
“The unity of the big studios or Big Three networks has been shaken,” observes one veteran studio CEO, who recalls that Hollywood’s labor force “now laments the absence of the very oligopoly it once attacked.” There is no Lew Wasserman or Bob Daly to assemble the broken fragments. Jack Warner, the testy studio chief, observed that “even writers need love, especially when they don’t deserve it.” Warner himself was addicted to firing writers, but he was a fanatic about keeping his studio assembly line humming. The respected writer Alvin Sargent compared walking the picket lines to “being stuck in an airport bar during a snowstorm - civility mixed with rage.”

The picket lines themselves provide grim memories of the sad saga lasting five months in 1988. Here’s the irony: While Smith and his social media colleagues are making lots of noise for their next adventures, their colleagues in film and TV are frozen in silence.

The New York Times liked Smith’s book, even though he quit that paper to start yet another digital adventure called Semafor - its fate still to be determined. Purchase the Kindle edition here.WGA Strike Explained: The Issues, The Stakes, Movies & TV Shows Affected - And How Long The 2023 Work Stoppage Might Last It’s a wonderful book worth reading especially if you like a good historical novel or are interested in books set in New York City. This book consistently get high ratings and enthusiastic recommendations and I’ll add mine to the mix. You’ll fall in love with the characters as they navigate the different rungs on the ladder of society, sometimes getting by on sheer nerve and sometimes with the help of a friend.Īlong the way, Towles paints a descriptive masterpiece that will bring 1930’s New York City to life with both characters and setting.

Their chance encounter will take Katey from the Wall Street secretarial pool all the way to high society and the exclusive suites of Condé Nast. Rules of Civilitywill transport you to 1937 in Greenwich Village. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.įIRST PUBLISHED: 2011 About Rules of Civility

Take a trip back to 1930s New York City where a chance meeting propels a woman from the secretarial pools to the upper crust of society.ĭisclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations.
