Showing posts with label Baby Peggy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baby Peggy. Show all posts

Friday, October 8, 2021

Remembering Reading the Stars: The Silent Era, part 2

In my previous post, I presented general information about an exhibit I curated called "Reading the Stars: The Silent Era." The exhibit, which was on display at the San Francisco Public Library in 2011, was comprised of vintage books about film dating from the silent era. Most of the books in the exhibit came from my personal collection - except for a case worth of Rudolph Valentino related material loaned by my friend, Donna Hill, an author and Valentino collector. 

The books on display included biographies and memoirs, pictorials, and how-to titles, as well as novels, poetry and self-help works written by some of the biggest names in film. "Reading the Stars" was divided into five parts. They were 1) general books about the movies - including criticism and commentary, guide books for the aspiring hopeful, and fiction showing both the glamorous and seamy side of Hollywood, 2) vintage books about individual movie stars, 3) books written by various film stars, 4) photoplay editions, the movie tie-in books of the time, and 5) books by and about Rudolph Valentino, an actor who was both the author and subject of a number of books. 

What follows is a more detailed look at the exhibit. The text is drawn from the information panels and descriptive tags placed inside the five display cases. All together, there were a few dozen books on display, regretfully too many books to picture here; I have, nevertheless, tried to depict as many highlights and favorites as practical.

(Section 1) About the Movies:

In the early years of the 20th century, the movies and the movie industry were just getting started. The movies were an art form in search of itself, while the movie industry was growing by leaps and bounds into a business concern whose reach would know few limits. This sections collects some of the many books in which society and the movie industry itself looked at where things stood with this, the "7th art."

The Best Moving Pictures of 1922-23, Also Who's Who in the Movies and the Yearbook of the American Screen, by Robert E. Sherwood. Boston: Small, Maynard, 1923.
An early consideration of the movies as an art form all its own. Sherwood was one of the original members of the Algonquin Round Table as well as the "motion picture editor" of both the New York Herald and Life magazine. He would later make his name as a playwright and screenwriter, and would win four Pulitzer Prizes.

What's Wrong with the Movies?, by Tamar Lane.  Los Angeles: The Waverly Co., 1923.
Lane was a forward thinking critic based in Hollywood who went on to found Film Mercury, a notable though short lived independent journal of film criticism. This scarce book brings together articles by the pseudonymous critic written for Motion Picture Magazine and The Screen.


Pictorial Beauty on the Screen
, by Victor O. Freeburg. Macmillan Co.: New York, 1923.
An early attempt at formulating an aesthetic of motion pictures - or what some might call the language of film. The book is dedicated to James Cruze and features a prefatory note by Rex Ingram. Each were important early directors.

Hollywood Undressed: Observations of Sylvia As Noted by Her Secretary, by Sylvia Ullback. New York: Brentano's, 1931.
A gossipy look at Hollywood goings-on, by an "internationally famed masseuse" who "ruthlessly exposes the follies and foibles of our best loved film stars."

Film Flashes: The Wit and Humor of a Nation in Pictures. New York: Leslie Judge Co., 1916.
This collection of illustrated articles both by and about the stars was drawn from popular magazines of the time. A series of articles by Mrs. D.W. Griffith (about her husband) is included, along with humorous verse, profiles of Mabel Normand, Bessie Love and others, as well as bits about the Niles Essanay Motion Picture Company (headquartered on the West Coast in nearby Fremont).

How to Write Photoplays, by John Emerson and Anita Loos. New York: James A. McCann Co., 1921.
Emerson and Loos are one of the most accomplished husband-and-wife screenwriting teams in film history. (Loos also wrote the local favorite, San Francisco.) This advice book includes writing tips as well as a complete scenario.

Palmer Plan Handbook: Photoplay Writing, by Frederick Palmer. Los Angeles, Ca: Palmer Photoplay Corp., 1921.
This how-to book describes itself as a "practical treatise on scenario writing as practiced at the leading motion picture studios." Also included are the rules of the National Board of Censors.

Screen Acting: Its Requirements and Rewards, by Inez and Helen Klumph. New York: Falk, 1922.
Many dreamed of making it in the movies. This book, which features a preface by Lillian Gish, states that it is a supplementary text used in the New York Institute of Photography.

Photoplay Writing, by William L. Wright. New York: Falk Pub. Co., 1922.
A how-to guide book.

How to Make Your Own Motion Picture Plays, by John E. Bechdolt. New York: Greenberg, 1926.
Another how-to guide book.

Little Stories from the Screen, by William A. Lathrop. New York: Britton Pub. Co., 1917.
An illustrated collection of short story fictionalizations of various films, including one about a cave man.

Buck Parvin and the Movies, by C. E. Van Loan and Arthur W. Brown. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1917.
A early novel set in the filmworld.

Merry Go Round, by Georges Lewys. Los Angeles: Privately printed for subscribers only, 1923.
A novelization of the famous film by Erich von Stroheim, dedicated to and written with the cooperation of the director. This unexpunged limited edition once belonged to director George Cukor, and bears his bookplate.

The Star of Hollywood, by Edward Stilgebauer and E. E. Wilson. Cleveland: International Fiction Library, 1929.
A small press novel about life in the movie capital. It is one of a handful of literary works set in the film world and published in the silent era.

Queer People, by Carroll and Garrett Graham. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1930.
Another example of a Hollywood novel - "If any resemblances to well-known figures in Hollywood life occur in certain passages, it is only because America's fifth greatest industry has become so completely standardized that everybody resembles everybody else."

(Section 2) About the Stars:

Whether in magazine or book form, fans and movie goers of the silent era liked reading about their favorite stars. This sections collects a small number of the many books and booklets published about various stars.  

My Strange Life: The Intimate Life Story of a Moving Picture Actress. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1915.
There is a bit of a mystery around the author of this early book, just as there was around the true nature of certain well known actresses... what were they really like? Included are accounts of Mary Pickford, Blanche Sweet, Pearl White, Marguerite Clark and others.
(see previous post for illustration)

The First One Hundred Noted Men and Women of the Screen, by Carolyn Lowrey. New York: Moffat, Yard and Co., 1920.
This rare book represents one publisher's attempt to establish a who's who of notable stars. Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle is included, Charlie Chaplin is not. Thomas Ince and Rex Ingram are included, D.W. Griffith is not.

Famous Film Folk: A Gallery of Life Portraits and Biographies, by Charles D. Fox. New York: George H. Doran, 1925.
Portraits and short biographies of just about every star in the heavens are included in this well read book, which once belonged to a high school library in Indiana.

Stars of the Photoplay. Chicago: Photoplay magazine, 1924.
Photoplay was one of the leading fan magazines, not unlike People magazine today. This pictorial features a constellation of stars, including John Barrymore and Maurice Costello (grandfather and great grandfather of Drew Barrymore, respectively), Neil Hamilton (Commissioner Gordon on TV's Batman), child star Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester on TV's The Addams Family) and others both remembered and forgotten.

Stars of the Movies and Featured Players. Hollywood, Calif: Hollywood Publicity Co., 1927.
This rare soft cover book features 250 full-page portraits of movie stars from around the world. Included are Europeans Lars Hanson, Conrad Veidt, Lya Di Putti, Pola Negri and Emil Jannings, Canadian-born Norma Shearer, Mexican-born Ramon Navarro, as well as San Jose's Edmund Lowe and San Francisco's Lawrence Grey and Janet Gaynor. The book originally sold for $1.00. Copies in an embossed leatherette binding sold for $1.50.

Wallace Reid: His Life Story, by Bertha W. Reid. New York, N.Y: Sorg Pub. Co., 1923.
Wallace Reid was a handsome leading man described as "the screen's most perfect lover." His Mother wrote this book after his early death brought on by morphine addiction.

The Talmadge Sisters: Norma, Constance, Natalie; an Intimate Story of the World's Most Famous Screen Family, by Margaret L. Talmadge. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co., 1924.
The Mother of the famous Talmadge sisters wrote this book about her three daughters. Norma and Constance were major stars. Natalie was married for a short time to Buster Keaton.

The Private Life of Greta Garbo, by R P. Palmborg. London: Hutchinson & Co, c.193?.
Garbo was among the most private and reclusive of stars. This is the UK paperback edition of a biography first published in the United States in 1931

Behind the Screen, by Samuel Goldwyn. New York: George H. Doran Co., 1923.
The Polish-born Schmuel Gelbfisz changed his name to Samuel Goldwyn and helped found a handful of motion picture studios, including Metro-Goldywn-Mayer. This collection of articles looks at some of the major figures in Hollywood.

The House That Shadows Built: The Story of Adolph Zukor and His Circle, by Will Irwin.  Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc, 1928.
The story of Adolph Zukor, and early film mogul and founder of Paramount Pictures.

The Life and Adventures of Carl Laemmle, by John Drinkwater. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1931.
A look at the life of Carl Laemmle, a pioneer in American film making and a founder of one of the original major Hollywood movie studios - Universal.


(Section 3) Written by the Stars:

Like many of today's movie and entertainment celebrities, the film stars of the silent era published all manner of books including memoirs, autobiographies, cookbooks, novels, poetry, and more. But who really wrote them? A few were written by the stars themselves, or with the help of a "actual writer." Most were likely ghost written. 


Pinto Ben and other stories, by William S. Hart & Mary Hart. New York: Britton Publishing Co., 1919.
A Lighter of Flames, by William S. Hart. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1923.
Hart was one of the first great stars; he was especially well known for his Western films, including Tumbleweeds. Life in the American west was also the subject of his fiction.

The Life Story of an Ugly Duckling: An Autobiographical Fragment in Seven Parts, by Marie Dressler. New York: R. M. McBride & Co., 1924.
Dressler was a stage star before entering films in 1910, when she was 42. A robust, full-bodied woman, Dressler's popularity rose and fell during the silent era. With the coming of sound, her popularity rose once more. Dressler won an Academy Award in 1931.

The Bandit Prince, by Sessue Hayakawa. New York: Macaulay, 1926.
Hayakawa was the first and one of the few Asian actors to find major stardom in the United States. Prolifically talented, he created his own production company, and produced, directed, designed, wrote, edited, and acted in films. He also wrote several plays (once appearing on stage in San Francisco), painted watercolors, performed martial arts, and in 1961 wrote an autobiography, Zen Showed Me the Way.

An American Comedy, by Harold Lloyd and Wesley W. Stout. New York: Longman, Green and Co., 1928.
Along with Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd was one of the three great comedic actors of the silent film era. This book tells of his life in film while presenting the actor as a regular fellow.

Men, Marriage and Me, by Peggy Hopkins Joyce. New York: Macauley Co., 1930.
Joyce enjoyed fleeting fame on stage and screen, and was just as well known for her several marriages to wealthy men, her colorful divorces, scandalous affairs, and lavish lifestyle. A recent biography was titled Gold Digger: The Outrageous Life and Times of Peggy Hopkins Joyce.

Laugh and Live, by Douglas Fairbanks. New York: Britton Publishing Co., 1917.
Making Life Worth While, by Douglas Fairbanks. New York: Britton Pub. Co., 1918.
Wedlock in Time, by Douglas Fairbanks. New York: Britton Publishing Co., 1918.
Three of the handful of "self-help" books written by the swashbuckling film superstar.

The Three Musketeers, by Douglas Fairbanks and Edward Knoblock. Douglas Fairbanks Picture Corp., 1921.
Douglas Fairbanks Sr. was multitalented. He was an actor, screenwriter, director and producer, one of the founders of United Artists, and a founding member of The Motion Picture Academy. The Three Musketeers is Fairbanks' short fictionalization of the classic Alexander Dumas novel.

The Demi-Widow, by Mary Pickford. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1935.
Known as "America's Sweetheart," Pickford was both a film superstar and multi-talented business women. Along with husband Douglas Fairbanks Sr., she helped found United Artists. The Demi-Widow was one of a small number of books Pickford wrote during the early 1930's.

The Truth About the Movies: By the Stars
, by Laurence A. Hughes. Hollywood: Hollywood Pub., Inc, 1924.
This collection of articles includes Mary Pickford's "Advice to Young Screen Aspirants" and Norma Talmadge's "What Percentage of Girls Who Come to Hollywood Actually Achieve Success." Other contributors are Pola Negri, Marion Davies, Lon Chaney, Wallace Beery, Zasu Pitts, King Vidor, Mae Murray, Erich von Stroheim, and Buster Keaton. Each of the articles are signed by the actor, actress, or director - as if to prove their authenticity.

How I Broke into the Movies: Signed Autobiographies
, by Hal C. Herman. Hollywood: H.C. Herman, 1929.
Sixty actors and actress supposedly wrote these short accounts of how they got their start in film. Among the contributors are Clara Bow, Charlie Chaplin, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Colleen Moore, Will Rogers, Gloria Swanson, Lupe Velez and others. Director D.W. Griffith wrote the forward. (see previous post for illustration)

(Section 4) Photoplay Editions:

Today, when a book is issued in conjunction with the release of a film, the publisher will often include the image of the movie's star on the book's cover. The practice is meant to identify the book with the film. It is also meant to attract the attention of movie goers, and hopefully boost sales. Such books are called "movie tie-ins." The earliest movie tie-ins date to the silent era. During the Teens and Twenties, motion pictures were called "photoplays" - and thus the movie tie-in books of the silent and early sound era came to be known as "photoplay editions."

Typically, photoplay editions were reprints of novels (both literary classics and popular bestsellers) illustrated with images from a film production. Less typically, photoplay editions were novelizations of films, with the script or film story fictionalized into narrative form. Today, photoplay editions are sought after by bibliophiles, film buffs, or collectors interested in a particular author, actor, film or movie genre.

The first photoplay editions were published around 1912, and as a publishing genre, they reached their peak in the 1920's and early 1930's. Thousands of different titles were issued in the United States. Most photoplays were published in hardback by companies like Grosset & Dunlap or A.L. Burt, and some in soft cover by a company like Jacobsen Hodgkinson. Similar movie related books were published in Canada, England, France, Germany, Australia and elsewhere around the world.

Most American photoplay editions feature stills and/or a dust jacket with artwork from the film. Deluxe editions might also contain a decorative binding, illustrated end papers, the cast and credits, or rarely - an introduction by the star or director. Sometimes, the spine, cover or title page of the book will note the edition is a "photoplay edition" or is illustrated with scenes from a "photo-drama."

The first book published on the subject was written by Emil Petaja, a San Francisco science fiction & fantasy author. Petaja was also a film buff and collector, and his 1975 work, Photoplay Edition, was based on his collection of more than 800 books! In his introduction, Petaja told of a time when photoplay editions could easily be found in thrift shops and second hand book stores. Now, they are collector's items. (The most sought after vintage photoplays are tie-in editions of classic films such as Dracula, Frankenstein and King Kong, or lost silent films such as London After Midnight.) In some instances, the printed story and handful of scene stills is all that remains of the silent era's many lost films.


The Belovéd Adventurer, by Emmett C. Hall. Philadelphia: Lubin Manufacturing Co, 1914.
This scarce photoplay was based on a now lost 15 part serial. The book features 15 interior illustrations, and was, unusually so, published by the film's production company.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1916.
A landmark work of cinema, this movie tie-in edition features a wrap-around pictorial dust jacket, dramatic illustrated binding, and 4 interior illustrations from the film.

The Rose-Bush of a Thousand Years, by Mabel Wagnalls. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co., 1918.
Author Mabel Wagnalls was the child of the co-founders of Funk & Wagnalls. She authored a number of books, including this one, which was made into the film Revelation, starring the stage and film actress Alla Nazimova. The book features 8 interior illustrations from the "motion-picture drama."


Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore. Springfield, Mass: Milton Bradley Co., 1921.
Published by the famous game company and aimed toward the young reader, this authorized "Madge Bellamy" edition of the popular classic features illustrated endpapers, a special dedication from the actress, her printed signature on the cover, a foreword by movie producer Thomas Ince, 8 duo-tone prints of scenes from the film, and color illustrations. Over the years, this classic novel has inspired at least ten movies and broadcast miniseries.

Evangeline, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Carolyn S. Bailey. Springfield, Mass: Milton Bradley Co.,1922.
Here, the great American poet shares a byline with one Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, who wrote an introduction and prose version of the familiar poem (which is also included). This movie tie-in edition includes 11 interior duo-tone illustrations from the film.

Ben-Hur, by Lew Wallace. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, circa 1922.
An immensely popular film based on an immensely popular book. This movie tie-in edition features a wrap-around pictorial dust jacket and 8 interior illustrations from the film. The title page states that it is part of an edition of one million copies published by arrangement with Harper and Brothers.

A Lost Lady, by Willa Cather. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1923.
Cather was a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. This movie tie-in edition features a pictorial dust jacket and 8 interior illustrations from the film.

Captain January, by Laura E. H. Richards. Boston: L.C. Page, 1924.
Child actress Baby Peggy was one of the silent film era's biggest little stars, and this "Baby Peggy edition" features an illustrated binding and many illustrations from the film.
(see previous post for illustration)

Editha's Burglar, by Frances H. Burnett. Boston: L.C. Page, 1925.
This authorized "Baby Peggy edition" features an illustrated binding, a printed letter from the actress (appropriately written in a child's hand) and numerous illustrations from the film. The back of the book advertises the "Mary Pickford edition" of Pollyanna: The Glad Book, and the "Mary Miles Minter edition" of Anne of Green Gables.
(see previous post for illustration)

 

Little Robinson Crusoe: A New "Crusoe" Story Featuring Jackie Coogan, by Charles D. Fox.  New York: Charles Renard Corp., 1925.
This retelling of the Robinson Crusoe story was aimed at young readers. This movie tie-in edition features illustrated endpapers, a printed letter from the child actor who stars in the film, and "21 full page action photo-drawings." A special supplement in the rear of the book contains "Jackie Coogan's Own Daily Dozen" - a series of exercises illustrated with 12 photographs of the child star.

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1926..
A classic American novel turned into a classic silent film starring one of the greatest actresses of all time. This movie tie-in edition features a pictorial dust jacket and 12 interior illustrations from the film.

The General, by Joseph Warren. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1927.
A rarity, this novel made its first appearance in print as a photoplay edition; it is also the only American movie tie-in to feature Buster Keaton. This edition features a pictorial dust jacket and 12 interior illustrations from the film.


Wings, by John M. Saunders. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1927.
Wings was the first film to win an Academy Award for "Best Picture." This movie tie-in edition features a pictorial dust jacket, tinted illustrated endpapers, and 18 interior illustrations from the film.

Beggars of Life, by Jim Tully. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1928.
Based on the 1924 bestseller by the celebrated "hobo author," this movie tie-in edition features a pictorial dust jacket and 4 interior illustrations from the film. Tully also authored one of the first novels critical of Hollywood, Jarnegan (1926).

Camille, by Alexandre Dumas. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1927.
To emphasize the importance of this film, this "edition de luxe" features a pictorial dust jacket (with a Norma Talmadge printed autograph) and 14 sepia-toned interior illustrations from the film.

 (Section 5) Rudolph Valentino:

Rudolph Valentino (1895 – 1926) was one of the biggest stars of the silent film era. His sudden death at age 31 made news around the world. More than 100,000 people lined the streets of New York City to pay their respects at his funeral. A few heartbroken fans even took their own lives.

Born in Italy, Valentino made his way as a young man to the United States, where he worked as a dancer and stage actor before gaining small parts in various films in the late Teens. His big break came with The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), in which he famously danced the Tango (a dance then considered somewhat risqué). With the release later that year of The Sheik (1921), Valentino skyrocketed to fame. His dark good looks and smoldering sensuality typed him as a "Latin Lover," though he was in fact a gifted actor capable of playing many different roles. The actor's other films include Camille (1921), Moran of the Lady Letty (1922 - filmed in San Francisco), Beyond the Rocks  (1922 - with Gloria Swanson), and his final film, The Son of the Sheik (1926).

Valentino's was one of the defining personalities of the Jazz Age. His fame was so great - and interest in the actor so extensive - that everything he did was closely watched. When Valentino grew a beard, so did other men. When he wore a bracelet, it became a fashion. Even the way he kissed a woman's hand sparked a public craze.
 
This display includes examples of the kinds of books found in the other four cases - books by the actor, books about the actor, and photoplay editions of the books which were the basis of his films. Even in death, Valentino was legend. After his passing, a number of tributes were published, as were biographies and memoirs by those who knew him. In the 1950's and 1960's, three books were issued by those who claimed to have been in psychic communication with the then long deceased actor.

The books in this case come from the collection of Valentino scholar, collector and author Donna Hill, a San Francisco resident. Her 2010 pictorial, Rudolph Valentino - The Silent Idol His Life in Photographs, is the most recent title in the ever expanding Valentino bibliography. It is available through the San Francisco Public Library.


Daydreams, by Rudolph Valentino. New York: MacFadden Publications, Inc., 1923.
A book of poems authored by the popular actor.

Daydreams, by Rudolph Valentino. London: Hurst and Blackett, Ltd., 1924.
The UK edition of Valentino's poetry, published to coincide with the UK release of Valentino’s 1924 film Monsieur Beaucaire.

My Private Diary, by Rudolph Valentino. Chicago: Occult Pub. Co., 1929.
Valentino's travel diaries recount his first trip back to Europe after becoming a star. This book was available in hardback as well as paperback, and was originally serialized in Movie Weekly Magazine in 1924.

The Shriek: A Satirical Burlesque by Charles Somerville.  New York: W. J. Watt & Co, 1922.
A “palpitant Passionut” burlesque of the hottest novel of the decade.

Valentino As I Knew Him, by George S. Ullman.  New York: Macy-Masius, 1926.
Rushed to print a scant two months after Valentino’s death, this book promised an intimate glimpse into the life of the late star. It was also published in the UK, France, Finland and elsewhere.

Rudy: an Intimate Portrait of Rudolph Valentino, by Natacha Rambova.  London: Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., 1926.
Valentino and Rambova were married for a short while in the early 1920s. This volume only had one printing, as stipulated by the author. It is very difficult to locate in its original dust jacket.

Rudolph Valentino. Recollections, by Natacha Rambova. New York: Jacobsen-Hodgkinson Corp., 1927.
An abridged version of Rambova's book, here published as an inexpensive soft cover.

Rudolph Valentino: His Romantic Life and Death, by Ben-Allah. Hollywood, Calif: Ben-Allah Co., 1926.
A self-published tribute issued after Valentino's death in August, 1926.

Valentino, the Unforgotten, by Roger C. Peterson. Los Angeles, Calif: Wetzel Pub. Co., 1937.
Issued a decade after Valentino's death, these recollections chronicle the fans who made the pilgrimage to the actor's gravesite. It's author was a cemetery worker in Hollywood.

Remember Valentino: Reminiscences of the World's Greatest Lover, by Beulah Livingstone. New York: Strand Press, 1938.
Personal recollections of Valentino by a journalist and friend that includes synopses of his last two films, The Eagle and The Son of the Sheik. This book was published to coincide with the well-received 1938 reissue of the two films.

Beyond the Rocks
, by Glyn, Elinor. New York: The Macaulay Company, 1922.
This movie tie-in edition features a pictorial dust jacket and 4 interior illustrations from the film.

Blood and Sand, by Vincente Ibáñez Blasco. New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, 1922.
Blasco was a world famous Spanish novelist who also authored The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the basis for another Valentino film. This movie tie-in features a pictorial dust jacket and 16 interior illustrations from the film. This particular edition can be difficult to locate in any form, and is nearly impossible to find in dust jacket.

Cobra, by Martin Brown and Russell Holman. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1925.
This movie tie-in edition features a pictorial dust jacket and 16 interior illustrations from the film.

Cobra, by Martin Brown and Russell Holman. London: Readers Library Pub. Co, 1925.
This UK movie tie-in edition features only a pictorial dust jacket. The UK movie tie-in were seldom as elaborate as their American counterparts.

The Eagle: The Story of the Film
, by Hayter Preston and Henry Savage. London: Readers Library Pub. Co, 1926.
This UK movie tie-in edition features a pictorial dust jacket, and is without any interior illustrations.

Monsieur Beaucaire
, by Booth Tarkington. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1924.
Tarkington was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This movie tie-in features a pictorial dust jacket and 6 interior illustrations from the film.

The Sheik, by E. M. Hull. London: Readers Library Pub. Co, 1922.
This UK movie tie-in features a pictorial dust jacket and 1 interior illustration from the film.

# # # # #

Though not included in the exhibit, this rare softcover photoplay
edition speaks volumes about the silent era.

Thursday, October 7, 2021

Remembering Reading the Stars: The Silent Era, part 1

In my previous post marking National Silent Movie Day, I posted a video of my 10 year old interview with the one-time silent film star Diana Serra Cary, who during the silent era was known as "Baby Peggy." She was a contemporary of Louise Brooks, and though the two never worked together, Baby Peggy did co-star in a hit film, Helen's Babies (1924), with one of the silent era's other great icons, Clara Bow.  I interviewed Diana a few times, and spoke with her a few other times over the years when I either wrote articles about her or put on events with her - including one at The Booksmith, where I once worked. When I knew her, Diana was in her nineties, yet she was still at that age a remarkable witness to her time in Hollywood all those years ago. 

Edward Everett Horton, Baby Peggy and Clara Bow

In my previous post, I also mentioned that the occasion for my 2011 interview with Baby Peggy was "Shhhhh! Silents in the Library," a two-month, multi-display exhibition and event series at the San Francisco Public Library. I curated the main exhibit, which was titled, "Reading the Stars: The Silent Era", which was on display in the Steve Silver Beach Blanket Babylon room. It was comprised of vintage books about film dating from the silent era, including a few books related to Baby Peggy. Most of the books in the exhibit were loaned from my personal collection - except for a case worth of Rudolph Valentino related books which were loaned by my friend, Donna Hill. It was a thrill for Donna and me and my wife, Christy Pascoe (who helped with just about everything), when Diana came to see the exhibit. Here are a few snapshots.

Christy Pascoe, Dian Serra Cary (aka Baby Peggy), Thomas Gladysz
 
(Left) Donna Hill and Diana look over the Valentino material, (Right) Diana asks about a book

A close-up of two Baby Peggy movie tie-ins, including Captain January

While preparing my previous post, I also came across a bunch of material about the exhibit including installation shots, scans of various books, text I had written for the information panels, and even an article I had written about the exhibit for SFGate, the website of the San Francisco Chronicle. It was interesting and enjoyable to see all this stuff after all this time. I thought others might enjoy seeing it as well. To start, here is the exterior and interior of the rather swell herald for the exhibit and Baby Peggy event which was designed by Christy Pascoe. It is followed by some of the introductory panel text.


 


 

 

 




Introduction to "Reading the Stars" (adapted from the info panel):

Like today, the movie going public of the Teens and Twenties had an insatiable appetite for reading material about their favorite actors, actresses and films. "Reading the Stars" takes a looks at some of the many books about the movies published during the silent film era. 

The books on display include biographies and memoirs, pictorials, and how-to titles, as well as novels, poetry and self-help works written by some of the biggest names in filmdom. "Reading the Stars" is in five parts. 1) General books about the movies - including criticism and commentary, guide books for the aspiring hopeful, and fiction showing both the glamorous and seamy side of Hollywood. 2) Vintage books about individual movie stars. 3) Books written by various film stars. 4) Photoplay editions, the popular movie tie-in books of the time. 5) Books by and about Rudolph Valentino, a film superstar who inspired more than a shelf worth of books. 

Since there is so much to include, my next post will be a detailed look at the exhibit, including close-ups of the various display cases as well as individual books. In the meantime, here are some general shots.

Part of the in-library promotion

The introductory panel, with a picture of Louise Brooks

Christy and I next to the display of photoplay editions

Christy and SFPL librarian Gretchen Good confer at the exhibit
 
Donna Hill and her display of Rudolph Valentino books


A display of books written by movie stars
 
A display piece made from scans of books from my collection

And finally, here is my SFGate article from June 27, 2011. It is titled "Reading the stars: books from old Hollywood." (Over the course of a year or two, I wrote a few dozen articles for SFGate. I am posting this 2011 piece on the exhibit because somewhat recently the parent company of the San Francisco Chronicle removed all of the content contributors like myself posted on the news site.) I have included some of the the original illustrations and links which appeared on SFGate.

"Reading the stars: books from old Hollywood"

by Thomas Gladysz

Earlier this month, the New York Times ran an article about celebrity authored books. "In Their Own Words? Maybe" surveyed the spate of recent novels by the likes of the Kardashian sisters, reality TV starlet Lauren Conrad, and Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki on the MTV show Jersey Shore. The article also mentioned recent works by Nicole Richie and Hilary Duff, and points out that most of these recent novels may not have been written, or written entirely, by the celebs credited as author.

The New York Times cites a publisher who traces the current popularity of celebrity novels to Pamela Anderson’s Star, a bestseller released in 2004. Like the works mentioned above, Ms. Anderson, the former Baywatch star, used a ghostwriter.

Books authored by film and TV stars are nothing new. And in fact, the phenomenon goes all the way back to the beginnings of Hollywood. Imagine yourself a newly minted motion picture celebrity in the Teens or Twenties. Why shouldn't you tell your story? Or write a novel? Or even pen a book of poems?

I love the movies, especially old movies. I also love books. My two interests came together in an exhibit which has just opened at the San Francisco Public Library. I curated "Reading the Stars," which looks at some of the many books about the movies and by movie stars published during the silent film era; on display are vintage biographies, pictorials, and how-to titles as well as novels, poetry and self-help works written by some of the biggest names in early Hollywood.

In the early years of the 20th century, both the movies and the movie industry were just getting started. The movies were an art form in search of itself, while the movie industry was growing by leaps and bounds into a business concern whose reach knew few limits. Books were one way in which individuals (actors, directors, producers, and moguls), as well as the studios that employed them, tried to sell themselves to the public. The New York Times article refers to the practice as "a way to extend the footprint of the celebrity."

"Reading the Stars" is divided into five parts. One display case is devoted to general books about the movies - including criticism and commentary, guide books for the aspiring actor or screenwriter, as well as fiction showing both the glamorous and seamy sides of Hollywood. My favorites are the Anita Loos' manual How to Write Photoplays, and Tamar Lane's provocative What's Wrong with the Movies? 

 Carroll and Garrett Graham's early Hollywood novel, Queer People, says this about itself: "If resemblances to well-known figures in Hollywood life occur in certain passages, it is only because America's fifth greatest industry has become so completely standardized that everybody resembles everybody else." Yikes! That's from 1930.

Like today, the movie going public of the Teens and Twenties had an insatiable appetite for reading material both about and by their favorite actors.  Another case in the exhibit is devoted to books about individual movie stars, while another features books written by or at least attributed to various actors and actresses. On display is Sessue Hayakawa's novel, The Bandit Prince, Harold Lloyd's memoir, An American Comedy, Mary Pickford's novel, The Demi-Widow, and Douglas Fairbanks' various self-help ("pop psychology") titles.

Have you ever purchased a novel with the picture of a movie star on the cover? The practice is meant to identify the book with the film, as well as attract the attention of movie goers while boosting sales. Such books are called "movie tie-ins." An entire case in "Reading the Stars" is devoted to photoplay editions, the movie tie-in books of the silent era. On display are Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, with Lillian Gish on the cover, and Willa Cather's A Lost Lady, with Irene Rich on its cover. And be sure not to miss Little Robinson Crusoe, with child star Jackie Coogan on its cover. 

Rudolph Valentino was one of the biggest celebrities of the time. His sudden death at age 31 in 1926 made news around the world. It also spurred an already burgeoning cottage industry in books about the beloved star - including a few who claimed to channel his spirit. One case in "Reading the Stars" turns the spotlight on this iconic star and presents rare examples of books both by and about the actor, as well as photoplay editions of his films, such as The Sheik. For the record, Valentino's book of poems, Daydreams, ain't half-bad.

"Reading the Stars" is on display in the Steve Silver room (4th floor) of the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library through August 28th. It is part of a SFPL celebration of the silent era called "Shhhhh! Silents in the Library." Other exhibits are devoted to "Downtown Movie Palaces of the 1920s" and "The Silent Screen in the City." The latter looks at some of the many movie stars who visited San Francisco or made films here in the Bay Area. 

"Shhhhh! Silents in the Library" coincides with the 16th annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which takes place July 14-17 at the Castro Theater. A display of past posters from the Festival are also on display at the SFPL.

Notice the camera man in the lower right-hand corner who's filming
this fairy tale-like scene. Could it be your arrival in Hollywood?

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Celebrating National Silent Movie Day and silent film star Baby Peggy

Today is the 1st ever National Silent Movie Day, an new annual event dedicated to celebrating, preserving and creating access to silent film. Why such a day? Why such a celebration? While the silent cinema is regarded as a vital, telling and beautiful art form, it is also a misunderstood and sadly neglected aspect of our shared cultural history. And in ways, it is endangered. It is estimated that more than 70% of all silent films are LOST. Activism is need to remember and preserve this priceless art form before it is too late. To that end, a number of events are taking place across the United States and Europe. Visit THIS PAGE to learn about some of the screenings and other happenings taking place today, September 29, 2021.

In the words of Martin Scorsese, National Silent Movie Day is "exactly the type of activist spirit we need in the world of cinema right now." 


To mark the occasion and to do my bit, I posted for the first time ever a video of my 10 year old interview with the one-time silent film star Diana Serra Cary, who during the silent era was known as "Baby Peggy." Before her death at age 101 in February of 2020, Diana was considered the last living silent film star. She was a national treasure, and one of the sweetest people I ever met.


The occasion for my 2011 interview was "Shhhhh! Silents in the Library," a two-month, multi-display exhibition and event series at the San Francisco Public Library held in conjunction with the annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival. I curated the main exhibit, which was titled, "Reading the Stars: The Silent Era". It was comprised of all manner of vintage books about film dating from the silent era, including a few related to Baby Peggy. The books for the exhibit were loaned from my personal collection.

The interview was recorded by a professional videographer, but they flaked out and erased the tape. Now, all that remains, is this admittedly poor video recording of the occasion shot on a Flip from the audience. Still, it is a record worth preserving and sharing. Due to my poor video editing skills (I am a film historian, not a film editor), the event was in two parts, which I have since joined. In part one, SFPL librarian Gretchen Good introduces the event. (The showing of the Baby Peggy short The Kid Reporter is not included in the video.) In part two, I speak with Diana Serra Cary. 


I had put on a couple of events with Diana in the past, including a talk at the Booksmith and book signings at the Castro Theatre. I have also interviewed and written about Diana Serra Cary / Baby Peggy on a few occasions, for Open / Salon, SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle), examiner.com, and elsewhere, but sadly, like so many silent films, those webpages have disappeared from the world wide web. However, one remaining piece I wrote, "The Return of Baby Peggy — The Last Silent Film Star," can be found on Huffington Post. 

Not only was Diana Serra Cary a major film star (she was the Shirley Temple of the silent era), she was later in life a bookseller and an author. Like me. If you haven't seen any of her films - most of which are lost, though some survive - I would recommend you check them out. A few have been released on DVD. Also on DVD is a fine documentary from 2013 called Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room. Well worth checking out are Diana's four books, two of which are pictured below. Her memoir, Whatever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star, made me cry.

I also greatly enjoyed the biography she wrote about her silent era "rival", Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King: A Biography of Hollywood's Legendary Child Star

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"Celebrating National Silent Movie Day and silent film star Baby Peggy" by Thomas Gladysz

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Memoirs of a silent film loving bookseller, as told through "baseball" cards, part 2

This post continues a kind of sidebar to a long and heavily illustrated piece I wrote called "One booksellers memoirs, told through 'baseball' cards." That piece is awaiting publication, when and if it is published, I will edit in a link. See my previous post for the first part of this saga.

As a kid, who didn't collect baseball or football cards, or cards depicting their favorite characters from Star Wars or Star Trek or Buffy the Vampire Slayer ? But did you ever collect cards depicting film historians, biographers, or critics ?

For more than 20 years I worked at The Booksmith, an independent bookstore located in San Francisco. For about half that time, I ran the events program. I worked with publishers in selecting authors and creating a monthly schedule. I also hosted the various events. In order to make the series stand out, Booksmith began issuing a series of promotional cards for most every author event the store put on. These author cards (which number more than 1000) were similar to baseball cards or other like collectibles, except that these cards featured contemporary poets, novelists, essayists, biographers, historians and critics – as well as more than a few pop culture celebrities. Because of my interest in the silent film star Louise Brooks as well as early film and film history, there were also a handful of cards depicting authors who wrote on those subjects. I tried to secure events with as many as I could, provided they had a new book and/or were touring: among those who I managed to host an event with and who appear as author trading cards are prominent names like Jeanine Basinger #962 and Steven Bach #923 as well as notable behind the scenes individuals like John Baxter #832 and Famous Monsters of Filmland publisher Forrest J Ackerman #224, #329. Despite it being a niche interest, I made sure we always sold books!

Along with screenwriter Frederica Sagor Maas #302 (mentioned in the previous post), the store also hosted other individuals associated with early Hollywood, among them 1930s film star Gloria Stuart #318. Known for her roles in Pre-Code films as well as horror movies like The Old Dark House (1932) and The Invisible Man (1933), this Academy Award nominee went on to achieve later day fame as the older Rose in James Cameron's epic romance, Titanic (1997). Little did I know when I booked the event that Stuart had a connection to the space where it was held.

Gloria Stuart

If the store expected an especially big crowd, we might hold the event off-site at the nearby Park Branch library, which had a meeting room in the basement. That was the case for the event with Gloria Stuart, who was especially pleased to appear at this modest branch library, the oldest in the city; just after she arrived, Stuart told us she had visited it in her younger days while living in the Bay Area and attending college at UC Berkeley! Although the branch had  closed for the day, Stuart asked the librarian on duty if she could have a nostalgic tour, which she got. What a pleasure it was to meet Stuart and her daughter Sylvia, who accompanied her.

Another individual I hosted at the store and who appears on a card is Diana Serra Carey (aka Baby Peggy) #523, who before her death at age 101 in 2018, was considered the last living silent film star. Prior to her talk, we screened a Baby Peggy short, The Kid Reporter (1923), which everyone enjoyed and which received a brisk round of applause. During her talk, the crowd hung of Carey's every word, and despite the fact she hadn't appeared in a film in nearly half a century, those who showed up treated the aged actress as a contemporary "movie star." An event was also held for Suzanne Lloyd #722, the granddaughter of silent film superstar Harold Lloyd. Her famous grandfather helped raise Suzanne, and she has done much to help bring renewed attention to Harold's career, helping compile DVDs and write books, including Harold Lloyd's Hollywood Nudes in 3D!, the subject of her talk. Adults only please !

One event that stands out in memory was with Arthur Lennig #375 for his then just published, revised version of Stroheim. What a masterful biography; it was the book that got me fascinated with this legendary director! I recall after the event my wife and I took Lennig out to dinner, and he regaled us with stories about Stroheim as well as with stories about the subject of Lennig's other well known biography, The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela Lugosi. As a teenage film buff, Lennig had written fan letters to Lugosi, who was touring the country acting in small theater companies. One day, Lennig told us over our entree, there was a knock at the door. His mother answered, and Bela Lugosi asked if a young fan of his named Arthur was at home!

The Lennig event came about because of the store's success in selling the Frederica Sagor Maas memoir, which was published by the University Press of Kentucky. That press also published two other books for which I put on events, Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood by the late-great Robert Birchard #690, and The Barrymores: Hollywood's First Family, a pictorial by Carol Stein Hoffman #479. The latter book includes material on Drew Barrymore, who is pictured on the cover, and for about thirty seconds their was talk and the hope that the actress would make a special appearance at the store to help promote a book about her famous family. Too bad it never came to be.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s university presses and small presses emerged as the de facto leading publishers of books on film history, especially regarding the silent and early sound era. The Booksmith did events with Matthew Kennedy for his delightful Joan Blondell: A Life Between Takes (University Press of Mississippi), with Caryl Flinn #992 for Brass Diva: The Life and Legends of Ethel Merman (University of California Press), and with David Stenn for the reissues of his Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild (Cooper Square Press) and Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow (Lightning Bug Press). The store also did an event with Jeff Kraft and Aaron Leventhal #560 for their fascinating pictorial, Footsteps in the Fog: Alfred Hitchcock's San Francisco (Santa Monica Press). A few weeks after the event, Patricia Hitchcock came by the store to sign books. She was the director's daughter, an actress, and had written the forward to the Footsteps in the Fog

The store also did a couple of events with San Francisco writer Emily Leider #198, #593 for her stellar biographies of films stars Mae West and Rudolph Valentino. Each are highly recommended. There were also two events with San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle #403, #566 for his fascinating studies of pre-code film, Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood and Dangerous Men: Pre-Code Hollywood and the Birth of the Modern Man. On a not unrelated note, Hollywood photographer and film historian Mark A. Vieira #324 made an appearance for his landmark pictorial Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood. No film book library is complete without the latter book.


There were other notable events as well, like those with Mark Cotta Vaz #775 for Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong, and John Wranovics #770 for Chaplin and Agee: The Untold Story of the Tramp, the Writer, and the Lost Screenplay. It was an honor to host an event with one-time producer and United Artists studio head Steven Bach #923 for his study, Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl. Likewise, I was proud to do an event with writer Donald Richie #468 for his 2001 book, The Donald Richie Reader: 50 Years of Writing on Japan. Although he looms large as a writer on the culture of Japan, Richie considered himself primarily a film historian. (He also directed a number of experimental films.) His 1965 book on the films of Akira Kurosawa, his 1977 book on Yasujirō Ozu, and his others books on Japanese cinema are cornerstone works.

Because of my early involvement with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, I was able to bring some of the authors I had done events with at the Booksmith to the SFSFF to do a booksigning, where the store had a table with all manner of films books for sale. On a few occasions, authors like Frederica Sagor Maas, Arthur Lennig, and Baby Peggy followed their Booksmith appearance by signing the next day at the festival. That was also the case with Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye #807, who had authored a biography of 1920s crooner Russ Colombo, and screenwriter Jerry Stahl #691, who wrote a novel, I, Fatty, loosely based on the life of Roscoe Arbuckle. Unfortunately, not everyone understood the difference between biography and fiction. But we still sold some books.

I have likely gone on too long with this "memoir" of my time spent as a bookseller. It was an exercise in nostalgia; I don't make any claim as to its value, except in the telling of stories about authors and individuals of interest to readers and film buffs. An annotated checklist of all the cards can be found at www.thomasgladysz.com/booksmith-author-cards-a-checklist/


Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Remembering Baby Peggy, the last silent film star

Diana Serra Cary, known as Baby Peggy in the 1920s, has died at the age of 101. Prior to her passing, she was widely regarded as the last living silent film star. Obits for the one time film star appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Hollywood Reporter and other publications. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) released this short video tribute.


In the 1920s, Baby Peggy was a superstar known and loved around the world. What a beautiful child she was, and what a beautiful adult she became - a survivor, and a hero to many.

In researching the life and films of Louise Brooks, I have come across articles about this pint-sized star time and again -- in newspapers and magazines just about everywhere I have looked -- in publications across Europe and Latin America, Australia, Canada, Asia, etc.... And though they crossed paths in print, Baby Peggy and Louise Brooks never met. I know that to be true because I asked Diana. She knew of Brooks, of course, and remembered her reputation for being "smart." (They both loved books, and reading.) The closest they came to crossing paths was through a mutual friend, Clara Bow. In fact, Baby Peggy and Clara Bow starred in film together, a 1924 comedy called Helen's Babies. I treasure the photoplay edition book I have of that film, which Diana signed for me.

Edward Everett Horton, Baby Peggy, and Clara Bow in Helen's Babies
I had the chance to spend time with Diana on a number of occasions. The first time I met her was in Niles, California when a bunch of us went out to lunch with her following an event at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. A few years later, I put on a bookstore event with her when her 2003 book, Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King: A Biography of Hollywood's Legendary Child Star, was published. The following day, I organized a book signing for her at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, where she was a big hit.

In 2010, I snapped this photo of Diana and some of her admirer's at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. It depicts of Academy Award honoree Kevin Brownlow, Diana, the late preservationist David Shepard, and Leonard Maltin.


Over the years, I also interviewed Diana on a few occasions in connection with pieces I was writing for the Huffington Post, examiner.com, and the San Francisco Chronicle website. Unfortunately, my 2012 Salon piece, "Silent film star recalls 1924 Democratic Convention," is no long available on Salon, despite it getting a bit of buzz at the time and being a Salon editor's pick. In fact, it was one of the most viewed pieces on the Salon website for a couple of days running.The piece, however, can be read HERE.


My Salon article was occasioned by the release of an excellent documentary about Diana called, Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room. I recommend it. Here is its trailer.


In 2011, I organized “An afternoon with silent film star Baby Peggy,” and interviewed Diana on stage at the San Francisco Public Library. We showed one of Diana's short films, and then conversed for more than a half an hour. A large crowd turned out, perhaps 150 people, and afterwords, Diana signed lots of books and autographs - including one, I remember, for the late poet Kevin Killian, a long-time acquaintance of mine.

If you are ever looking to read an inspiring book about the silent film era, I would wholeheartedly recommend Diana's Whatever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star. It tells her story in her own words. It is a great read. As I write this blog post, I notice that it is amazon's #1 kindle bestseller in the Theater Acting & Auditioning category! I would also recommend tracking down her of her surviving feature films. Watch them and like me you may well fall a little bit in love with this special little actress. Be sure and check out Captain January, or The Family Secret on DVD



I treasure my copies of each of Diana's books. Here is how she autographed the dedication page of my copy of Whatever Happened to Baby Peggy.

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