This collection of 11 essays reveal the complexity of silent films and explore the era in which they were produced. Essentially, silent films conjure the names of Mary Pickford and a few white men, including Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith. The writers of these essays, however, demonstrate that minorities and women other than Pickford responded to the times through film. The contributors deal with changing American society at a crucial time, examining our hopes and fears as a nation during the silent-film era. The book introduces us to people, films, issues and concepts that few of us have encountered. One example is screenwriter June Mathis, who wrote over 100 scripts, brought Rudolph Valentino to stardom and supervised all productions at the Goldwyn Studios in 1923. Equally intriguing is Nita Naldi, whose career and tragic life speak volumes about America's combined fascination with, and fear of, ethnic minorities. Other key players in the drama of silent films include John Randolph Bray (animated cartoons), Roscoe ""Fatty"" Arbuckle and female producer, writer and director Nell Shipman. The contributors are: Kay Armatage, Jean Chateauvert, Maureen Funiss, Mark Langer, Anne Morey, Diane Negra, George Potamianos, Joanna Rapf, Thomas J. Slater, Sam Stoloff and Judith Thissen.

About the Author
Gregg Bachman is an associate professor in and chair of the Department of Communications at the University of Tampa. He has written on such diverse filmmakers as Woody Allen, Spike Lee, and Robert Altman. Thomas J. Slater is an associate professor of English and film studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Milos Forman: A Bio-Bibliography and editor of Handbook of Soviet and East European Films and Filmmakers.

Reviews
Bachman and Slater offer an interesting collection of essays on unique, and in many ways, long-forgotten personalities and even 'phenomena' relating exclusively to silent film.-Gabriella Oldham, author of Keaton's Silent Shorts: Beyond the Laughter



Book Information
ISBN 9780809324026
Author Gregg Bachman
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Southern Illinois University Press
Publisher Southern Illinois University Press
Weight(grams) 456g
Dimensions(mm) 231mm * 159mm * 19mm