Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures

As a fan of RKO, I was anticipating this book but I was also doubtful. The Howard Hughes era has been greatly written about and the General Tire period is generally covered in a couple of sentences. This book went far beyond any other I've read about the end of RKO, going into great detail as to why the Hughes era was such a disaster (not just fiddling with productions and lawsuits), and covers the General Tire end quite thoroughly.The coverage and detail given to the Koerner era was also far greater than I've ever read. It even covers the Churubusco studio in Mexico, something I've always been curious about. This book is definitely not a retread of old information.I don't think, given that Jewell is THE authority on RKO, that we will ever have a better book about second half of RKO's existence than this one.

I have enjoyed both volumes on the financial history of RKO Radio Pictures, which is saying a lot in that I have no interest in finance, only in film-making.

Astonishingly good look at RKOs peak and decline - brilliantly researched and well written - worthy sequel to the previous book by Jewel

Very easy read and quite interesting if you are into the nuts and bolts of studio production.

Richard B. Jewell’s “Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures”, focuses on the production studio during the last years of World War II through its dissolution. He draws extensively upon the studio archives to paint a picture of the drama and conflict that plagued RKO for most of its history. This book serves as a follow-up to Jewell’s earlier volume, “RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan Is Born”.Jewell writes, “Most people in the United States, and in many other countries as well, were spending a significant portion of their days reading about the war [WWII] in the newspapers, listening to the latest updates on the radio, and talking about it with their friends. Given that the hostilities did not go well for the Allies throughout much of 1942, one might have expected spectators to prefer films that avoided the subject, as they generally had during the equally disheartening Depression. But just the opposite was true. Theater patrons sought out movies that reflected the precise moment they were living through, no matter how unrealistic and fanciful those movies happened to be” (pg. 11). After the war, however, RKO and others struggled. Jewell writes, “Box office attendance had started to decline, thanks to the onset of the baby boom era. Young couples celebrated the end of the war by marrying, moving to the suburbs, and starting families. With budgets stretched as they carved out their own small piece of the American dream, these young Americans cut back on moviegoing. If they did decide to catch a picture, they most likely watched it at a neighborhood theater or a drive-in – venues that were more convenient and featured lower admission prices than the picture palaces in urban downtown areas” (pg. 60).Of the Red Scare, Jewell writes, “Since Howard Hughes vehemently opposed communism and intended to use his power to stifle the spread of the doctrine, it came as no surprise that one of his initial RKO pictures would deal with the subject. And he was not alone – Warner Bros., Twentieth Century-Fox, Paramount, and other companies were also making anticommunist features at this historical moment. Hughes, however, allegedly had an additional agenda; he had decided to use the project [the film ‘I Married a Communist’] as a litmus test of his employees’ political sympathies” (pg. 95). Of Howard Hughes and the company’s downfall, Jewell writes, “There is one aspect of RKO’s history that everyone – company employees, journalists, Hollywood historians, film scholars, Hughes biographers – seems to agree about: Howard Hughes was primarily responsible for the ruination of the company. As should be clear by this stage, his erratic, incomprehensible approach to management brought RKO tumbling down to the brink of extinction” (pg. 180). Jewell concludes, “With the exception of the war years, RKO had never been a stable company, particularly at the executive level, but a surprising number of loyal employees did spend most of their lives working for the organization” (pg. 210).

This is the second part of the authors history of RKO.As per the first book it is written in a cheerful friendly non academic and accessible way.Guiding us through the ups and downs of this troubled studio.Carefully explaining why things went so badly wrong.Only a couple of points where I disagree.Firstly he. Paints a picture of financial good health in the other studios.In 1956,MGM sacked Core Schary because the company was loosing millions.About the same time Republic closed down.Fox nearly closed down in the early sixties because of Cleopatara,and were down to a staff of 50.I would also say that I rather enjoy some of the Hughes films

This the sequel to: RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan Is Born by Richard Jewell. I bought and read this previous book and now well into the sequel. Both books are very entertaining and a well researched corporate history of one of the smaller film producing studios in Hollywood from about 1928-1957 when the company folded and the various studio buildings/sites were purchased by Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz for their expanding Desilu Productions. If you like reading behind the scenes of companies this is it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.