You've got to love an essay that begins, "It is a universally acknowledged truth that a movie studio in possession of a good fortune must be in want of Great Books."
You've really got to love one that continues, "The moguls, especially at MGM, meant to entertain and improve minds—or at least wean them from actual books, which, great or not, kept potential customers at home."
Giddons has a refreshing lack of reverence for acknowledged classics.
