The Great Movies
The Great Movies is the name Roger Ebert gave to a run of essays about film, published across print and online. Ebert worked in the United States as a film critic, writing a regular column for The Chicago Sun-Times. He summed up his purpose in a single sentence. The project, he said, was meant to make a tour of the landmarks of the first century of cinema. That single sentence raises two questions. What earned a film a place on that tour, and how did Ebert's list keep growing once he started it?
Ebert judged each film by three qualities: craft, importance, and influence. Any one of those was enough on its own to earn a place in the collection. A film chosen for its craft might sit next to one chosen mainly for its influence, or one included simply because of its place in film history. That mix, more than any ranking, decided what belonged in the book. The same standard would end up applying across four separate books, not just one.
The first book, released in November 2003 through Three Rivers Press, ran 544 pages. The Great Movies II followed in February 2006, also from Three Rivers Press, at 517 pages. The series then moved publishers. The Great Movies III arrived in October 2011 through the University of Chicago Press, running 440 pages. The Great Movies IV came out in September 2016, again from the University of Chicago Press, at 288 pages. Four books means four different points a listener could start from: 2003, 2006, 2011, or 2016, each built around films Ebert judged belonged together.
Common questions
What is The Great Movies by Roger Ebert?
The Great Movies is a series of publications, both online and in print, in which the American film critic and Chicago Sun-Times columnist Roger Ebert wrote essays on films he considered particularly well-made, important, or influential.
What was Roger Ebert's stated goal for The Great Movies?
Ebert described the goal as an effort to make a tour of the landmarks of the first century of cinema.
How many books make up The Great Movies series?
The Great Movies was published as four separate books: The Great Movies, The Great Movies II, The Great Movies III, and The Great Movies IV.
When was the first book in The Great Movies series published?
The first book, The Great Movies, was published in November 2003 by Three Rivers Press and ran 544 pages.
Who published The Great Movies IV?
The Great Movies IV was published by the University of Chicago Press in September 2016 and ran 288 pages.
Did the publisher of The Great Movies series change over time?
Yes, the publisher changed partway through the series. The Great Movies and The Great Movies II were published by Three Rivers Press in November 2003 and February 2006, while The Great Movies III and The Great Movies IV moved to the University of Chicago Press in October 2011 and September 2016.
All sources
1 references cited across the entry
- 1BookThe Great MoviesRoger Ebert — Three Rivers Press — November 2003