Hurrah for Meuel

David Meuel’s Silent Film’s Last Hurrah: The Remarkable Movies of the Long 1928 (McFarland) takes an overview of film during a period stretching from the groundbreaking release of The Jazz Singer in October 1927 through February 1929. It was a time when Hollywood continued to release silent films, but audience response made it clear that sound had revolutionized the young industry. Performers and other creative talents would either have to adapt to a new set of filmmaking tools, or be left behind.

Each of thirteen chapters covers a filmmaker who released an important work during the time in question. Many of the era’s best-known talents appear: Chaplin, Keaton, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, and Lon Chaney are joined by the likes of Josef von Sternberg and William Wellman. Among the films he analyses in depth are Steamboat Bill, Jr., Sadie Thompson, and The Wedding March. A follow-up chapter briefly discusses another twenty-eight noteworthy films that appeared during the long 1928. Meuel is a highly knowledgeable, authoritative film historian who presents his theses in a clear and accessible style that can be appreciated by scholars and film buffs alike.

Being a longtime admirer of Joan Crawford, I especially enjoyed the chapter that discusses her star-making film Our Dancing Daughters, which makes a slightly unexpected appearance here. Meuel ably assesses the ways in which, throughout a long career, Crawford continued to draw on the techniques of silent film performance that she learned from mentors like Chaney, and cogently explains why she adapted to the coming of the sound era in a way that performers like Clara Bow seemed unable to do. Brushing aside the personal dramas that have many knowing her primarily as “Mommie Dearest,” the author shares his conviction that, for a period between the mid-forties and early fifties, Miss Crawford “was as consistently good as any actress in Hollywood.” Another strong chapter, on director King Vidor and The Crowd, helped me better understand the acclaim this iconic film has received, and how revolutionary it was for the Jazz Age, unlike most other films of its day.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful, engrossing work on a fascinating time in motion picture history, look no further.

A First Look

Many thanks to noted film historian James Robert Parish for contributing the first Amazon review of Rochelle Hudson: A Biography and Career Record, which he says “gives [the] subject Grade A treatment,” and offers “many noteworthy facts on her life on- and off-screen.” 

I’m flattered by his kind words, which I hope will encourage more readers to get acquainted with the fascinating Miss Hudson.

It’s Here!

I was excited to see author copies of Rochelle Hudson: A Biography and Career Record arrive on my doorstep this week, which means it can also be in readers’ hands shortly. In addition to the link above, you can find it at Amazon and other online bookstores. The print version is out, with eBooks to follow shortly. I’ll also share a few reviews as they come in.

I enjoyed learning about her life and career, and hope you will too.

In the Stacks

The library of my alma mater Oglethorpe University has acquired my  McFarland titles for its collection, which now supports a film studies program. Here's library director Eli Arnold, showing them off.

It's an honor to have my books in this prestigious library.  

Roman Times

In the past few years, author Derek Sculthorpe has become the film noir fan's best friend, with his well-researched books on the likes of Edmond O'Brien, Sydney Greenstreet, and Claire Trevor. He scores again with his newest, Ruth Roman: A Career Portrait (McFarland), which shines an overdue spotlight on the talented beauty who graced the likes of The Window (1949), Lightning Strikes Twice (1951), and Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train (1951).

One of the few Golden Age actors who appeared in movies under her real name, Miss Roman originally pursued an acting career in New York City, with little success. In 1943, she relocated to Hollywood with a $100 bankroll. Not exactly an overnight success, she spent much of the next several years stuck in minor roles. But as the 1940s gave way to a new decade, her career was finally on the upswing, with an attention-getting role in Champion (1949). She was signed to a contract by Warner Brothers and given the star buildup. Though her sultry sensuality won her many fans, she fell short of becoming a major star. However, as Sculthorpe's text makes clear, Miss Roman's lengthy career in film and television amply merits a book-length study, and this is a fine one.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Miss Roman increasingly found steadier work in television. A series regular in The Long, Hot Summer (ABC, 1965-66), she also made numerous guest appearances on popular shows of that era. I was unaware of just how many classic series featured her as a guest star. Late in her career, she had recurring roles in Knots Landing and Murder, She Wrote.

Subtitled "A Career Portrait," the book's main emphasis is indeed on the actress' professional life. However, it is substantially enriched by the participation of Hollywood agent Budd Burton Moss, Miss Roman's third husband, still with us in his nineties. He gives a poignant explanation of how their marriage went awry, at a time when she felt he was making great deals for many of his clients, but not her. There's also an intriguing account of her experiences as one of the survivors of the S.S. Andrea Doria's tragic 1956 shipwreck.  

Like many of the best film books, this will leave you wanting to watch more of its subject's work. Film fans will appreciate the care and attention Derek Sculthorpe has given to an underappreciated actress who's well worth rediscovering. 

NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Reveal!

Here it is! The beautiful cover of my forthcoming book, Rochelle Hudson: A Biography and Career Record, due out later this year:

You can read more about it here.

Calling Miss Pinkerton

I've been an admirer of character actress Lee Patrick since the 1970s, when I first saw her play the comically confused Henrietta Topper in syndicated reruns of the 1953-55 sitcom Topper. Movie buffs remember her memorable supporting performances in classics like Mildred Pierce (1945) and, of course, The Maltese Falcon (1941).

Today I enjoyed watching The Nurse's Secret, a 1941 B movie in which she plays a rare starring role. It's adapted from mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart's 1932 book Miss Pinkerton: Adventures of a Nurse-Detective. Miss Patrick plays heroic nurse Ruth Adams, who with her policeman boyfriend Inspector Patton investigates the death of a young playboy. She makes her character capable, sassy, and just a bit of a smart aleck.

Just over an hour long, the film is entertaining without being terribly memorable. A good cast includes Clara Blandick (Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz), and Regis Toomey as Patton. It's a remake of 1932's Miss Pinkerton, which starred Joan Blondell as Nurse Adams.

Perhaps someday I'll write a book about Miss Patrick. She certainly deserves one.