Classic Film Book Challenge 2018 Begins in June

Since 2013, film writer and classic movie fan Raquel Stecher has offered a Summer Reading Challenge through her blog Out of the Past, and this year, the contest will run from June 7 to September 15, 2018.

The deadline to sign up is Sunday, July 15, 2018.

The rules are simple –

• Sign up for the challenge through Raquel’s website
• Read a classic film book
• Write a review and post it on your Blog, Instagram or Goodreads profile
• Use hashtag #classicfilmreading
• Submit your review link – the form is also on Raquel’s website
• Repeat until you have read and reviewed 6 books!
• Review 6 books and be automatically entered to win a prize

What counts as a classic film book? According to her website, a classic film book is any of the following –

• A biographical book about some from the classic film era. Biography, autobiography, memoir or a collection of interviews or letters all count. Can be about an actor, actress, director, or other cast or crew member.
• A book about films – specific film(s), genre, film-making process, etc.
• A photography or art book related to classic films, fashion, style, or a particular person
• Film criticism or analysis
• A 20th-century novel that was adapted into a classic film
• A novel fictionalizing a classic film or an actor/actress from old Hollywood

A total of 6 books must be read, but they can be from any of the categories listed above.

And if you complete all 6 reviews by Saturday, September 15, 2018, you will be eligible to win one single disc DVD-MOD from Warner Archive movie of your choice.

The contest is also open internationally.

Many books about or related to Peter Lorre fall in the categories above. Here are a couple of suggestions ~

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre (2005), by Stephen D. Youngkin, tells the story of Peter’s life and career, beginning with his birth on June 26, 1904, in Rosenberg, Hungary, through his school years, his start in European theater, his film career in Germany, England, and the United States, and his work in radio and television.

Included are interviews with members of Peter’s family – two brothers, daughter Cathy, first wife Celia Lovsky, and sister-in-law Barbara – and actors, directors, producers, writers, and behind-the-scenes crew who worked with Peter on films, television, and radio.

The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre may be purchased from Amazon U.S., Amazon Canada, and Amazon U.K, as well as other booksellers.

Published in 2018, The Life and Times of Sydney Greenstreet, by Derek Sculthorpe, discusses the career of Peter’s most popular co-star at Warner Bros. Studio in the 1940s.

Peter appeared in nine movies with Sydney Greenstreet, beginning with The Maltese Falcon in 1941 and ending with The Verdict in 1946. The two actors also appeared on radio together in the 1940s.

The Life and Times of Sydney Greenstreet may be purchased from Amazon U.S., as well as other booksellers.

More information about the contest may be found on Raquel Stecher’s blog Out of the Past. Happy reading!