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?