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.

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?

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. 

______

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

Update on Around the World with Louise Brooks, forthcoming in 2021 provided we all survive the pandemic

At the beginning of this year, I was determined to finish my book project, Around the World with Louise Brooks, by the end of the year. I had by then accumulated a few hundred pages of draft material, and was managing to keep a steady, near daily pace of writing and editing, selecting images, fact checking, and writing and editing. And then the pandemic struck. . . . And despite the fact that I was sticking close to home and had extra time on my hands, anxiety about the future (and Trump's grievous mishandling of just about everything) dampened my enthusiasm about nearly everything. A pall hung in the air. 

Work on the project slowed, and though I have made a good deal of progress, the finish line still looks a ways off. Alas, Around the World with Louise Brooks won't be completed by the end of the year. Thus, I am pushing back the book's expected publication date, to the Summer or Fall of 2021. That should give me the time and the (mental) space to complete this large work, my most ambitious project yet. With that said, I wanted to give everyone an update on where things stand, and to share a bit of what I have so far accomplished. I hope you will be intrigued. 

As I have mentioned previously, Around the World with Louise Brooks will be a two volume work. Each thick volume will be oversized, measuring 8 x 10 inches. The first volume will be devoted to "The Actress," and the second volume to "The Films". I expect each to run around 450 to 500 pages, perhaps more, with each featuring hundreds of images and some 50,000+ words of text. Lately, I have been concentrating on the first volume, and have put together 45,000 words of text spread over 469 pages. For the second volume, I have less accomplished but still have 20,000 words written and 484 pages compiled. Always in fear of project creep, I am trying to keep everything in focus, and I may end up cutting things here and there. Here are the expected covers for each volume.

 

At this reduced size, the background text on each cover is a little hard to make out. However, I can tell you that the background text design is based on material drawn from each book. The text on the cover of volume one features variant versions of Brooks' name from around the world, while volume two features alternative foreign titles for Brooks' films. What follows is some descriptive copy I wrote about each book.

Around the World with Louise Brooks (volume 1), The Actress  

Louise Brooks was known by many names: in Czechoslovakia she was Louise Brooksová, in Latvia Luīze Bruksa, in Russia Луиза Брукс, and in Spain the more familiar Luisa Brooks, except in Catalonia where she was sometimes Loma Brooks. 

Around the World with Louise Brooks is a groundbreaking, two-volume, multilingual look at the life and career of an international icon. Through ephemera and hundreds of vintage magazine and newspaper clippings, this first volume traces the sometimes surprising way the actress was depicted in more than four dozen countries across six continents. Along with collecting dozens of vintage postcards and just as many magazine covers, this volume sketches Brooks' special relationship with Canada, notes her depiction as Modan Gāru in Japan, and documents her inclusion in New Zealand's unique shaped text ads, while a chapter on the United States locates the actress in the pages of America’s non-English ethnic and émigré press. Among the book's many highlights – many of which have not been seen in decades – are Brooks' first portrait in a European publication (dating from before her movie career), her 1929 message to her Japanese fans, and the only known advertisements for King of Gamblers which name the actress – despite the fact she had been cut from American prints of the film. Suggesting she might have included in overseas prints ... ? Around the World with Louise Brooks is a cinematic gazetteer of sorts, taking readers back in time to Australia, Brazil, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Romania, Uruguay and elsewhere.

The chapters in volume one are:

 1    Introduction   
 2    European Soul   
 3    Portrait of a Star   
 4    Postcards of a Star   
 5    Mit Anderen Worten: Louise Brooks en los Estados Unidos
 6    Canada: Neighbor to the North   
 7    New Zealand’s Shaped Text Ads
 8    Louise Brooks as Modan Gāru   
 9    Trade Ads from Around the World     
10   Magazine Covers                 
11   Odds & Ends              
12   Further 

Around the World with Louise Brooks (volume 2), The Films 

Louise Brooks' films were shown just about everywhere – in the Canary Islands, in Iceland and Palestine and Estonia, in Dutch Guiana and French Algeria and British Malaysia. BUT, not all of her films where shown everywhere, and not at the same time, and not under the same title.

Around the World with Louise Brooks is a groundbreaking, two-volume, multilingual look at the transnational career of iconic actress. Through various documents as well as hundreds of vintage newspaper and magazine clippings, this second volume focuses on each of Brooks’ 24 movies, showing when and where and under what title each were shown – from grand movie palaces in Berlin and Bombay to humble open air spaces in Singapore and Darwin (Australia). The little known though rich exhibition history of the German-made Pandora’s Box, the actress’ greatest screen triumph, is newly documented through scarce material from Cuba, Indonesia, Japan, Poland, Portugal, and the Soviet Union. Also well represented are Brooks’ two other European films, Diary of a Lost Girl and the French-made Prix de beauté, each of which circulated with success in Asia and Latin America, with the latter making its way to Haiti, Turkey, Ukraine, and even Madagascar. Along with little seen movie posters from Belgium and Sweden, one of this book's other highlights include a rare still of Brooks in an uncredited part in her first film which was published not in the United States, but elsewhere; there are, as well, newspaper ads documenting the last known public screenings (sometimes years after their first release) of the actress’ now lost movies. Around the World with Louise Brooks is a kind of cinematic travel guide, taking readers not only around the world but also back in time to Argentina, Bulgaria, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, India, Jamaica, Mexico, and South Africa – as well as to nations which no longer exist and countries yet to be born.

The chapters in volume two are:

 1    Introduction
 2    The Films Around the World
 3    The Street of Forgotten Men
 4    The American Venus through The Show-Off
 5    Love Em and Leave Em and Just Another Blonde
 6    The Four Films from 1927    
 7    A Girl in Every Port through The Canary Murder Case
 8    The Three European Films
 9    Into the Sound Era: The Films of the 1930s  
 10  Further

This two page spread from Around the World with Louise Brooks shows four Dutch-language newspaper ads which were part of a week-long advertising campaign on the island of Java in the Dutch East Indies (present day Indonesia).

Louise Brooks was and still is an international star. And though it borders on being a cliché, it’s true that this singular actress is more popular and better regarded in Europe than she is in the United States, the country of her birth and the place where she made the majority of her films. 

 

With Around the World with Louise Brooks, my intention is to tell the story of Brooks and her career not as it is usually told – not as Barry Paris so masterly tells it in his acclaimed 1989 biography – but differently, though the collective voice of the world. Gathered in these two volumes are newspaper and magazine articles, advertisements, and clippings of all kinds as well as various examples of material culture (postcards, posters, sheet music, publicity manuals and other ephemera) which document the mechanics of Brooks’ stardom. The actress’ international reputation – both popular and critical, is surveyed, as is the manner in which her films were exhibited and reviewed in numerous countries on six continents. 

This "where are they now" type piece comes
from Chile, and is dated to 1932.

Each volume contains more than a handful of images which few if anyone has seen in nearly 90 years. Volume one features rare portraits and productions shots taken in Europe as well as more than 80 different postcards, cigarette cards and other product cards of the actress and more than 70 vintage magazine covers from nearly 20 countries. Volume two includes a full record of all of the alternative / overseas / foreign language titles of Brooks' films, something never before fully documented. As volume two also documents, Brooks' American films were not released overseas on their American release dates; in fact, they were released on different dates in different countries and sometimes one or two or even three years after they were first released in the United States! And sometimes, they were released out of order, with a 1927 films showing ahead of a 1926 film. And sometimes, they were advertised with different artwork, some of it originating overseas, making it a bit different if not unique. (Or in other words, American films were tailored to the audiences to the audiences to which they were shown.)

Most importantly, film titles were often but not always translated into the local language, and sometimes wholly different titles were given to a film. Take for example 1926 film, The American Venus. In England, it was sometimes shown under its American title, but also under The Modern Venus, a significant tweak which might well have been intended to broaden the film's appeal. Another example is Now We're in the Air, the 1927 film starring Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton. The two actors had teamed up for a series of popular comedies, and as a buffoonish duo had earned the nicknames Riff and Raff. In many Spanish speaking countries, the film went by the title Reclutas por los aires, which translates into English as “Recruits in the air.” Similarly, in Sweden, the film was shown under the title Hjältar i luften, which translates into English as “Heroes in the air.” Both of these titles are not so different from the film’s American title. However, in other European countries, the title of the film was changed to some variation on the nicknames of the two main characters. In Austria, Now We're in the Air was shown as Riff und Raff als Luftschiffer, in Greece under the title O Riff kai o Raff aeroporoi, in Romania as Riff es Raffal a foszerepekben, etc…. Notably, I also found that a few films were shown under two or even three alternate titles, and sometimes in different languages in the same country, as when Brooks’ American films was shown in Poland under both a Polish and a German title depending on the ethnicity of the region. In compiling a record of the titles of Brooks’ films in other languages, I never translated a title from English and assumed it was the title used in the past. Instead, I have relied solely on the actual titles found in vintage articles, reviews, or advertisements.

Europe is best represented in these two volumes, with the most material coming from the two countries where Brooks was and still is best regarded, Germany and France. As well, there is a good deal of material from Latin America and the Caribbean, but not as much as I would like from Central America.  Japan and China, as well as Australia, are each well represented, though I wish I could uncover more from Southeast Asia. There are a few clippings from islands in the Pacific ocean. Africa and the Middle East are least represented for reasons I discuss in the book.

A rare German-language advertisement from the Free City of Danzig, present day Gdansk, Poland where the 1929 film Pandora's Box opened at the same time as the 1928 film A Girl in Every Port (Blaue Jungen - Blonde Madchen).

In fact, Around the World with Louise Brooks includes material from 50 of the 77 sovereign states recognized as independent nations in 1930. A few, like Czechoslovakia or Yugoslavia, have since split into two or more countries, while others have been renamed or, like the Free City of Danzig, no longer exist as an autonomous entity. Time has not only shifted borders, but also changed how we think of peoples and nations. Included in this two volume work is material from various colonies and protectorates administered by England, France, and The Netherlands – including India and French Indochina (present day Vietnam) and the Dutch East Indies (present day Indonesia). Additionally, there is a bit of material from territories under the control of the United States, such as the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the then territory of Hawai’i, and the Panama Canal Zone. 

In detailing Brooks' career, I have largely avoided material from the United States. The sole chapter on America, "Mit Anderen Worten: Louise Brooks en los Estados Unidos," is made up of material from non-English language publications – including the German, Polish, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese language press. Like their overseas counterparts, they too offered a different perspective. 

A New York City advertisement from the Jewish Daily Forward

Around the World with Louise Brooks includes all manner of new and unusual information. There is a record of Brooks' travels outside the United States, as well as a bibliographical essay highlighting her inclusion in a surprising number of books published in Europe and elsewhere. With various aspects of Brooks’ career newly revealed, a few commonly held beliefs are called into question. For example, how well received overseas were Brooks’ early American films? And was Brooks herself much noticed? Did director G.W. Pabst cast Brooks as Lulu after seeing her in the Howard Hawks film, A Girl in Every Port, as is often said, or was it some other film? Or not a film at all? (I uncovered a 50 year old account which sheds new light in this question.) Also, was Pandora’s Box as much a failure outside Germany as is sometimes thought? Was Diary of a Lost Girl completely withdrawn from view after it was first censored? Was Prix de beauté as much of an international failure as has also been suggested? And lastly, was it only in France where Brooks’ reputation was revived in the 1950s, or did other countries like Italy and Poland play a role?  Around the World with Louise Brooks sheds light on these questions and reveals a different Louise Brooks. 

Brooks was a significant star in Japan, where most all of her films were well advertised.
Around the World with Louise Brooks contains a number of similar ads, each boldly graphical.