Paperback, 577 pages
English language
Published Nov. 21, 1968 by University of California Press.
Passing in review here is the silent film era and Mr. Brownlow has done a splendid job of vitalizing the past through interviews and personal research. Most of this material has never seen print before and the filmophile will go wild over reminiscences such as Joseph Henabery's (who assisted Griffith on Intolerance). And the snaps: Garbo who loved watching talking pictures in reverse but refused to view them the right way. . . Fairbanks intimidated by the Robin Hood castle -- ""You expect me to jump across that?"" . . . Buster Keaton who broke his neck doing his own stunts and didn't realize it until ten years later. . . the chaos that was the original Ben Hur -- ""we'll paint muscles on you!"" . . . Irving Thalberg arguing with Von Stroheim over a foot fetishist -- ""You are a footage fetishist"" . . .
I learned so much more about the engineering wizardry, pioneering of camera effects, and the pre-studio system era in the seven hours spent reading this book than I had in the last forty years.
Lots of overlap with Walter Kerr's The Silent Clowns for the silent comedians, happy to see a chapter with Reginald Denny.
