Tweet Nitrateville 2017 Gift Suggestions:Books;DVDs;Calendars, Etc

This thread is a listing of fabulous holiday-or any day- gift suggestions:
Currently “in print” items- DVDs; eBooks; CDs; Calendars; Books; Art; etc.
Produced, in whole or in part, by NITRATEVILLE MEMBERS.
Ideally, each post will provide an image, publisher’s description, and on-line purchase link.

Smileage Guaranteed,
Past Humor Present Laughter, Musings on the Comedy Film Industry 1910-1945, Volume One: Hal Roach
Paperback– January 1, 2013
by Richard M. Roberts(Author), Robert Farr and Joe Moore (Co-Research), Scott Eyman (Intro), Randy Skretvedt (Intro), Glenn Mitchell (Intro)
“In this first volume of a proposed trilogy on the Comedy Film Industry, Film Historian Richard M. Roberts examines the legendary "Lot Of Fun" belonging to Producer Hal Roach, not through the Series and Comedians that he made immortal like Laurel and Hardy, Harold Lloyd, or the Our Gang Comedies, but through all of the lesser-known comedians who plied their trade at the Studio: Charley Chase, Max Davidson, Snub Pollard, Eddie Boland, and some major comedians who made temporary stops on the Culver City Lot in the ups and downs of their careers like Harry Langdon and Mabel Normand, among others. Calling this book "the World's Longest Footnote", Roberts uncovers new insight into the Work of perhaps the most lasting of the Silent and Sound Film Comedy Producers, and culminates the Book with the most comprehensive Hal Roach Filmography ever published.”

The Werewolf's Heart
ebook– October 30, 2013
by Kurt McCoy
“In 1913 Universal released the first werewolf movie in the history of the cinema. That film, The Werewolf, introduced a half-breed Navajo wolf-witch named Watuma. Subsequently all prints of the film were destroyed in a fire and the movie is now a "Lost Film". There has not even been a reliable synopsis of the film, until now.
Included in this work is the full synopsis of the film from the "Universal Weekly".
After a hundred years, this is the first sequel to that film.
A posse of lawmen pursues a band of outlaws to a haunted mountain where both groups find themselves prey to supernatural evil that hungers for flesh. Their only hope is an ex-monk turned trapper who has a secret past with the Werewolf and the steel nerves of a U.S. Marshal who will stop at nothing to see justice done. "

Little Elf,
A Celebration of Harry Langdon
Paperback and Kindle– June 28, 2012
by Chuck Harter, Michael J Hayde, Edward Watz and Steve Massa
“LITTLE ELF: A Celebration of Harry Langdon is the legendary comedian's definitive life story, coupled with the most comprehensive Langdon filmography ever compiled, presented within 692 large pages and lavishly illustrated with over 500 images. The authors combed through paper, microfilm and digital archives - plus the films themselves - to put together the most complete and accurate summation of Langdon's life and career imaginable, from his earliest stage appearances to his final day in a movie studio.
As a bonus, LITTLE ELF also contains:
1) Five of Langdon's vaudeville scripts, straight from the Library of Congress archive, including two versions of his most famous turn, JOHNNY'S NEW CAR.
2) An illustrated full synopsis of HEART TROUBLE (1928), Langdon's lost silent feature.
3) Ten vintage profiles from various movie magazines from 1925-33."


Chaplin's Vintage Year
The History of the Mutual-Chaplin Specials
Paperback– Nov 30, 2013
by Michael J. Hayde
“When Charles Chaplin signed a record-setting contract with the Mutual Film Corporation in February 1916, it was the culmination of events that changed the motion picture business. Mutual's founders redefined how films were bought, sold and distributed. Chaplin redefined screen comedy with a character that leapt into the hearts of moviegoers around the world. Together they established the value of star power and created twelves magnificent comedies that have endured for generations. From the nickelodeon to the internet, the MUTUAL-CHAPLIN SPECIALS have been viewed by more people than any other films in the entire history of cinema. CHAPLIN'S VINTAGE YEAR tells the full story of the MUTUAL-CHAPLIN SPECIALS, framed within the rise and fall of the Mutual Film Corporation, the worldwide phenomenon known as "Chaplinitis," the famous $670,000 contract, and the various acquisitions and releases these comedies have enjoyed for nearly one hundred years. The book includes a detailed filmography featuring period reviews and exhibitor comments, and is lavishly illustrated with over 150 photographs and advertising images.”

The Classic John Barrymore Swashbucklers of the 1920s,
Old Hollywood in Color 5
Paperback and eBook– October 28, 2013
by Robert M. Fells
“Think of swashbuckler films - loosely defined as an adventure story set in the past - and images of Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power come to mind. Yet to give credit where it's due, Douglas Fairbanks Sr. invented the genre, and John Barrymore rivaled him by starring in some of the finest swashbucklers during its first decade in the 1920s. The titles of his films are still names to conjure with: THE SEA BEAST, DON JUAN, WHEN A MAN LOVES, THE BELOVED ROGUE, and several more. And John Barrymore alone has the distinction of making swashbucklers that span the silent and sound film eras. This volume presents the first pictorial review of all the John Barrymore swashbucklers that were made between 1924 and 1930. Each film is given full cast and crew credits, background information on its production, and critical reaction at the time of its premiere and today. Home video editions are also listed. Many rare posters, photos, and souvenir programs are provided in full color, and a bonus chapter includes rare photos of Barrymore's yacht, 3-D images, and a link to John Barrymore's live radio performance in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. This book is both a celebration of Old Hollywood and a collector's item.”


The 1921 "Lost" DISRAELI ,
A Photo Reconstruction of the George Arliss Silent Film
Paperback and eBook– June 7, 2013
by Robert M. Fells
“This fourth volume in the Arliss Archives series reconstructs the once-acclaimed but now lost silent screen version of DISRAELI. Arliss biographer Robert M. Fells has spent over two decades collecting materials to document this first film version of George Arliss's most successful play. Additional material includes the complete souvenir theater program of 1912, a set of eight original lobby cards from the 1929 sound version of DISRAELI in restored color, and a discussion of Mr. A's 1938 live radio broadcast of the play with links to the Arliss Archives website to enable readers to hear this radio program exactly as it was broadcast live over CBS on January 17, 1938. There is also a "bonus" appendix of George Arliss in 3-D photographs from a variety of his films.”

The Opera Singer and The Silent Film
Paperback– October 3, 2005 (still in print)
by Paul Fryer
“Film technology developments in the early 20th century opened up a new world of possibilities for the motion picture industry, and opera, relying as it did on the melodramatic storyline and grand pantomime acting, was an ideal subject for early silent film. Even deprived of their principal glory—their voices—opera singers were among the first prominent screen stars. This book examines the relationship between the established operatic stars of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the newly developing motion picture industry. It concentrates primarily on developments between 1895 and 1926, from the invention of the commercially exploitable motion picture to the coming of viable sound on film. Early chapters discuss the changing role of the opera star prior to and during the development of film as a popular commercial medium, and explore the technological innovations that eventually enabled opera to move out of the strict confines of the opera house and to be viewed by a global audience. Later chapters expose the fragile relationship between art and the entertainment industry in the early decades of the motion picture, and show how the opera helped establish a balance between film as a new art form and its commercial exploitation. Also discussed is the extent to which the inclusion of opera in early motion pictures contributed to the broader democratization of art. The book concludes with four detailed case studies that examine the experiences of operatic performers who made the transition to the silent screen and who made a notable impact on the early movie industry. An extensive filmography is included to provide the reader with full details of films cited and archival locations of surviving materials.”

The Lost Remake of Beau Geste
With Bonus: Beau Geste: The Parody
(Unseen Since 1940)
DVD– 2013
by Frank Thompson
“A documentary written and directed by Frank Thompson about a parody of William A. Wellman's "Beau Geste" (1939), filmed while the feature was still in theaters. It features interviews with three surviving cast members as well as appearances by Leonard Maltin, Kevin Brownlow, William Wellman, Jr. and Maria Cooper Janis, daughter of Gary Cooper.”


THE STAR FILM RANCH
Texas' First Picture Show)
Paperback– 1996 (limited amount of signed copies available
by Frank Thompson
“The story of Gaston Melies and the Star Film Company who came to San Antonio in January, 1910 to form the first movie studio in Texas. Gaston was the older brother of cinema pioneer Georges Melies, the influential filmmaker who is depicted in Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" (2011). The Star Film Company produced nearly eighty one-reel Westerns, comedies and dramas over the year they lived and worked in San Antonio. Today, only five of those films are known to survive. "The Star Film Ranch" is a fascinating but little-known chapter of movie history.”

Hollywoodland
Tales Lost and Found
Kindle Edition– September 5, 2013
by Mary Mallory
“On Mt. Lee, in Hollywood’s storied hills, sits one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, the Hollywood sign, originally constructed as a giant billboard for a housing development. The sign originally read “Hollywoodland” and--minus the last four letters--is an indelible image representing Hollywood and the film industry to the world. This book is a collection of historical essays on Hollywood’s Tales Lost and Found, documenting the forgotten personalities, events, art, architecture, music, and films of the early twentieth century, including the histories of the great lost silent films Hollywood and Human Wreckage, along with stories about the obscure Auction Of Souls- about the Armenian genocide- and Sleuths At The Floral Parade, where Mack Sennett entered a float in the 1913 Rose Parade to make a movie.”


Hollywoodland
(Images of America Series)
Paperback and Kindle Edition– May 16, 2011
by Mary Mallory
“Established by real estate developers Tracy E. Shoults and S. H. Woodruff in 1923, Hollywoodland was one of the first hillside developments built in Hollywood. Touting its class and sophistication, the neighborhood promoted a European influence, featuring such unique elements as stone retaining walls and stairways, along with elegant Spanish, Mediterranean, French Normandy, and English Tudor-styled homes thoughtfully placed onto the hillsides. The community contains one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, the Hollywood sign, originally constructed as a giant billboard for the development and reading "Hollywoodland." The book illustrates the development of the upper section of Beachwood Canyon known as Hollywoodland with historical photographs from Hollywood Heritage's S. H. Woodruff Collection as well as from other archives, institutions, and individuals.”

The Charley Chase Talkies
1929-1940
Hardcover and Kindle– September 5, 2013
by James L. Neibaur
“Charley Chase began his film career in early 1913 working as a comedian, writer, and director at the Al Christie studios under his real name, Charles Parrott. Chase then joined Mack Sennett's Keystone studio in 1914, costarring in early films of Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, as well as directing the frenetic Keystone Cops. By 1924 he was starring in a series of one-reel comedies at Hal Roach studios, graduating to two-reel films the following year. In 1929, he made the transition to sound films. Along with the continuing popularity of his own short comedies, Chase often directed the films of others, including several popular Three Stooges efforts.
In The Charley Chase Talkies: 1929-1940, James L. Neibaur examines, film-by-film, the comedian's seventy-nine short subjects at Roach and Columbia studios. The first book to examine any portion of Chase’s filmography, this volume discusses the various methods Chase employed in his earliest sound films, his variations on common themes, his use of music, and the modification of his character as he reached the age of forty. Neibaur also acknowledges the handful of feature film appearances Chase made during this period. A filmmaker whom Time magazine once declared was receiving the most fan mail of any comedian in movies, Charley Chase remains quite popular among classic film buffs, as well as historians and scholars. A detailed look into the work of an artist whose career straddled the silent and sound eras, The Charley Chase Talkies will be appreciated by those interested in film comedy of the 1920s and 30s.”


Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts
1920-1923
Hardcover and Kindle– January 30, 2013
by James L. Neibaur; Terri Niemi
“By the mid-1920s, Buster Keaton had established himself as one of the geniuses of cinema with such films as Sherlock, Jr., The Navigator, and his 1927 work The General, which was the highest ranked silent on the American Film Institute's survey of the 100 greatest films. Before Keaton ventured into longer works, however, he had honed his skills as an actor, writer, and director of short films produced in the early 1920s.
In Buster Keaton’s Silent Shorts: 1920-1923, James L. Neibaur and Terri Niemi provide a film-by-film assessment of these brilliant two-reelers. The authors discuss the significance of each short—The High Sign, One Week, Convict 13, The Scarecrow, Neighbors, The Haunted House, Hard Luck, The Goat, The Playhouse, The Boat, The Paleface, Cops, My Wife’s Relations, The Blacksmith, Frozen North, Daydreams, The Electric House, The Balloonatic, and The Love Nest—to the Keaton filmography, as well as each film’s importance to cinema.
Offering a clear and in-depth perspective on these 19 films, the authors explain what makes these shorts effective and why they’re funny. Buster Keaton’s Silent Shorts will enlighten both scholars and casual fans alike about the early work produced by one of cinema's most gifted comedians and filmmakers.”

GEORGE O'BRIEN,
A MAN'S MAN IN HOLLYWOOD
Paperback– October 31, 2009
by David W. Menefee
“George O'Brien thrills audiences today with his signature role in F. W. Murnau's Sunrise, Michael Curtiz' Noah's Ark, and John Ford's The Iron Horse, The Blue Eagle, Salute, The Seas Beneath, Fort Apache, and Cheyenne Autumn. He was one of America's most beloved film stars. His on-screen heroics were more than matched by his real life bravery. For the first time, the story is told about how he survived the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake as a seven-year old to grow up a superb athlete, a decorated hero in World War One, and a stunt double for film idol Rudolph Valentino. O'Brien was one of hundreds working as an assistant cameraman, extra, and bit player when he was plucked from obscurity to head the cast of John Ford's epic, The Iron Horse. He became a star overnight. O'Brien's rise to the top ranks of silent films reached sublime proportions when F. W. Murnau featured him in the classic romance, Sunrise. Warner Bros. plunged him into one of the first talking pictures when director Michael Curtiz converted his silent Noah's Ark epic into sound. Many men, women, and animals were injured during the climatic flood scenes, but O'Brien lived through the deluge to become a top star for twenty years. In the 1940s, O'Brien walked away from the pinnacle of stardom to answer the call to arms and re-enlist when American entered World War Two. He actively fought in several island invasions, and when the war ended, he returned only to find that a new generation of filmgoers had grown up never having seen him in a motion picture. He succeeded with a modest comeback, but left Hollywood a second time to assist with military conflicts in Korea. When he returned to civilian life again, he briefly pioneered in early television work and lived to enjoy retrospectives of his films during the 1970s and 1980s. Discover his fascinating life in George O'Brien: A Man's Man in Hollywood. The richly researched work draws from hundreds of sources, including major archives and the George O'Brien Estate. Enjoy hundreds of photos and illustrations, many unseen for the past eighty years. The book reveals how he was received in his time and his role in the development of motion pictures from silent to sound. George appeared in more than a hundred credited and unaccredited films, and this book reveals them with a richly researched biography, an extensive Filmography, rare portraits, posters, and lobby cards that capture the glamour of Hollywood's Golden Era.”


OTAY! ,
THE BILLY "BUCKWHEAT" THOMAS STORY
Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle– April 1, 2013
by William Thomas Jr. and David W. Menefee
“William Thomas, the man known as "Buckwheat," one of the most beloved characters in the history of the Our Gang and Little Rascals films, rose from obscurity to become an American icon. Billy's heritage grew to be more than the ninety-three comedies in which he appeared as Buckwheat. He was a husband, father, and soldier. Several generations have come to know Buckwheat as if he was a real person, but few knew Billy, the man behind the myth.
In "Otay!" The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story, William Thomas, Jr., Billy's son, joins with acclaimed author David W. Menefee to brush back the sands of time and unearth the facts beneath the fable. For the first time, the true story is told how producer Hal Roach, Sr. plucked three-year-old Billy from hundreds of children and raised him on a pedestal before an adoring public. For a decade, Billy was the most prominent Black American in motion pictures, but World War Two brought an end to the famous comedy series and a halt to his film career. Billy went on to live a private, nearly normal life, married, fathered an adorable child, and then answered the call to arms and enlisted in the US Army during the Korean War. Years later, imposters attempted to steal his limelight, but Billy forgave the offense with his characteristic, childlike good humor.
In an era when most Black American actors were struggling to gain a foothold in Hollywood, Billy achieved a lasting legacy. Enjoy the timeless tale of a baby superstar, who once shown brightly on movie screens during Hollywood's "Golden Years" and still fascinates audiences today.”

Baby Peggy
The Elephant in the Room)
DVD– 2013
Milestone Films
“Hollywood discovered Peggy-Jean Montgomery when she was 19 months old and made her a star by the age of two. By the time she was six, she had made more than 150 popular shorts and a star of feature films. In fact, she was one of the most popular stars in Hollywood with a line of Baby Peggy products sold in stores around the world.
By the age of 11, however, she was a has-been, forced to work eight shows a day in Vaudeville. And soon, like rival silent film star Jackie Coogan, she was broke, her money squandered by her family. Over the course of the next six decades she reinvented herself as Diana Serra Cary, a respected film historian and advocate for laws protecting child performers. With narration co-written by Cary, Vera Iwerebor's documentary combines rare clips from Baby Peggy's films — most of which were lost when her first studio, Century, burned in 1926 — with a personal glimpse of a woman who lost her childhood to the movies. Although Cary was once rejected by Hollywood, where she was blacklisted after her father feuded with producer Sol Lesser, her remaining films, including the first movie version of Captain January (1924), have been rediscovered, bringing her a new generation of fans. Documentarian Vera Iwerebor has created a film, that like Ms. Cary, is filled of warmth, humor and a love for cinema and life.
BONUS FEATURES
Captain January (1924) 64 minutes. Starring Hobart Bosworth, Baby Peggy and Irene Rich. Music composed and performed by Donald Sosin. With Joanna Seaton (vocals).
Three short films starring Baby Peggy: Carmen, Jr. (1923), Peg O’ the Mounted (1924) and Such is Life (1924). Music composed and performed by Guenter Buchwald. Song: “That’s My Baby” performed by Donald Sosin (piano) and Joanna Seaton (vocals).”

For Art's Sake,
The Biography & Filmography of Ben Turpin
Paperback and Kindle– May 31, 2013
by Steve Rydzewski
“The first serious study of one of America's earliest motion picture comedians, later one of the most popular actors of the silent screen, and the worlds greatest cock-eyed mirthmaker, Ben Turpin. This book is the result of over forty years of researching and collecting anything and everything on this legendary - though sadly forgotten - comic. Never has such a wealth of information been assembled on one of the most respected comedians of his day, and this book, many are sure to agree, is too long overdue. Leaving no stone unturned - from old magazines and newspapers, to genealogy records, to business associates and family descendants - the author makes this the most complete reference book on the life, career and the films of Ben Turpin, and the most complete appreciation ever. Illustrated with hundreds of rare photos, many never-before-seen, most from the author's long-time personal collection, this book will prove indispensible to anyone and everyone interested in movie comedy and film history.”

Silent Visions,
Discovering Early Hollywood and New York Through the Films of Harold Lloyd
Paperback– May 1, 2011
by John Bengtson, Kevin Brownlow (Foreword)
“Highlighting visions of a bygone age preserved in the background of Harold Lloyd's films, this history explores the urban landscapes of Hollywood, Los Angeles, and New York--popular settings for his films--through archival photographs, vintage maps, and scores of then-and-now photographs. From Coney Island to Catalina Island and from Brooklyn to Beverly Hills, Lloyd's timeless movies reflect visions of early 20th-century America unequalled on the silver screen and exemplified in the historical settings found in such classics as Safety Last, Girl Shy, The Freshman, and Speedy. Tracing Lloyd's career from his early work to owning and operating his own studio, this account illuminates Lloyd's mastery of his oeuvre--an actor and film-maker more popular than Keaton, more prolific than Chaplin, and who sold more tickets than any other comedian of his era, as well as a comedic genius whose expert staging and editing have influenced films for decades."


Silent Traces
Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Charlie Chaplin
Paperback– August 1, 2006
by John Bengtson, Kevin Brownlow (Foreword)
“Explore the traces of early Hollywood hidden within Charlie Chaplin’s timeless films. This stunning work of cinematic archeology combines Chaplin’s movie images with archival photographs, vintage maps, and scores of then-and-now comparison photographs to conjure up the silent-movie era from an entirely new perspective. By describing the historical settings found in such Chaplin classics as The Kid, City Lights, and Modern Times, Bengtson illuminates both Chaplin’s genius and the evolving city that served as a backdrop for his art. Part time machine, part detective story, Silent Traces presents a unique look at Chaplin’s work, and a captivating glimpse into Hollywood’s most romantic era.”

Thanks for posting this round up, JFK. This has been a banner year for books dealing with film history and the biggest problem is keeping track of all the new titles. Collectively, all the titles you list set very high standards for research integrity and skillful writing. I especially appreciate your including two of my books in the group. Thanks again!

Thanks for including "Accidentally Preserved: vol 1" in your list. It is entirely possible that volume 2 may be ready in time for the holiday season…

Ben

Thanks for including me in your list, I appreciate it! I appreciate it especially for my eBook, trying to inform people about it and get it seen.

Mary Pickford
Queen of the Movies
Hardcover and Kindle– November 12, 2012
by Christel Schmidt (Editor)
“In the early days of cinema, when actors were unbilled and unmentioned in credits, audiences immediately noticed Mary Pickford. Moviegoers everywhere were riveted by her magnetic talent and appeal as she rose to become cinema's first great star.
In this engaging collection, copublished with the Library of Congress, an eminent group of film historians sheds new light on this icon's incredible life and legacy. Pickford emerges from the pages in vivid detail. She is revealed as a gifted actress, a philanthropist, and a savvy industry leader who fought for creative control of her films and ultimately became her own producer. This beautifully designed volume features more than two hundred color and black and white illustrations, including photographs and stills from the collections of the Library of Congress and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Together with the text, they paint a fascinating portrait of a key figure in American cinematic history.”

The Survival of American Silent Feature Films
1912–1929
Click Link for Free Dowload or To Purchase a Print Copy– September 2013
by David Pierce
“The era of the American silent feature film lasted from 1912 until 1929. During that time, filmmakers established the language of cinema, and the motion pictures they created reached a height of artistic sophistication. These films, with their recognizable stars and high production values, spread American culture around the world. Silent feature films disappeared from sight soon after the coming of sound, and many vanished from existence.
This report focuses on those titles that have managed to survive to the present day and represents the first comprehensive survey of the survival of American silent feature films. Mr. Pierce’s findings tell us that only 14% of the feature films produced in the United States during the period 1912–1929 survive in the format in which they were originally produced and distributed, i.e., as complete works on 35mm film. Another 11% survive in full-length foreign versions or on film formats of lesser image quality such as 16mm and other smaller gauge formats."

One Thousand Nights at the Movies,
An Illustrated History of Motion Pictures, 1895-1915
Hardcover– January 22, 2013
by Q. David Bowers; Kathryn Fuller-Seeley
“One Thousand Nights at the Movies is a detailed history of the birth of motion pictures. This richly illustrated coffee-table book charts the tumultuous growth from early inventions and Edison's innovations through the creation of film studios, picture palaces, and the first movie stars. Uniquely, the book celebrates and explores the showmanship of mom-and-pop Main Street nickelodeon theaters across the United States through a wealth of spectacular, never-before-published photographs and rare archival evidence. The authors bring a lifetime of research to this fascinating story of how an upstart new entertainment medium struggled in the early 1900's to become America's greatest form of popular culture — how it went from Main Street to Wall Street and changed the world..”

Allan Dwan,
and the Rise and Decline of the Hollywood Studios
Paperback and Kindle– March 15, 2013
by Frederic Lombardi
“It could be said that the career of Canadian-born film director Allan Dwan (1885-1981) began at the dawn of the American motion picture industry. Originally a scriptwriter, Dwan became a director purely by accident. Even so, his creativity and problem-solving skills propelled him to the top of his profession. He achieved success with numerous silent film performers, most spectacularly with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Gloria Swanson, and later with such legendary stars as Shirley Temple and John Wayne. Though his star waned in the sound era, Dwan managed to survive through pluck and ingenuity. Considering himself better off without the fame he enjoyed during the silent era, he went on to do some of his best work for second-echelon studios (notably Republic Pictures' Sands of Iwo Jima) and such independent producers as Edward Small. Along the way, Dwan also found personal happiness in an unconventional manner. Rich in detail with two columns of text in each of its nearly 400 pages, and with more than 150 photographs, this book presents a thorough examination of Allan Dwan and separates myth from truth in his life and films.”

Albert Capellani
cinéaste du romanesque
Paperback– 1 février 2013
by Christine Leteux, Kevin Brownlow (Preface)
“Exceprpts from a recent review by Kristin Thompson on David Bordwell's Blog:
... Leteux discovered Capellani in May of 2012, thanks to seeing Notre-Dame de Paris and Les Misérables at the Forum des Images in Paris. Setting out to learn more about the filmmaker, she realized how thoroughly his memory had nearly vanished from film history. She sought out and received the cooperation of his grandson, Bernard Basset-Capellani, whom she describes as “intarissable” (inexhaustible) on the subject. The result is a solid, traditional biography, with chapters mostly organized around the companies for which Capellani worked (Pathe, SCAGL, World, Mutual, and so on) and some of his key films (Les Misérables, The Red Lantern). The prose style is easily readable French, at least to someone like me with an average knowledge of the language.....
IThe book includes a filmography and list of films available on DVD. These include a new one, a restoration of The Red Lantern by our friends at the Cinematek in Brussels, available on Amazon.fr or directly from the Cinematek’s shop”

Military Comedy Films
A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918
Paperback and Kindle- August 7, 2012
by Hal Erickson
“Beginning with Charlie Chaplin's Shoulder Arms, released in America near the end of World War I, the military comedy film has been one of Hollywood's most durable genres. This generously illustrated history examines over 225 Army, Navy and Marine-related comedies produced between 1918 and 2009, including the abundance of laughspinners released during World War II in the wake of Abbott and Costello's phenomenally successful Buck Privates (1941), and the many lighthearted service films of the immediate postwar era, among them Mister Roberts (1955) and No Time for Sergeants (1958). Also included are discussions of such subgenres as silent films (The General), military-academy farces (Brother Rat), women in uniform (Private Benjamin), misfits making good (Stripes), anti-war comedies (M*A*S*H*), and fact-based films (The Men Who Stare at Goats). A closing filmography is included in this richly detailed volume..”


The Baseball Filmography
1915 through 2001, 2d ed
Paperback– April 26, 2010
by Hal Erickson
“Since the first baseball movie (Little Sunset) in 1915, Hollywood has had an on-again, off-again affair with the sport, releasing more than 100 films through 2001. This is a 560 page filmography of those films. Each entry contains full cast and credits, a synopsis, and a critique of the movie. Behind-the-scenes and background information is included, and two sections cover baseball shorts and depictions of the game in non-baseball films. An extensive bibliography completes the work. Entries are alphabetically arranged by name of film and are between 2 and almost 20 pages in length (for A League of Their Own). The work details films exhaustively, with complete cast lists, production credits, release dates, and thorough plot summaries. Black-and-white photos appearing every few pages are a mix of actual film clips, ads, posters, and backstage moments. Sections following the main entries discuss "Baseball Short Subjects" and "Baseball in Non-Baseball Films."

[Mike Gebert]

It has been brought to my attention that Richard Roberts, former NitrateVille member, is claiming on his site that we censored the mention of his excellent book Smileage Guaranteed that kicked off this thread.

This is categorically false. JFK, did you remove the post at some point before other posts were added? Other than that, I can see no reason why or how the post could have disappeared and reappeared, and state for the record that no moderator has touched it, or would. Mr. Roberts in paper form is wholeheartedly endorsed by NitrateVille.

It has been brought to my attention that Richard Roberts, former NitrateVille member, is claiming on his site that we censored the mention of his excellent book Smileage Guaranteed that kicked off this thread.

This is categorically false. JFK, did you remove the post at some point before other posts were added? Other than that, I can see no reason why or how the post could have disappeared and reappeared, and state for the record that no moderator has touched it, or would. Mr. Roberts in paper form is wholeheartedly endorsed by NitrateVille.

It is there now, I see, at the top of the thread. Also on my Amazon shopping list.

[Mike Gebert]

So far as I know it has always been there. The original poster has the ability to remove a thread until there are additional posts. JFK has removed his own posts before, that's why I say it is a possibility there was a short time that it was gone.

By the way, thanks JFK for putting all these in one place, I think it will be a nice help for users interested in knowing what's out there.

…… JFK, did you remove the post at some point before other posts were added?

Yes. I temporarily removed/deleted the thread, and its initial post, because
I thought maybe I'd begun it under the wrong topic heading. No moderator has touched this thread.
(The simpler I tried to make this answer, the more it sounded like an awkward statement prepared for me to read by kidnappers...)

1. So far as I know it has always been there. The original poster has the ability to remove a thread until there are additional posts. JFK has removed his own posts before, that's why I say it is a possibility there was a short time that it was gone.
2. ....... I think it will be a nice help for users interested in knowing what's out there.

1. Yes. I self-delete, and constantly re-edit, many (but yes, not nearly enough) of my posts.
2. The New Yorker Magazine runs a year-end gift suggestion column high-lighting the recent creations of its contributors,
and my idea was Nitrateville should toot its own horn, and have something similar--
to alert the wallets of members and lurkers alike of what fine work members currently have in the marketplace.
But I could've/should‘ve first contacted Nitratevile members- starting with Smileage Guaranteed researcher Robert Farr-
for permission/suggestions before listing their books and films.
So, If anyone wants me to change a post of mine in this thread in any way, please PM me.

The Columbia Comedy Shorts,
Two-Reel Hollywood Film Comedies, 1933-1958
Paperback and Kindle– October 1998 (still in print)
by Ted Okuda, Edward Watz (Authors)
“Columbia did 500+ two-reel shorts 1933-58, with Hollywood's finest comics: history, production discussion, critiques. (Three Stooges, Andy Clyde, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, others.) Filmographies of all 526 two-reelers: credits, date, synopsis.”

Showmen, Sell It Hot!
Movies as Merchandise in Golden Era Hollywood
Hardcover January 1, 2013
by John McElwee
"A noted Hollywood historian takes a first-ever marketing look at the selling of classic motion pictures generated by Hollywood's fabled movie factories in this lush coffee-table retrospective. Movie buffs will enjoy seeing the effects of the Depression, censorship, world war, the Cold War, television, and the counter-culture movement on the changing tastes of moviegoers, and the way showmen responded...."

But I could've/should‘ve first contacted Nitratevile members- starting with Smileage Guaranteed researcher Robert Farr-
for permission/suggestions before listing their books and films.
So, If anyone wants me to change a post of mine in this thread in any way, please PM me.

So you think that some one will be offended by your statement that his/her book is worth buying?

Bob

[Mike Gebert]

It's practically guaranteed!

Mae Murray
The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips
Hardcover and Kindle– May 31, 2013
by Michael G. Ankerich, Kevin Brownlow (Foreword)
“Mae Murray (1885--1965), popularly known as "the girl with the bee-stung lips," was a fiery presence in silent-era Hollywood. Renowned for her classic beauty and charismatic presence, she rocketed to stardom as a dancer in the Ziegfeld Follies, moving across the country to star in her first film, To Have and to Hold, in 1916. An instant hit with audiences, Murray soon became one of the most famous names in Tinseltown. However, Murray's moment in the spotlight was fleeting. The introduction of talkies, a string of failed marriages, a serious career blunder, and a number of bitter legal battles left the former star in a state of poverty and mental instability that she would never overcome.
In this intriguing biography, Michael G. Ankerich traces Murray's career from the footlights of Broadway to the klieg lights of Hollywood, recounting her impressive body of work on the stage and screen and charting her rapid ascent to fame and decline into obscurity. Featuring exclusive interviews with Murray's only son, Daniel, and with actor George Hamilton, whom the actress closely befriended at the end of her life, Ankerich restores this important figure in early film to the limelight.”


Broken Silence
Conversations with 23 Silent Film Stars
Paperback- February 25, 2011
by Michael G. Ankerich
“This is a collection of 23 original interviews with stars of the silent screen,
with biographical information and a filmography included for each.
Interviewed are Lew Ayres, William Bakewell, Lina Basquette, Madge Bellamy,
Eleanor Boardman, Ethlyne Clair, Junior Coghlan, Joyce Compton, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.,
Dorothy Gulliver, Maxine Elliott Hicks, Dorothy Janis, George Lewis,
Marion Mack, Patsy Ruth Miller, Lois Moran, Baby Marie Osborne, Muriel Ostriche,
Eddie Quillan, Esther Ralston, Dorothy Revier, David Rollins and Gladys Walton.”