Rating: 
Summary: Very informative and interesting but incomplete.
Review: I found much information and interesting facts I did not know about the old stars seen on AMC andTCM but I wanted more personal information including children and cause of death. I was disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Reference Book on Film
Review: I have bought every edition of this book, and each edition is dogeared from use. Almost everything you wanted to know about movies, actors, and people behind the scenes is here. Most of the biographies are detailed with either complete filmographies or lists of most notable films. There are few inaccuracies in this book.Individual movies are not listed, of course, or else this book would run at least two or three times larger. Still, this is one of the best, if not THE best, reference book on film available.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent reference
Review: I own the first two editions of this book, and have also used the third. It is far and away the best book of its kind. While I occasionally wish for more detail regarding a particular person, the book has sufficient depth for its scope. The only real problem I have with the later editions of "The Film Encyclopedia" is that entries on minor actors (contained in the first edition) are missing in the second and third editions. Still, I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: The penultimate guide to the cinema
Review: I purchased the first edition years ago and simply absorbed the book for weeks. I was still referring back to this edition for answers to trivia questions and settling arguments with my two brothers, also true fans of the cinema. The new edition continues Mr. Katz's attention to detail and succinct summaries of technical terms and film genres. It is an indispensable source of film facts and trivia
Rating:
Summary: This Book Belongs on Every Movie Lover's Shelf
Review: I wish it were possible to give this book more than five stars. For precise, copious, detailed information on actors, film makers, and general technical questions this is the place to go. For the most part, this is a biographical dictionary. However, in addition to the 6700 biographies of actors, directors, producers, screenwriters, cameramen, etc., there are also about 1000 articles devoted to technical aspects of film making as well as to short histories of the various national cinemas. Each biographical article also includes, in almost all cases, a complete list of the feature films and shorts to which that individual contributed. Those cases where the list is not complete are usually for actors and film makers from the days of silent films, when accurate and complete recordkeeping was not common. Most silent films, sadly, have been lost anyway. The articles in this book, in contrast to those in the not recommended "Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies," are long and detailed. It would be hard to ask for more. I sometimes spend hours pouring over this book. This is the book that should be on the shelf of every serious cinephile. For quick looks, "Leonard Maltin's Encyclopedia of the Movies" is valuable as well, though it needs to be brought up to date. And for a different point of view on almost everyone associated with film, David Thomson's "New Biographical Dictionary of Film" is a pure delight. But if you must have one book on film, Katz is it.
Rating:
Summary: Worth every penny...
Review: I've had every edition of this book, from the 1970s to the present. There's a good reason that no film buff should go without it. That every major film critic and historian in America has a copy of this book on their shelves is good enough endorsement for me. If you're looking for profiles of "flash in the pan" trends and/or movie stars, forget it. But for everything else, this is as good as it gets. Best of all. This book has always been a GREAT VALUE. Always priced below what you'd expect. Buy it. I guarantee you'll only be disappointed if you're looking for a book with a picture on every page. There are other books for that. This one is a keeper...
Rating: 
Summary: Other reviews are a bit misleading
Review: Just received my copy today, and I am a bit disappointed. While this is surely a great reference for fans of the film industry and the people in it, I can't see this as a book for fans of film. There are no entries on films and no way to look up who worked on a particular film. What this book has, it certainly has a lot of, but it doesn't have everything.
Rating:
Summary: Superb in every aspect
Review: Klein and Nolan have done the impossible; they've taken a great book and made it even better. This third edition has the same authoritative material of the first two versions, but Klein and Nolan have brought the text to life. They have added a smart, fresh feel to the book. Anyone interested in film should own this book, be they Speilberg, a first year art student, or just a movie buff.
Rating:
Summary: Good buy for film buffs
Review: Lots of info, great to track info on movies.Very interesting bios on actors and craftsmen who make films.
Rating:
Summary: The single best book of its kind, ever!
Review: Since its original publication, I have used this book both as a movie lover and as a writer. As a movie lover, it's a never-failing source of obscure information. Can't remember the name of the movie, and only remember its star? You'll find the answer here. Want to know what a grip does? Looking to discover how many films were made by Howard Hawks or Howard Hughes? What's a dolly? What's a key light? The answers to some of the most obscure questions about moviemaking reside in this brilliant compilation of facts about films and the people who make them--everyone from the best boy to the stars. As a research resource, it's invaluable. To satisfy that nagging question about some film you saw with James Cagney, get the Film Encyclopedia. Next to the Cinebooks Library, this is the single most important book to own. Nothing before it and nothing after it will ever contain a similar wealth of information. This is a must-have volume.
| 
