From Silents to Sound

A Biographical Encyclopedia of Performers Who Made the Transition to Talking Pictures

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by Roy Liebman

Type

Studies

Subject

Silent Cinema

Keywords

silent cinema, sound, actors

Publishing date

2009

Publisher

McFarland & Co

Collection

Silent Cinema

1st publishing

1998

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 309 pages
7 ½ x 10 ¼ inches (19 x 26 cm)

ISBN

978-0-7864-4062-7

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Book Presentation:
Garbo talked, Gilbert self-destructed and Chaplin refused-that's about all many people know about silent film actors who faced the transition into talking pictures. Yes, Greta Garbo's talkie debut was successful, John Gilbert's was disastrous, and Charlie Chaplin did not deign to make one for over a decade. But there were many others-both stars and lesser lights-who also made the leap for at least one talking film.

From Renee Adoree to Loretta Young, over 500 performers who made at least three silent films and had some starring or supporting roles in sound films are included here. Given for each are birthplace, vital dates, nicknames if any, real name if different from stage name, source for filmographic data, and capsule account of the performer's silent and sound careers.

About the Author:
Roy Liebman, formerly a librarian and film bibliographer at California State University, works at the Los Angeles Public Library. He is the author of several reference books on the cinema, published by McFarland. A book reviewer for Library Journal and Magill Online Reviews, he lives in California.

Press Reviews:
"most interesting…even the most casual browser will be impressed…thought provoking…recommended"—Booklist; "[a] well-written, educational, and eminently readable look at the turbulent history of an industry that affects us all"—ARBA; "wonderful"—Public Library Quarterly; "fill[s] [a] niche in film biography…useful"—Choice; "very readable…informative…the author writes engagingly and his descriptions of the performers and their screen personas are right on target"—The Silents Majority.

See the publisher website: McFarland & Co