Evelyn Brent

Evelyn Brent PDF

Author: Lynn Kear

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2009-10-21

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 0786454687

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Evelyn Brent's life and career were going quite well in 1928. She was happily living with writer Dorothy Herzog following her divorce from producer Bernard Fineman, and the tiny brunette had wowed fans and critics in the silent films The Underworld and The Last Command. She'd also been a sensation in Paramount's first dialogue film, Interference. But by the end of that year Brent was headed for a quick, downward spiral ending in bankruptcy and occasional work as an extra. What happened is a complicated story laced with bad luck, poor decisions, and treachery detailed in this first and only full-length biography.

Silent Players

Silent Players PDF

Author: Anthony Slide

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2010-09-12

Total Pages: 461

ISBN-13: 0813127084

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

" From his unique perspective of friendship with many of the actors and actresses about whom he writes, silent film historian Anthony Slide creates vivid portraits of the careers and often eccentric lives of 100 players from the American silent film industry. He profiles the era’s shining stars such as Lillian Gish and Blanche Sweet; leading men including William Bakewell and Robert Harron; gifted leading ladies such as Laura La Plante and Alice Terry; ingénues like Mary Astor and Mary Brian; and even Hollywood’s most famous extra, Bess Flowers. Although each original essay is accompanied by significant documentation and an extensive bibliography, Silent Players is not simply a reference book or encyclopedic recitation of facts culled from the pages of fan magazines and trade periodicals. It contains a series of insightful portraits of the characters who symbolize an original and pioneering era in motion history and explores their unique talents and extraordinary private lives. Slide offers a potentially revisionist view of many of the stars he profiles, repudiating the status of some and restoring to fame others who have slipped from view. He personally interviewed many of his subjects and knew several of them intimately, putting him in a distinctive position to tell their true stories.

Family Affair

Family Affair PDF

Author: Lord Walker

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2012-07-06

Total Pages: 566

ISBN-13: 1477117636

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In the pursuit of wealth, power an influence, Nick Siros a disen franchised Native American will let nothing stop him from achieving his goal of becoming a major player in the burgeoning Casino industry. Bent on the drive to succeed and to overcome the obstacles of displacement by the Country he calls his home only motivates him to face these challenges. This suspense drama is based on the life of Nick Siros (Fictional Character) identified by many family’s struggle to hold on to family principles without sacrificing the true meaning of loyalty. The dilemmas of personal sacrifice leads to resentment and shame. In these dynamic turn of events, this novel will question your sense of accomplishment, and what is the true cost of success, and is it worth it. This family saga enumerates with outside conflicts in the pursuit of these goals, leading to vengeance and retribution by their deceivable and cold hearted choices.

Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich PDF

Author: Steven Bach

Publisher: U of Minnesota Press

Published: 2013-11-30

Total Pages: 640

ISBN-13: 1452929971

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

From the stages of Berlin to anti-Nazi efforts and silver-screen stardom, Steven Bach reveals the fascinating woman behind the myth surrounding Marlene Dietrich in a biography that will stand as the ultimate authority on a singular star. Based on six years of research and hundreds of interviews—including conversations with Dietrich—this is the life story of one of the century’s greatest movie actresses and performers, an icon who embodied glamour and sophistication for audiences around the globe.

William Powell

William Powell PDF

Author: Roger Bryant

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-12-09

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0786454938

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Actor William Powell is perhaps best known for his roles as charming Nick in The Thin Man films and blustery Clarence Day in Life with Father. As diverse as those characters are, they don't begin to reveal the full scope of talent demonstrated by one of Hollywood's most intelligent leading men. Elegant, witty and dignified, Powell created accessible and human characters in a great variety of roles. His talent was such that Powell has a large and growing fan base 50 years after his last film was released, evidenced by the popularity of DVD rereleases and the frequent appearance of his films on cable television. The focus of this book is Powell's work in more than 90 films, from the silent era to the age of CinemaScope, woven into the dramatic and touching story of the actor's life. It begins by leaping into how Powell and actress Myrna Loy were launched to stardom as husband and wife Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man. The next chapter sets the stage for the baby Powell's entry into the world in 1892 and details his childhood and upbringing. Following chapters trace Powell's journey into the film industry, his early career as a popular villain, and his transition to talkies in the late 1920s aided by his stage training. The book details his work at Warner Bros., which turned him into a leading man, and his years of stardom at MGM. The book describes turning points in Powell's life--the death of lover Jean Harlow, a 21-month hiatus from films while the actor battled cancer, and a new leap to the top in Life with Father. Concluding chapters detail another flurry of films and the actor's retirement. A filmography lists Powell's films from 1922 to 1955, including those believed to be lost.

Chester Morris

Chester Morris PDF

Author: Scott Allen Nollen

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2020-01-03

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 147663839X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

 The prodigious but humble scion of a New York theatrical family, Chester Morris acted on Broadway as a teenager and earned an Academy Award nomination for his first role in a Hollywood "talkie," Alibi (1929). He became leading man to filmdom's top female stars and starred in the popular series of "Boston Blackie" mysteries before creating substantial characters in the theater and the burgeoning medium of television. This first book about Morris provides a detailed account of his life and career on stage, film, radio and television, and as a celebrated magician. It also constructs a fascinating record of his previously undocumented labor activism during the early years of the Screen Actors Guild and his tireless efforts to aid U.S. troops on the home front during World War II.

A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses

A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses PDF

Author: George A. Katchmer

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2009-10-06

Total Pages: 489

ISBN-13: 0786446935

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Long before sound became an essential part of motion pictures, Westerns were an established genre. The men and women who brought to life cowboys, cowgirls, villains, sidekicks, distressed damsels and outraged townspeople often continued with their film careers, finding success and fame well into the sound era--always knowing that it was in silent Westerns that their careers began. More than a thousand of these once-silent Western players are featured in this fully indexed encyclopedic work. Each entry includes a detailed biography, covering both personal and professional milestones and a complete Western filmography. A foreword is supplied by Diana Serra Cary (formerly the child star "Baby Peggy"), who performed with many of the actors herein.