Tweet Top Favorite Silent Film Books

I don't believe I saw this book mentioned in previous posts, but please forgive me if I accidently missed it. I was curious if anyone has read Comedy Is A Man In Trouble: Slapstick In American Movies by Alan Dale, and if so would you recommend it? It looks like an interesting read, but if anyone could share their thoughts on the book it would be much appreciated!

[quote="telical"]Frank Capra's autobiography covers his silents up to about the first 100 pages.
William Wellman also wrote an autobiography but I haven't read that yet.

The Capra book is colorful and pleasant reading but shouldn't be counted on as the absolute truth, especially regarding his relationship with Harry Langdon.

Sinatra!: The Song Is You - Will Friedman
Here's a novelty. A book on Sinatra that doesn't dwell on his tabloid life but - HEAVENS! - actually concentrates on the one aspect of his life that he is most known for......his music. The care and professionalism that Sinatra exerted on all of his recordings are emphasized throughout and in the same way that Brownlow's Unknown Chaplin revealed that Chaplin rehearsed on film, here we discover that Sinatra used his constant touring to select and shape the material for his next planned albums long before he ever neared a recording studio.

Gary J.

With the rather obvious caveat that this book is about Sinatra's recording career and not his movies, and for the benefit of those who might seek it out (and because he is a friend), I'll mention that the author's correct name is Will Friedwald.

Was there any Mommie dearest type books written by any silent stars family back in that era?

Can anyone please give me details on the following book:

"Index to motion pictures reviewed by Variety, 1907-1980" by Max Joseph Alvarez.

Is it worth buying?

Can anyone please give me details on the following book:

"Index to motion pictures reviewed by Variety, 1907-1980" by Max Joseph Alvarez.

Is it worth buying?

It is a title-only index of Variety's reviews through 1980, giving date and page number. There are very rare omissions or errors but that is inevitable. I've never seen the Volume 16 of the collected Variety film reviews but according to the contents lists in the early volumes it is also an "Index to Titles" for the same period so it presumably does not have much of an edge. The Alvarez volume is physically about half the size of a typical volume in the reviews series and is probably much easier to find and cheaper than getting a Volume 16.

As to whether it is worth buying, that depends. I have a copy and have found it very useful. If you are likely to check physical copies of Variety or the volumes of reviews then it is likely to be very helpful but otherwise significantly less so. At one time the only access I had to Variety was microfilm of the complete issues in a library and the index helped me prepare for research. Now that I have a number of the volumes of reviews it is still useful for quickly finding a review. And I often pick it up when I want an approximate release date (recognizing that review dates are occasionally some distance from release dates) or an idea of roughly which order movies came out without needing to go online. But if you have instant access to the web then you can check the latter at IMDb and get precise answers.

Can anyone please give me details on the following book:

"Index to motion pictures reviewed by Variety, 1907-1980" by Max Joseph Alvarez.

Is it worth buying?

It is a title-only index of Variety's reviews through 1980, giving date and page number. There are very rare omissions or errors but that is inevitable. I've never seen the Volume 16 of the collected Variety film reviews but according to the contents lists in the early volumes it is also an "Index to Titles" for the same period so it presumably does not have much of an edge. The Alvarez volume is physically about half the size of a typical volume in the reviews series and is probably much easier to find and cheaper than getting a Volume 16.

As to whether it is worth buying, that depends. I have a copy and have found it very useful. If you are likely to check physical copies of Variety or the volumes of reviews then it is likely to be very helpful but otherwise significantly less so. At one time the only access I had to Variety was microfilm of the complete issues in a library and the index helped me prepare for research. Now that I have a number of the volumes of reviews it is still useful for quickly finding a review. And I often pick it up when I want an approximate release date (recognizing that review dates are occasionally some distance from release dates) or an idea of roughly which order movies came out without needing to go online. But if you have instant access to the web then you can check the latter at IMDb and get precise answers.

Thanks Derek. You answered my question!

For those who own Jeffrey Vance's books on Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, are they well-written? Does he write in a biased or non-biased perspective? Looking into purchasing his books but gosh...some are way overpriced on Amazon.

One post here mentioned Robert Klepper's book of reviews. I'd have to say Klepper has the most ... peculiar ... tastes and/or prejudices. His reviews frequently leave me stunned. There's no question about him possibly pulling our legs or deliberately trying to be provocative -- he's too serious for that. He just has an extremely bizarre opinion of too many films. (Not to mention that he sounds like George Shelps' even more odious brother whenever the subject of Chaplin comes up.)

Oh, I could tell a story or two about Robert Klepper. Yes, he had a passionate contempt for Chaplin, and I asked him about that once. He blamed Chaplin for the eventual alcoholism of Mildred Harris, and I knew Robert well enough to know that if there was anything that he hated more violently than Charlie Chaplin, it was hearing a viewpoint contrary to his own. So I dropped the subject. But yes, he was a man of firmly-held and sometimes inexplicable opinions.

He was also suffering a lot from the illness that finally took him away, and that probably colored his outlook. Finishing that book of reviews was pretty much the goal that kept him going.

I own the Klepper book and had to see what he wrote for Chaplin's "The Gold Rush". Wow! He really goes off on why the film was so over-rated. But I would imagine that one man who had contempt for what happened to Mildred Harris would possibly be affected by Chaplin's treatment to Lita Davis, Georgia Hale and other women...

I haven't read Lita Davis or Georgia Hale's book...nor am I an erudite on Chaplin's personal life, so I haven't grown a disdain towards Chaplin (yet)...lol...

What a great thread! I see many books mentioned that are longtime favorites, quite a few I've been meaning to read for a while now, and others that I didn't know existed -- and which I've added to my Must Read list.

One book I haven't seen mentioned (unless I missed it along the way) is William S. Hart's memoir My Life East and West, which I read a few years ago. It's an interesting story, at least where the man's early life, stage career, and filmmaking adventures are concerned. Hart says verrrrrry little about his personal life; he's vague about his age, and says almost nothing about his relations with the opposite sex. But then, he was writing long before the age of the tell-all book, and he doesn't come off like the tell-all type, anyhow. The edition of the book I found has an Afterword which supplies some pertinent details Hart chose not to discuss.

[Christopher Jacobs]

Like most people here, Kevin Brownlow's THE PARADE'S GONE BY has long been a favorite (since high school, when it helped broaden my developing perspective on silent film), along with just about everything else he's written on the subject (especially THE WAR, THE WEST, AND THE WILDERNESS). George Pratt's SPELLBOUND IN DARKNESS is another book that helped me decide which silents I wanted to see and is still a title I keep referring back to.

I, too, found Schickel's D. W. GRIFFITH, AN AMERICAN LIFE an invaluable guide to his career, if sometimes opinionated, but a new favorite (as you may have noticed if you followed the link in Marilyn Slater's recent announcement in the "Silent News" forum) is William M. Drew's new book MR. GRIFFITH'S HOUSE WITH CLOSED SHUTTERS: THE LONG-BURIED SECRET THAT TURNED LAWRENCE INTO D.W. This fills in some of the gaps (mainly the "lost" years of Griffith's theatrical career), correcting many of the false assumptions and interpolations in Schickel's book, and is just as interesting for its vivid look into turn-of-the-century stage touring company life. Those familiar with Griffith's film output will immediately recognize parallels with incidents in his theatrical experiences. I got to read one of the last drafts a few months ago, and will look forward to reading the final published version.

For those who own Jeffrey Vance's books on Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, are they well-written? Does he write in a biased or non-biased perspective? Looking into purchasing his books but gosh...some are way overpriced on Amazon.

I've got all three, and I'd say they are three of my fave silent film books. Some would call them mere coffee table books, but they're so much more; the pictures are the main draw of course, but there's also a wealth of biographical and film information, all entertainingly written. First class all the way. As far as his perspective being biased, I didn't really get that impression, although his love for his subjects is clear.

Needless to say, I'd highly recommend all three of these. I picked up the Keaton and Lloyd used but in excellent condition for excellent prices. I see what you mean by the current going rate on Amazon; for chrissakes, a used copy of the Keaton tome is a wallet-busting $144. Yikes. I'm so glad I got while the gettin' was good. Half Price Books in Seattle had a bunch of copies of the Chaplin book a few years ago for $18 a pop, and I picked up one for myself and one for a friend.

the one by joe franklin about the best 50 silents and pictorial history of the silent era.

I don't believe anyone has mentioned Arthur Lennig's biography of Erich von Stroheim. I just finished reading it yesterday. Mr. Lenning really made a thorough job of it, and decisively debunks a lot of the misinformation about Stroheim's early years, military record, professional relationship with D.W. Griffith, etc. Of course, a lot of that misinformation was created and distributed by the subject himself.

A compulsively readable book about a fascinating, troubled, frustrating man.

Everyone,

I got the Jeff Codori book on Colleen Moore this evening. It is just wonderful. I can't recommend this highly enough! It's a bit pricy, but in my estimation well worth it. Extremely well researched and covers so much detail into her life and career. Colleen was surely the greatest! Will take several days to drink this all in. There are many photos that I have not seen before from numerous private collections. Really terrific stuff!

Nice cover page, and Orchids and Ermine is a lovely movie!

For those who own Jeffrey Vance's books on Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd, are they well-written? Does he write in a biased or non-biased perspective? Looking into purchasing his books but gosh...some are way overpriced on Amazon.

I've got all three, and I'd say they are three of my fave silent film books.

I couldn't agree more. All offer a great selection of photographs as well as very well-written texts by Vance on their subjects' lives and work. As WaverBoy says, they're much more than "coffee table books". In the Keaton book, we get the added value of Eleanor Keaton's perspective. The Lloyd volume, put together with the collaboration of granddaughter Suzanne Lloyd, manages to be quite honest about such things as Harold's extra-marital affairs.

kndy - I would maybe advise you to be patient if you can - because if Abrams (or someone else) doesn't reprint these books, they're crazy!

Most of my favorite books on the subject have been mentioned. I'll give another thumbs-up to Glenn Mitchell's invaluable reference work A-Z of Silent Film Comedy, as well as his Charlie Chaplin Encyclopedia, Laurel and Hardy Encyclopedia and Marx Brothers Encyclopedia.

Still unmentioned, as far as I could see, are these autobiographical volumes by the big three:

My Autobiography by Charles Chaplin
My Life in Pictures by Charles Chaplin
My Wonderful World of Slapstick by Buster Keaton and Charles Samuels
An American Comedy by Harold Lloyd and Wesley W. Stout

And a few more, sticking with the comedians:

Charles Chaplin Interviews
Buster Keaton Interviews
- both from the University of Mississippi's series of interview compilations

Keaton by Rudi Blesh (along with the Vance volume, one of my favorite Keaton books)
Buster Keaton by David Robinson
Laurel and Hardy by Charles Barr
Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy by Simon Louvish
- in this and other books of his, Louvish can be exasperating with his sometimes rambling writing style, but the plus side is a wealth of research - he usually does bring something new to the table.

Hot tip: I've just ordered Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil B. DeMille by Scott Eyman - currently available at $1.79 from Amazon marketplace dealers.

Of these, An American Comedy deserves special mention because unlike the other autobios, it was written at the end of the silent era. When Lloyd recalls his start in movies, he only has to recollect back 15 years.

the one by joe franklin about the best 50 silents and pictorial history of the silent era.

Those two led me down the road to ruin. And I couldn't be happier.

William Wellman also wrote an autobiography but I haven't read that yet.

For me this was an excellent read as was the documentary I have with him as the interviewee.

Has anyone used the 10 volume Deutsche Stummfilme by Gerhard Lamprecht on German silents? I wonder whether it has plot summaries or anything beyond film credits. Seems somewhat rare. No copy comes up in my state of Ohio.

Thanks for those who replied to my question and thanks for even more recommendations. Ordered several books this week. Including Noah Isenberg's "Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era (Film and Culture Series)".

But I was wondering how "Buster Keaton Remembered" by Eleanor Keaton was. Funny because Amazon shows it at "Bargain Price" but it's going for $445

http://www.amazon.com/Buster-Keaton-Rem ... ton+buster" target="_blank" target="_blank

Also, do you all recommend John Bengston's three books:

http://www.amazon.com/John-Bengtson/e/B ... 881&sr=8-8" target="_blank

Yes, Bengtson's books are a definite recommend. They offer a wonderful time capsule back to the actual filming of the movies, providing much history of the cities as well as the films.

For a genuinely international, multi-authored survey of silent film, I recommend the first two hundred pages of The Oxford History of World Cinema,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Corrigan
LLOYD CORRIGAN CO-WROTE NINE BEBE DANIELS FEATURES,
THREE RAYMOND GRIFFITH CLASSICS, TWO CLARA BOW COMEDIES,
AND THREE FU MANCHUS.
HE DIRECTED 13 TALKIES, AND HE PERFORMED IN
OVER 160 FILMS & TV EPISODES, STARTING WITH CLARA AND BEBE,
AND EVENTUALLY GRACING - JUST SIX YEARS BEFORE HIS DEATH-
IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD. SO, WHY THE NEGLECT?
HERE IS A NOVELIZATION OF ONE OF HIS DANIELS FILMS
.

Thanks Missdupont!!!

Here is an interesting book coming out in August:

Hollywood Cinema and the Real Los Angeles

Hollywood cinema and Los Angeles cannot be understood apart. Hollywood Cinema and the Real Los Angeles traces the interaction of the real city, its movie business, and filmed image, focusing on the crucial period from the construction of the first studios in the 1910s to the decline of the studio system fifty years later.

http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Cinema- ... ywood+saga" target="_blank

Thanks Gary, ordered a copy for $8. JFK, would order it but it's going for $80. Too much for me.

kndy, I went to that talk, and he basically is saying what people like Marc Wanamaker, John Bengtson, and writers of film noir have been saying for years, he's just put it into academic jargon. He tries to claim he's the first to come up with these conclusions, but the above authors, and magazines and periodicals of the time have come to the same conclusions. Several of us that were there said this would be a book to check out from the library, not one to buy.

The Haunted Screen (Expressionism in the German Cinema)-Lotte Eisner

Tracing the making of films in the period beginning with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari through the UFA period- the Fritz Lang contributions of Metropolis and Siegfried. The Louise Brooks/ GW Pabst- Pandora's Box and Diary of A Lost Girl, the contributions of Ernst Lubitsch. Beautiful photos and insightful and intelligent writing by Ms. Eisner showing the Expressionistic style manifested in the Cinema. Ends with the early sound era with Threepenny Opera, Dr. Mabuse and Reifenstahls' Olympiad.

DAGMAR GODOWSKY First Person Plural

Mabel Rowland BERT WILLIAMS SON OF LAUGHTER (1923)
HIS SILENT CAREER WAS CUT SHORT BY POOR HEALTH (OR RECEIPTS

CHARLES HAWTREY The Truth at Last