When the Snow Melts: The Autobiography of Cubby Broccoli

Rating:
Summary: Nobody does it better than Broccoli, Albert R. Broccoli
Review: Albert R. Broccoli presents... That statement which appears above the title of 17 James Bond films sends wonderful thoughts through my mind. It is the man who spent his whole life devoted to bringing Ian Fleming's character to the big screen. This autobiography begins the story of Cubby's childhood and continues up to during the filming of his last 007 epic. The book tells us in detail how he believes the most important thing in his life was his family and that his movies were something extra special and nice. Find out the origins of the nickname Cubby his cousin gave him, to which he has used both privately and professionally. Learn how he and his producing partner Harry Saltzman created Eon Productions and Danjaq and why they eventually split leaving Broccoli as the sole owner of the copyrights and who eventually became the most successful film producer in motion picture history with a film series that has lasted almost 40 years. Because of Cubby Broccoli, I have always wanted to become a filmmaker. This book was a very quick read but kept me interested all the way through! As it still says in the credit's "Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions Presents..." his memory will live on forever and this book is a marvelous look at the life of the most overlooked film producer in history.

Rating:
Summary: A Roller Coaster Ride Indeed!
Review: The promotion poster for this wonderful autobiography of Cubby Broccoli describes it as "A roller-coaster ride throught the life of one of Hollywood's best-loved film producers," and it couldn't be more right. I admit it may be a tad boring if you have no interest in the James Bond films or their creators, but if you do, you will find this book to be a fascinating look at the life of the producer who spent almost 30 years of his life creating the most successful film series in history. The book begins by describing the immigrant experience of his family and continues to chart a real-life example of the American Dream in action -- the story of a poor broccoli farmer from New York who grew up to receive the Thalberg Award and have his name inscribed on a star in Hollywood. In this book, Broccoli also tells fascinating insider stories about such hollywood greats as Howard Hughes and Victor Mature, which will interest even those who could care less about Bond. I dock the book a star only because of the long, boring passages toward the end (written by Donald Zec, I think)regarding the numerous takeovers of United Artists and Broccoli's efforts to keep the company in good hands (ever wonder why there were no Bond movies produced between '89 and '95?). Other than these passages, however, I have found that "When the Snow Melts" is the only autobiography I haven't been able to put down!

Rating:
Summary: A Roller Coaster Ride Indeed!
Review: The promotion poster for this wonderful autobiography of Cubby Broccoli describes it as "A roller-coaster ride throught the life of one of Hollywood's best-loved film producers," and it couldn't be more right. I admit it may be a tad boring if you have no interest in the James Bond films or their creators, but if you do, you will find this book to be a fascinating look at the life of the producer who spent almost 30 years of his life creating the most successful film series in history. The book begins by describing the immigrant experience of his family and continues to chart a real-life example of the American Dream in action -- the story of a poor broccoli farmer from New York who grew up to receive the Thalberg Award and have his name inscribed on a star in Hollywood. In this book, Broccoli also tells fascinating insider stories about such hollywood greats as Howard Hughes and Victor Mature, which will interest even those who could care less about Bond. I dock the book a star only because of the long, boring passages toward the end (written by Donald Zec, I think)regarding the numerous takeovers of United Artists and Broccoli's efforts to keep the company in good hands (ever wonder why there were no Bond movies produced between '89 and '95?). Other than these passages, however, I have found that "When the Snow Melts" is the only autobiography I haven't been able to put down!