Tweet My Blue Book of the Screen Thread

So I bought 'The Blue Book of the Screen' at Sam Wellers Booksellers here in Salt Lake City.
Fantastic book store with a rare book room bigger than some of the tome stores I've visited in my forty two years.
Haggled on the price, settled, stuffed it in my backpack and off to my house I go.
Then I find this on the inside cover;



It reads;
Lillian Haddock
862 So. 10th East
Salt Lake city, Utah
7/26/24

So I Google Map the address and here is the house;



Pretty non descript.
Then I find this silk bookmark between pages 231 and 232;



My curiousity piqued I googled (what in the hell did we do before computers?) F.O.E. 67. It took me a bit but I found out that F.O.E. stands for The Fraternal Order Of Eagles and the 67 is the chapter number here in Salt Lake.
I felt like Coke Ennyday searching through all the web detrius.
Found out that F.O.E. is also a movie and a video game. Go figure.
So I called them, the Eagle people. Sounded like a party going on. Lady sweet voice said to call back on tuesday and ask for a bloke named Terry.
I am going to do that.

update

So I called back and asked if they had any record of someone with the last name of 'Haddock' that was a member of the F.O.E. chapter 67 in the 1920's.
I explained that I bought a book and that I found the name 'Lillian Haddock' on the inside front cover and one of their silk bookmarks.
She said she would research it.
A week later I got a call. Nope. No 'Haddock'.

I don't want to give up on this. For some reason I want to know what happened to the person that cared enough to purchase this book new back in '21.
Does anyone have any idea how I could go about finding information about her? Any websites out there that you know of?

update
I don't want to give up on this. For some reason I want to know what happened to the person that cared enough to purchase this book new back in '21.
Does anyone have any idea how I could go about finding information about her? Any websites out there that you know of?

I checked Ancestry.com, found an Edith Lillian Haddock born May 13, 1904 in Salt Lake City, married a Louis Dean Allen I don't know when, died April 25, 1986 in San Francisco. Her father was Evan Haddock, a Welsh immigrant. She would have been about 16 in 1921, so perhaps a big movie fan? Maybe it was a birthday or Christmas present?

Fred

Maybe the local historical society has city directories. You can look her up and perhaps even find her occupation.

Some directories from the 20s are also indexed by street.

From there you can find out a lot about her and the Eagles lodge that existed in that time period and where it was located.

Lots of men still belonged to fraternal organizations back then. I am thinking it was something brought home by a male relative she happened to use for a marker?

Good luck!

Maybe you should try asking the Eagles lodge about Louis Dean Allen. Lillian would have been 19 or 20 in 1924, so they may have been dating at that time, and she got the bookmark from him.

UPDATE: Working on Frederica's info, on Ancestry.com I found a Louis D. Allen living in Salt Lake City, UT in the 1930 census. His wife's name was Edith L. Allen, both of them 27 years old, with an 8-month-old son, Douglas. Says here they were both 25 at their first marriage, which puts it around 1928. Their street address is a little hard to make out, but it seems to be 728 3/4 S. Ford Blvd.

Fantastic. Thank you guys and guyettes.
My next move is to call the F.OE. again and ask about this Louis Dean Allen fellow.
Edith L. Allen. Not a stretch to believe it stands for Lillian. I use my middle name, bunches of people do.
You guys are making me feel like Sherlock Holmes.
humm, makes me wonder; Were any silent Sherlock/Doyle movies ever made?

Also, maybe her son Douglas Allen might still be alive and living in Salt Lake City. If so, he would be about 80 years old, and might be able to tell you something about his mother and the book. A simple white pages search might prove fruitful.

humm, makes me wonder; Were any silent Sherlock/Doyle movies ever made?

Loads. For a start, check out this man and his films.... http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0636385/.....

I've seen a few of Mr. Norwood's silent appearence as Sherlock Holmes and they are, frankly, not paritcularly good movies, even though they were directed by Maurice Elvey. I attribute this to the inherently cerevral nature of the classic mystery: too many title cards are needed to tell the story.

I'm told that Nordisk had a series of Sherlock Holmes movies in 1905 or so. Does anyone know if any of these have survived?

Bob

I've asked about the Holmes films a few times on this group and on AMS. I believe that someone said that pretty much all the Norwood films survived, but only 4 or 6 seems to be commonly available (and they aren't especially interesting).

Another silent Holmes film that turns up sometimes is The Copper Beeches, an 1912 Eclair film starring an actor named Treville as Holmes. It's quite primitive and is at some points entertainingly inept. It was one of of a series and perhaps the only survivor. Oddly, i can't find this in IMDB.

John Barrymore did a Sherlock Holmes film in 1922 with Gustav Von Seyffertitz as Moriarty and a great supporting cast, but somehow it doesn't really seem to come together. This used to be available from Videobrary but i'm not sure anyone is carrying it now.

I've never been able to track down any of the Nordisk films, nor either of the two Hound of the Baskervilles done by Richard Oswald, the later of which (1929) starred Carlyle Blackwell and was the last silent Holmes film.

The 1916 Essanay film with the famous stage Holmes William Gillette is lost.

I recently picked up the 1932 Clive Brook Sherlock Holmes from Sinister Cinema, and despite the intrusive love story, it was delightful seeing Ernest Torrence as Moriarty.

greta

I would agree that there is an inherent problem with Silent Holmes films....but Norwood was very effective in the lead role when the adaptation was right.
I think it's the Elvey Sign of Four - but don't quote me - that concludes with the most wonderful chase sequence - the villains by car, Holmes by river, to the Tilbury Docks in London; between the intercut car and river sequences the chase features every possible London tourist attraction as seen in the '20's.....fabulous.

That one sounds more interesting! I'd love to see the lot in good prints. Grapevine has The Dying Detective, The Devil's Foot, and The Man With the Twisted Lip (as well as the aforementioned Eclair film). I think i've seen the Norwood Hound of the Baskervilles but it's been so long i can't remember it. The short films i've seen felt pretty routine, so the features may have had more resources.

greta

John Barrymore did a Sherlock Holmes film in 1922 with Gustav Von Seyffertitz as Moriarty and a great supporting cast, but somehow it doesn't really seem to come together. This used to be available from Videobrary but i'm not sure anyone is carrying it now.

The Videobrary print was virtually unwatchable and, according to contemporary reviews, missing quite a bit.
I understand GEH has a print but I don't know of it's condition. I would love to see a good print.

The concept of Torrence as Moriarty is too good. Thanks for the tip.

It played at the Walter Reade in Manhattan a few years ago and was in fine shape.

Bob

Pordenone is running a Sherlock Holmes series this October. It's called Sherlock and Beyond and is curated by Jay Weissberg.

http://www.cinetecadelfriuli.org/gcm/giornate/questa_edizione.html

No details yet but I would imagine the centrepiece will be the Barrymore version. Maybe we'll also get the Nordisk films if any survive.

Pordenone is running a Sherlock Holmes series this October. It's called Sherlock and Beyond and is curated by Jay Weissberg.

http://www.cinetecadelfriuli.org/gcm/giornate/questa_edizione.html

No details yet but I would imagine the centrepiece will be the Barrymore version. Maybe we'll also get the Nordisk films if any survive.

Thanks for that tip!

update on my quest. (thanks first to all that took the time to do a bit of archival spelunking.)

Lillian Rebecca Haddock was born in Salt Lake City on 09 JUN 1907 making her around 17 year at the time of the books inscription. She married George Stannard in '46 and she left this world in '92.
The researcher from F.O.E. has yet to give me a call in regards to the names I submitted along with your suggestions.

update on my quest. (thanks first to all that took the time to do a bit of archival spelunking.)

Lillian Rebecca Haddock was born in Salt Lake City on 09 JUN 1907 making her around 17 year at the time of the books inscription. She married George Stannard in '46 and she left this world in '92.
The researcher from F.O.E. has yet to give me a call in regards to the names I submitted along with your suggestions.

Ooh, that's really neat! Have you found any children or grandchildren?

Fred

Once you start researching, you never know what will happen. This past January, I found a half brother that my father sired during WWII after only knowing his birthdate and what his mother's maiden name was. Now we're in contact and he and his wife are coming for a visit next year.

Ooh, that's really neat! Have you found any children or grandchildren?

Fred

According to the LDS database she had no children. So in that regard I feel Mrs. Haddock and I are kindred spirts. Never had any children in my 43 years. I do have a name picked out if I ever do have a child however; 'Unwanted'. (I have been called a dick on more than one occasion for that joke.)

On a side note just today I purchased Fairbanks book 'Making Life Worthwhile' (1918) in very fine condition WITH THE DUST JACKET. I'm eating ramen noodles for the next week.

Silentscreen, that is so cool, let us know about the visit! I found out 3 years ago I have a cousin I never knew about, he turned out to be a great guy.

Ooh, that's really neat! Have you found any children or grandchildren?

Fred

According to the LDS database she had no children. So in that regard I feel Mrs. Haddock and I are kindred spirts. Never had any children in my 43 years. I do have a name picked out if I ever do have a child however; 'Unwanted'. (I have been called a dick on more than one occasion for that joke.)

On a side note just today I purchased Fairbanks book 'Making Life Worthwhile' (1918) in very fine condition WITH THE DUST JACKET. I'm eating ramen noodles for the next week.

Silentscreen, that is so cool, let us know about the visit! I found out 3 years ago I have a cousin I never knew about, he turned out to be a great guy.

Too cool about finding out about the original book owner! I was just in SLC, my son lives there, and he and his wife just had twin girls.

I know my brother is a great guy. He's already proven that to me. I'm looking forward to seeing him. Eric Clapton actually had a similar situation. He didn't know his father was a Canadian pilot until he was 53. Those types of things were just kept in the closet back then. My brother is just thrilled to know someone from his natural father's side of the family.

Ooh, that's really neat! Have you found any children or grandchildren?

Fred

According to the LDS database she had no children. So in that regard I feel Mrs. Haddock and I are kindred spirts. Never had any children in my 43 years. I do have a name picked out if I ever do have a child however; 'Unwanted'. (I have been called a dick on more than one occasion for that joke.)

Oh foo, what a shame.

The possibility of finding heretofore unknown relatives is one of my worst nightmares.

Fred

Ooh, that's really neat! Have you found any children or grandchildren?

Fred

According to the LDS database she had no children. So in that regard I feel Mrs. Haddock and I are kindred spirts. Never had any children in my 43 years. I do have a name picked out if I ever do have a child however; 'Unwanted'. (I have been called a dick on more than one occasion for that joke.)

Oh foo, what a shame.

The possibility of finding heretofore unknown relatives is one of my worst nightmares.

Fred

...Must ... resist ... obvious ... jokes ....


Jim

I just got this Nitrateville private message and had to share it with you all.

"I found your post about Lillian Haddock while working on my family history. I joined NitrateVille so I could post to you.
I don't know if this is relevent to you still, but Edith Lillian always went by "Lillian". She married Louis Dean Allen who was my grandfather's brother She was born 13 May 1904 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She married Louis on 4 Nov 1927 in Salt Lake City and died 25 Apr 1986 in San Francisco, CA She had one son, Douglas Allen.
The last information I had on him he lived in Bountiful, Utah.
I am always finding family bibles, books and pictures and tracking down the stories or make and effort to get them back to people or families. Like detective work or jigsaw puzzles, I can't help myself."

Isn't that just the bees knees?

Lots of items in my silent film collection contain the names and addresses of the prior owners, and even a simple visit to Google Maps to see their house is so much fun, and gives much more context to the artefacts ... I discovered that the winner of the 1927 Photoplayer competition for Best Bobbed Hair lived just around the corner from me.

This is so fascinating