It's a hell of a life, but not a bad living

"Dmytryk reveals fascinating secrets of his craft, the underpinnings of Tinseltown: how to use special effects and illusions; what makes a fine actor from Spencer Tracy's 'Read the lyrics, kid' to some of the more baroque method-acting techniques. He shares countless stories of a director's trials and triumphs, and the challenges of filming on exotic locations around the world."--Publisher's description.