For a decade Wallace Reid was the most recognised face in Hollywood, the most universally beloved actor in silent film. Today all that is widely remembered of ""Wally"" Reid is that he died in a padded sanitarium cell, the victim of a fatal morphine addiction. Of all the actors who have enjoyed great fame only to vanish from the public eye, Reid perhaps fell the fastest and hardest.

This first full biography recounts Reid's complicated childhood, his disrupted family history and his rise to film stardom despite these restricting factors. It documents his myriad talents and accomplishments, most notably his gift for brilliant onscreen acting. The text explores in depth how the modern studio, however unconsciously, turned the popular star, a well-adjusted man with a loving family, into a drug-dependent mental patient within three years. His death rocked the foundations of Hollywood, and the huge new industry that he helped build nearly died with ""Dashing Wally Reid.

About the Author
E.J. Fleming has been researching Hollywood for decades. He lives in Barrington, Illinois and has penned biographies of Carole Landis and Wallace Reid, among his other books about Hollywood culture.

Reviews
exhaustive...recommended""-Library Journal

""excellent...loads of solid research...a book of riches...a must-read...well written, informative...get this book...will be a revelation to a lot of film fans""-Classic Images



Book Information
ISBN 9780786477258
Author E. J. Fleming
Format Paperback
Page Count 312
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 560g