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Title: Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses by Anthony Slide ISBN: 0-8131-2249-X Publisher: University Press of Kentucky Pub. Date: 01 September, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.55 (11 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: "Revisionist, almost revolutionary" Gossip w/ Nice Photos
Comment: This book by noted silent movie expert Anthony Slide features a photo and approximately three pages of biographical text (although some have as little as one page of text) on the following actors and actresses: Mignon Anderson, Mary Astor, William Bakewell, Lina Basquette, Madge Bellamy, Constance Binney, Priscilla Bonner, Hobart Bosworth, Evelyn Brent, Mary Brian, Gladys Brockwell, Kate Bruce, John Bunny, Ruth Clifford, Elmer Clifton, Miriam Cooper, Pauline Curley, Viola Dana, Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon, Philippe De Lacy, Carol Dempster, Dorothy Devore, Richard Dix, Billie Dove, Claire DuBrey, Virginia Brown Faire, Bess Flowers, Howard Gaye, Lillian Gish, Dagmar Godowsky, Jetta Goudal, Ethel Grandin, Ralph Graves, Gilda Gray, Corinne Griffith, Robert Harron, William S. Hart, Alice Howell, Alice Joyce, Madge Kennedy, Doris Kenyon, J. Warren Kerrigan, Laura La Plante - The Legends: Lon Chaney, Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Buster Keaton, Rudolph Valentino; - Harold Lloyd, Babe London, Bessie Love, Dorothy Mackaill, Mary MacLaren, Percy Marmont, Mae Marsh, James Morrison, Jack Mulhall, Mae Murray, Conrad Nagel, Nita Naldi, Mabel Normand, Jane Novak, George O'Brien, Gertrude Olmstead, Seena Owen, Jean Paige, Kathryn Perry, Olga Petrova, Mary Philbin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Arline Pretty, Esther Ralston, Charles Ray, Wallace Reid, Billie Rhodes, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Clarine Seymour, Lowell Sherman, Pauline Starke, Gloria Swanson, Blanche Sweet, Constance Talmadge, Norma Talmadge, Alice Terry, Florence Turner, - The Vamps: Theda Bara, Louise Glaum, Kitty Gordon, Olga Grey, Alice Hollister, Valeska Suratt; - George Walsh, Henry B. Walthall, Kathlyn Williams, Lois Wilson, Margery Wilson, Claire Windsor, and Fay Wray.
For mostly selfish reasons, I was a little disappointed by this book because many silent player names (well known or otherwise) I run across and would like to look up I do not find in this book. I was also disappointed in the biography on the actor about whom I know the most because I run a tribute website on him. I did not learn much new about him through this book which surprised me because he was very famous between 1914-16 and Slide knew several actors and actresses who worked with him (i.e. Lillian Gish). As many other reviewers have noted, there is a lot of gossipy information in this book (Slide calls it "revisionist, almost revolutionary"). Everything from Robert Harron dying a virgin to Mary Pickford's drunken rages aimed at her husband Buddy Rogers. Certainly, one would be hard pressed to find such stories in other books. One of the best features in the book, however, are the photos. Every star has a full page photo (except for those in the "Legends" and "Vamps" chapters who have a smaller photo and only a paragraph of text). Many of the photos seem to be quite unusual. I had never seen the photo used in this book of my website subject before. Slide does not use the commonly seen publicity shots for this book, which is nice. If the above names intrigue you and you like a bit of controversy, I recommend this book but, as a reference guide to silent movie stars, I was disappointed in it.
Rating: 3
Summary: Silent Players Speak to us from the pages of this fine book.
Comment: Anthony Slide is an English film critic who specializes in early Hollyood. In this book he has 100 chapters devoted to the lives and careers of 100 silent movie actors. At the end of each chapter there is a useful bibliography of articles and books on each person who is profiled., A picture is included at the begining of each chapter portraying the person as they looked in the silent era.
Many of the persons mentioned are famous such as Doug Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo and Fay Wray. The vast majority of those discussed are of actors I am not acquainted with nor will most readers know who they are.
All of the persons are interesting with stories to tell about the early days of D.W, Griffith, Cecil B. DeMille and Fred Niblo and other directors who made the movies, the stars and the way in which movies were produce in a bygone era.
Slide knew several of the actors on a personal basis and includes humorous and sad stories of his dealings with them.
This work could be used as an a handy reference tool for students of silent film and can also be read cover to cover for profitable pleasure.
This work along with the fine work of Kevin Brownlow allows t he new student to pre-sound film a good basic grounding in who the people were who were on the screens of America long ago.
Rating: 5
Summary: A rebuttal
Comment: I have gotten quite a bit of flack for my glowing review of Anthony Slide's "Silent Players." Yes, I am a longtime personal friend of the author and, yes, I am mentioned in the acknowledgments. But I would love this book regardless. It is, in my opinion, about time that someone wrote a more personal account of this bygone era. It is, of course, also a dangerous thing to do, as some of the scathing comments below seem to suggest. One especially virulent writer -- who, quite cowardly, chooses to remain anonymous although any insider will immediately recognize the style; the writer is actually mentioned, twice, in Slide's text, albeit obliquely -- questions the author's slighting of such icons as Greta Garbo in favor of forgotten ingenues like Mary Brian, Ruth Clifford and Priscilla Bonner, all of whom were his dear friends. But that is exactly the point of the book: a personal journey through silent films. Several reviewers also take Mr. Slide to task for dismissing the comedic prowess of John Bunny. A negative review of the very, VERY, late Mr. Bunny is controversial in 2003? Yes, "Silent Players" is quite dishy in places but isn't that its charm? Do we need another ponderous and dry Who's Who serving up the same old platitudes? I, for one, do not. And by the way, anonymous Reader from L.A., like most other contributors, Tony Slide was never compensated for his many years as a book reviewer for CLASSIC IMAGES, a magazine much poorer since his withdrawal.
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Title: American Silent Film by William K. Everson ISBN: 0306808765 Publisher: Da Capo Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 1998 List Price(USD): $18.50 |
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Title: The Parade's Gone by ... by Kevin Brownlow ISBN: 0520030680 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 1976 List Price(USD): $32.00 |
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Title: Silent Stars Speak: Interviews With Twelve Cinema Pioneers by Tony Villecco ISBN: 0786408146 Publisher: McFarland & Company Pub. Date: January, 2001 List Price(USD): $28.00 |
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Title: Golden Images: 41 Essays on Silent Film Stars by Eve Golden, Bob King ISBN: 0786408340 Publisher: McFarland & Company Pub. Date: 2001 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: Lost Hollywood by David Wallace ISBN: 0312261950 Publisher: L A Weekly Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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