The Lost World of DeMille

John Kobal (1940-1991) was a preeminent film historian and collector of Hollywood photography. He is credited with rediscovering the work of the great Hollywood studio photographers. In 1990 he formed the John Kobal Foundation as a charity to which he donated the fine art photographs and original negatives that he had collected over the years, and which continues to support the work of contemporary photographers.

The late John Kobal--who left us the world's largest and richest collection of film stills--was also a passionate cinema historian and biographer. His life of Cecil B. DeMille has at last been published, and it is as colorful, dramatic, and detailed as one of the director's great epics. I learned a great deal from this book, a lush and loving tribute to one of the founders of the old Hollywood. It will certainly delight those who love the movies.--Donald Spoto is a New York Times best-selling biographer. [An] incredible, truly impressive look at filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille. . . . No stone is left unturned here, making this an absolute must-own for that cinephile in your life who just can't turn off TCM.--Joshua Brunsting "2019 Criterioncast Gift Guide: The 20 Best Film Books To Give This Year" A notable addition to the commentary of an important and still overlooked film director.--Kevin Brianton, La Trobe University "Film & History" I'd like to regard it as a valuable resource and a temporary way station before a truly critical biography in English comes along--assuming, that is, that one ever does.--Jonathan Rosenbaum "Cineaste, Fall 2020" John Kobal was a notable figure in motion picture history and a true Hollywood insider, so it makes sense that his final book is an account of one of the ultimate Hollywood insiders, film pioneer Cecil B. DeMille and his kingdom. The Lost World of DeMille is written in a fluent and persuasive style, as one would expect of an experienced author as knowledgeable about the subject as Kobal. With compelling personal interviews from stars and numerous behind-the-camera craftspeople, Kobal does an excellent job of presenting DeMille's epic films, along with his role in the advancement of the craft. This book is a cause for celebration.--Marion Meade is a biographer whose subjects include Nathanael West, Buster Keaton, Dorothy Parker, and Woody Allen. The history of The Lost World of DeMille is itself something of an epic. . . . There have been other DeMille books published in the time since Kobal's death, but this one has a personal touch, not least because of its characterful prose.--Pamela Hutchinson "Sight & Sound"