Karl Brown and Billy Bitzer

[Nancy Lorraine]

Hello all,

I just finished reading Karl Brown's wonderful book Adventures with D.W. Griffith and am curious about his frequent remarks about how much Billy Bitzer "hated his guts." I see that Bitzer wrote his own memoirs, published in the same year (1973), and am wondering how his book compares to Brown's. Who's came first? And will I enjoy Bitzer's book as much as Brown's?

Wishing that Brown had written about his adventures after D.W. Griffith as well!

Nancy

[silentfilm]

I think that Karl Brown did write about his career at Paramount after Griffith, but it was never published. It's a shame, because if I recommend any biography about the silent era, it is Adventures with D.W. Griffith.

It's been about 10 years since I read Bitzer's book, and he does come across a little crotchety. Since Bitzer started really early at Biograph, he definitely was more of a technician rather than an artist with the camera. Not that he didn't do good work, but like Griffith he did not adapt as well as others in the 1920s, and the younger guys who were willing to experiment passed him by.

[Rob Farr]

A chapter on the making of Stark Love (1927) from Karl Brown's Paramount Years memoir was published in the Appalachian Journal in, I believe, 1991.

[rudyfan]

Hello all,

Wishing that Brown had written about his adventures after D.W. Griffith as well!

Nancy

In his book The War, The West and The Wilderness, Kevin Brownlow mentioned a follow up manuscript that Karl Brown had written. It was to be entitled "The Paramount Adventure" which I believe was about the filming of The Covered Wagon. Apparently, according to Kevin B, the publisher decided not to go forward with it and the manuscript is presumed to be in the hands of Brown's relations. I, too, would love to see it published. He was a very engaging writer and Adventures with D.W. Griffith will always be in my home library.

[Bob Birchard]

Hello all,

I just finished reading Karl Brown's wonderful book Adventures with D.W. Griffith and am curious about his frequent remarks about how much Billy Bitzer "hated his guts." I see that Bitzer wrote his own memoirs, published in the same year (1973), and am wondering how his book compares to Brown's. Who's came first? And will I enjoy Bitzer's book as much as Brown's?

Wishing that Brown had written about his adventures after D.W. Griffith as well!

Nancy

The Bitzer book is not nearly as good at "putting you there" as Brown's book. It is easy to see why it was not published sooner, and really only came out after the attention Brown's book received, although it was quoted through the years in articles and books on Griffith. If I remember correctly, the rights to Brown's second volume of autobiography were willed to Kevin Brownlow's daughter. Pieces of it have been published in various publications, but it has yet to see print in its entirety.

[drednm]

I agree about the Bitzer book.... of course there are some nuggets in it but for the most part it's not very good. Very much a disappointment.

[Fred M. Stevens]

Karl Brown on locations








Cheers, Karl

[s.w.a.c.]

Brown's book was the first I ever read about the silent era that wasn't related to either Chaplin or Keaton, I remember it fondly.

But what I want is a book about Rollie Totheroh.

[Jim Roots]

Brown's book was the first I ever read about the silent era that wasn't related to either Chaplin or Keaton, I remember it fondly.

But what I want is a book about Rollie Totheroh.

Wasn't grandson David supposed to be working on one, years and years and years ago?

Jim

[s.w.a.c.]

Brown's book was the first I ever read about the silent era that wasn't related to either Chaplin or Keaton, I remember it fondly.

But what I want is a book about Rollie Totheroh.

Wasn't grandson David supposed to be working on one, years and years and years ago?

That sounds familiar. I was surprised to learn that his father Jack (Rollie's son, born in 1914) only passed away in 2011. Hopefully he was able to share some stories for posterity.