Sam Wasson is an American author and publisher, who often writes about the history of cinema in Hollywood. His works include the biography Fosse, the history books Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art and The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood and the co-authored Hollywood: The Oral History.
Sam Wasson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupation | Author, publisher |
| Notable works | Fosse Improv Nation The Big Goodbye Hollywood: The Oral History |
| Website | |
| www | |
Early life and education edit
Wasson was born in Los Angeles. His maternal grandfather was former Variety executive, Hal “Lew” Scott.[1][2] Wasson attended Wesleyan University, and USC School of Cinematic Arts.[citation needed]
Career edit
During the writing of a biography about Bob Fosse (titled Fosse) researcher Jane Klein and Wasson unearthed lost footage of Fosse's 1961 ABC television show "Seasons of Youth”.[3] In 2014, Fosse was one of six books shortlisted for the $10,000 Marfield Prize[4] and received the Special Jury Prize at the George Freedley Memorial Award.[5] Production rights for a limited television series based on the book were purchased by television channel FX in 2018.[6]
In 2020, Wasson published a book about the making of the 1974 movie Chinatown, titled The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood.[7] Later that year, a film adaptation of The Big Goodbye was announced, with Lorne Michaels attached as producer and Ben Affleck as director.[8][9] Also in 2020, Wasson co-founded a publishing house with producer Brandon Millan.[10]
Wasson was a visiting professor at Wesleyan University[11] and Emerson College.[12]
In 2021, Wasson and William Rempel filed a lawsuit to unseal a 2010 deposition transcript of Roger Gunson, a former deputy district attorney, in relation to the Roman Polanski sexual abuse case.[13] In July 2022, the court ruled for the transcripts to be unsealed.[14][15][16][17]
In 2022, Wasson and Jeanine Basinger wrote an oral history book titled Hollywood: The Oral History.[18][19]
Bibliography edit
Books edit
- A Splurch in the Kisser: The Movies of Blake Edwards. Wesleyan University Press. 2006. ISBN 978-0-8195-6977-6.
- Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman. HarperCollins. 2010. ISBN 978-0-0620-0013-2.[20]
- Paul on Mazursky. Wesleyan University Press. 2011. ISBN 978-0-8195-7144-1.[21]
- Fosse. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2013. ISBN 978-0-5475-5329-0.[22]
- Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2017. ISBN 978-0-5445-5720-8.[23]
- The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood. Flatiron Books. 2019. ISBN 978-1-2502-6629-3.[24]
- Hollywood: The Oral History. HarperCollins. 2022. ISBN 978-0-0630-5696-1.[25]
References edit
- ^ Staff (April 12, 1996). "The Silver Fox". Variety.
- ^ Staff (April 12, 1996). "Obituary". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Ginsberg, Merle & Gary Baum (November 7, 2013). "Bob Fosse Biographer Unearths Lost 1961 ABC Special". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Ron Charles (March 11, 2014). "Terry Teachout among finalists for $10,000 Marfield Prize for arts writing". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
- ^ "Freedley Award Winners, 1969-Present". Theatre Library Association. September 12, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (July 24, 2018). "FX Orders Bob Fosse Limited Series Starring Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams With Lin-Manuel Miranda Producing". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (February 4, 2020). "It's 'Chinatown,' Jake. On Second Thought, Don't Forget It". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (April 7, 2020). "Ben Affleck To Direct Adaptation of 'Big Goodbye' For Paramount; Behind-The-Scenes Story Of The Making of 'Chinatown'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Kiefer, Halle (2020-08-07). "Ben Affleck to Remind You It's Chinatown With His Adaptation of Making-Of Book The Big Goodbye". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ Hudson, David (August 17, 2022). "August Books". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Simon, Scott (November 2, 2013). "Fosse's Genius: Working Even As He Was Dying". NPR. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ John, John (October 6, 2021). "Sam Wasson gives Chinatown The Big Goodbye". Writers on Film. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Cieply, Michael (November 28, 2021). "On Monday, A New Twist On The Quest For Sealed Testimony In The Polanski Case". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ "Wasson et al. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County et al". Unicourt. April 14, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Qeally, James (July 13, 2022). "Roman Polanski criminal case transcripts must be unsealed, court rules". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Maddaus, Gene (July 13, 2022). "Appeals Court Orders Release of Roman Polanski Transcript". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Cieply, Michael (July 18, 2022). "Roger Gunson's Unsealed Polanski Testimony Offers Not Bombshells, But Details And A Path Through The Thicket". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Rich, Katie (October 5, 2019). "Hollywood, in Its Own Words". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
- ^ Yogerst, Chris (December 5, 2022). "Hollywood on Hollywood: On Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson's Oral History "Hollywood"". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ Reviews of Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman:
- Staff (June 22, 2020). "As infectious as Mancini's score, and sure to please lovers of classic American cinema". Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ Reviews of Paul on Mazursky:
- Leonard Maltin (September 2, 2011). "Book Review – Paul on Mazursky". LeonardMaltin.com.
- ^ Reviews of Fosse:
- Janet Maslin (November 6, 2013). "A Showman Whose Dazzle Hid Darkness". The New York Times.
- Mondello, Bob (November 7, 2013). "Biography Of Director Bob Fosse Razzles, Dazzles And Delights". NPR. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- Phillips, Michael (November 3, 2013). "Review: 'Fosse' by Sam Wasson". Chicago Tribune. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ Reviews of Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art:
- Justin, Neal (December 1, 2017). "Review: 'Improv Nation,' by Sam Wasson". Star Tribune. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- Canfield, David (December 1, 2017). "Improv Nation masterfully tells a new history of American comedy: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- Staff (December 5, 2017). "An entertaining book, recommended for aspiring comedians who want to historicize their practice". Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ Reviews of The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood:
- Biskind, Peter (January 31, 2020). "Review: Sam Wasson takes a deep dive into 'Chinatown'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- Maslin, Janet (February 4, 2020). "It's 'Chinatown,' Jake. On Second Thought, Don't Forget It". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- Staff (February 4, 2020). "If you love Chinatown, then you'll love The Big Goodbye—and it's good reading for any American cinema buff". Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ Reviews of Hollywood: The Oral History:
- Staff (November 8, 2022). "Fun firsthand accounts from 100 years of Hollywood history". Kirkus Reviews.
- Schwarzbaum, Lisa (2022-12-09). "That's Entertainment! Here's a Dishy History of Hollywood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- "Review: Oral history of Hollywood is fascinating, contradictory and only partly true". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- "Hollywood: The Oral History by Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson review – dinner with the stars". The Guardian. 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2022-12-31.