Shakespeare References in Reel Power

Mark Litwak's book on the film industry, Reel Power, contains a paragraph with references to King Lear, Shakespeare and Romeo And Juliet: "I said, 'Well he is playing it as a sort of King Learian tragedy.' The agent replied, 'Ah, but Shakespeare is hot now.' This was when Zeffirelli was doing Romeo and Juliet" (p. 58).

Reel Power was published in 1986. The copy I read was a hardcover first edition.