"The Total Film-Maker"

I finally found a copy of this long out-of-print tome comprised of Lewis' sole foray in teaching filmmaking -- at USC, 1967 -- and felt the need to relate: this is simply the best filmmaking book I've ever read.

Every page contains a pearl of wisdom that resonates and rings true so thoroughly; my notebook would corroborate: it's completely full of his quotes. Any doofus out there who considers Lewis to be nothing but a cloying clown -- anybody that feels the need to bring up that now debunked cliche that only the French can love him -- need only to read this book to see a much more important dimension to his filmmaking. The Total Film-Maker, indeed.