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11 March 1987: The famous Hollywood chronicler and stills collector, who has interviewed everybody, meets Richard Boston

“I tend to forget what I’ve just said,” John Kobal said, and a couple of minutes later he said: “What have I just said?” It’s not surprising that he can’t always remember what he’s just said because he says so much. He talks nineteen to the dozen. He also listens.

He must do, because he’s interviewed everyone from Arletty, Tallulah Bankhead, Louise Brooks and Joan Crawford at one end of the alphabet to Mae West and Loretta Young at the other end, with Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, Anita Loos, Joel McCrea and almost every other Hollywood star you can think of in between. Somehow they all managed to get plenty of words in edgeways and the result is a whole shelf of books.

The end of the year and the start of the next often brings about a flood of books about cinema–many of them timed to tie in with the Oscars. This column features a few of those, a bit of Star Wars, some classic Hollywood talk, weighty biographies, and more. Let’s start with Marty and company.

The Irishman: The Making of the Movie by Tom Shone (Assouline)

Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman may not have had the awards season impact many predicted, but it was still something of a cultural sensation. It was also one of the director’s late-period greats. If you enjoyed the film—and don’t mind spending $175—The Irishman: The Making of the Movie is well worth picking up. Full of insightful interviews and stories, author Tom Shone’s text also serves to highlight the film’s wondrous costumes and production design. It’s a...