Don Miller: “B” Movies: An Informal Survey of the American Low-Budget Film, 1933-1945 (1973)

“Charlie Chan gave nuggets of Oriental wisdom to his number one son? Ann Miller tap-danced in front of cardboard backdrops? Tarzan swung through the trees? The sound of the Whistler echoed in the dark? Abbott and Costello joined the army? Andy Hardy faced his father? Sherlock Holmes found the vital clue? A producer named Val Lewton sent shivers down your spine?

From the beginning of sound to the start of the television era, Hollywood turned out thousands of low-budget “B” movies. Some were simply awful, most were pretty good, and not a few reached greatness. Don Miller, one of the most notable of movie experts, has written a superlative survey of this neglected facet of Hollywood’s golden age-a brilliant history of the studios, producers, directors, performers and films that made “B” stand for beautiful in the memory of every movie buff.” (from the back cover)

Publisher Curtis Books, New York, 1973
The Curtis Film Series
350 pages

PDF (126 MB, updated on 2016-12-23)