionist standards, which Hepburn applauds in her fond introduction, this remains an enjoyable, undemanding look at a major figure in film. (Nov.)