(Limelight). Milos Forman's film Amadeus was a big hit with critics and audiences alike, an unlikely feat for a film about the clash of two rival composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In this first book ever written about the making of the classic movie, Ray Morton traces the story of Amadeus from its origins as an acclaimed Peter Shaffer play through its transformation into a dazzling cinematic experience.

Lowcountry storyteller Delores B. Nevils and acclaimed artist Jonathan Green collaborate to share the story of Amadeus, a loud and proud leghorn rooster who comes to live with a widow lady in the Corners community of St. Helena Island on the South Carolina coast. The widow lady's dogs—Kane and Able—and cats—Mae Liza, Scooter, and Pumpkin—are unhappy with the arrival of this new resident in their yard. Amadeus makes himself at home and becomes the pride of the neighborhood. When the widow lady comes to welcome Amadeus and his constant cock-a-doodle-dooing, a rivalry develops between the rooster and the original residents of the yard, with unexpected results. The cautionary story of Amadeus teaches a valuable lesson for readers of all ages about what can be lost without cooperation and friendship. As the characters learn from the consequences of their actions, if you do not take care of everyone and everything around you, then you just might end up with nothing.

Introduces the life and work of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose works include "The Marriage of Figaro," "The Jupiter Symphony," and "The Magic Flute."