The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era rediscovers the fascinating lives and pioneering achievements of 15 women who dared to venture into early motion pictures, an industry dominated by men, and who not only succeeded but became the focal points of the industry. Each star earned a position at the height of her profession, and though many are largely forgotten today, made a lasting and significant contribution to early cinema. In this entertaining and informative volume, author David Menefee reveals these women and their signature roles, drawing on many original sources to show us how such actresses as Theda Bara, Sarah Bernhardt, Dorothy Gish, and Norma Talmadge were received in their time, and the many ways in which their influence remains important today. Each profile contains a biographical treatment, an analysis of key films from her career, a discussion of the actress's influence on the medium, and selected filmography. Each also includes two photographs, most often one of the actress herself and a still from a film.

Hardback presentation version. 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.

The captivating lives and groundbreaking accomplishments of fourteen men who dared to gamble their reputations by appearing in the first motion pictures are explored in a richly researched new book, The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era. At a time when other actors in the "legitimate theater" scorned the industry, these amazing men not only defied the odds of success but also received a place at the heights of a fascinating business that was a new form of art. Each made an enduring and important contribution to early cinema, although some are forgotten today. Exhaustive research in every major archive of the world has created this compilation of information and images. In this engaging and educational volume, author David W. Menefee reaches into the vaults of history to withdraw countless, unusual details that tell how these men, their roles, and their influence were received in their time, and how their powerful impact still lingers today. The book includes 114 rare scene photos, portraits, reproductions of full-page film advertisements, and lobby cards. Actors include: John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Richard Barthelmess, John Bunny, Francis X. Bushman, Lon Chaney, Jackie Coogan, William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Antonio Moreno, Jack Pickford, Wallace Reid, Rudolph Valentino, and Crane Wilbur. Hardback version.

Wallace Reid still rouses excitement today as Jeff, the blacksmith in D. W. Griffith's famous film, The Birth of a Nation. Audiences thrill to the rip-roaring brawl between Jeff and a band of villainous renegades. The fight was largely real, and many people saw Wally for the first time in that immortal film. They said he became "a star overnight," but he had appeared in more than a hundred films before. In Wally, his story is fully told for the first time. He was "born in a trunk" to an actress mother and a famous playwright father. Wally barely survived the infamous St. Louis cyclone when the storm tore that city apart, but he emerged from the carnage to grow into a popular student, athlete, and early film hero. His handsome looks inspired directors to place him in front of cameras, but his ambitions were to be a writer and director. When director Cecil B. DeMille picked him to appear opposite opera diva Geraldine Farrar in her first films, his aspirations became lost in the dizzying idolatry of worldwide audiences. Wally's popularity soared to a height rivaled only by Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin, but his pedestal of fame stood on shaky ground. Genuine tragedy fell upon Wally and his film crew when their train derailed in an isolated Sierra Mountain location. His injuries were treated with morphine, and his family and friends watched helpless as he became caught unaware in the deathly grip of the drug. Dorothy Davenport, his wife and a beautiful star in her own right, remained faithfully by his side, while he wrestled with the demons that threatened to take his life. Wally draws from many original sources and major archives to show how he was received in his time and the importance of his role in the development of motion pictures. The entertaining and informative book contains an extensive biographical treatment, a detailed filmography, and more than 200 rare photographs, posters, advertisements, and lobby cards that capture the glamour of Hollywood's Golden Years.

No one will ever forget the scene in D. W. Griffith's Way Down East where Richard Barthelmess as David rescued Anna Moore from certain death on an ice floe as it was about to plummet over a waterfall. The actor risked his life for that stunt, and the exciting sequence still thrills audiences to this day. His effort to fight back and live on became more than the stuff of Hollywood legend. Richard went on to be nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor for The Noose and The Patent Leather Kid. His signature roles are in many of D. W. Griffith's silent films including Broken Blossoms, Scarlet Days, The Love Flower, and The Idol Dancer. Few people are aware that he was nearly felled by the chaos of Hollywood's transition from silent to talking pictures when he used a voice double to sing for him in Weary River. Despite the setback, his transition to talking pictures and work in The Dawn Patrol, Cabin in the Cotton, and Only Angel's Have Wings proved that his talent was enduring. For the first time, the story is fully told how Alla Nazimova, a famous Russian star, plucked him from obscurity to play in her first film, and how his worldwide fame was nearly snuffed out when he followed America's call to arms and gave up his movie career to assist in the fight against Nazi aggression in World War Two. By the time he returned to civilian life, a new generation had grown up never seeing his work, but his determination to succeed against all odds regained a foothold in films, and he continued to work until retiring to a happy life as a senior citizen. Richard appeared in more than 80 films, and this book reveals them with a richly researched biography, an extensive Filmography, and hundreds of rare portraits, posters, and lobby cards that capture the glamour of Hollywood's Golden Era.

The captivating lives and groundbreaking accomplishments of fourteen men who dared to gamble their reputations by appearing in the first motion pictures are explored in a richly researched new book, The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era. At a time when other actors in the "legitimate theater" scorned the industry, these amazing men not only defied the odds of success but also received a place at the heights of a fascinating business that was a new form of art. Each made an enduring and important contribution to early cinema, although some are forgotten today. Exhaustive research in every major archive of the world has created this compilation of information and images. In this engaging and educational volume, author David W. Menefee reaches into the vaults of history to withdraw countless, unusual details that tell how these men, their roles, and their influence were received in their time, and how their powerful impact still lingers today. The book includes 114 rare scene photos, portraits, reproductions of full-page film advertisements, and lobby cards. Actors include: John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Richard Barthelmess, John Bunny, Francis X. Bushman, Lon Chaney, Jackie Coogan, William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Antonio Moreno, Jack Pickford, Wallace Reid, Rudolph Valentino, and Crane Wilbur. This is the softcover edition.

Could a romance on this next Valentines Day be as unforgettable as Allison Webster's romance with the King of Rock and Roll? What do a hit song, a hep singer, and a hot fried peanut butter and banana sandwich have in common? For stunningly attractive Allison Webster, struggling to make a name in the glitzy advertising world, they spell infatuation and desire. They are the first notes in the love song she hears when she can't help falling in love with her King of Rock 'n' Roll. When the Memphis Mafia rudely invades her affair with the most eligible bachelor in the country, no one can tell which way the records will spin. Singer, songwriter, actor, and author Carol Dunitz and Pulitzer-nominated author David W. Menefee lay down the tracks in this unforgettable romance that's topping the charts as the year's most musical love story. This is the first book in the Allison Webster trilogy. Read this book before enjoying the tantalizing funny and unforgettable continuation, COME AWAY TO PARADISE. Watch the CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE video on YouTube here: http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcB4C2Yk5Y8

While making sweet memories in a world of make-believe, Mary Pickford discovers that love appears brightest when she least expects. Pulitzer-nominated author David W. Menefee's new fiction novel presents a memoir by Charlotte Pickford, Mary's mother, who vividly reveals their ambitions, triumphs, and tears. Thrill to the dazzling all-star cast of characters in the enduring story of an indomitable girl's vision of victory, and her mother's untiring endeavors to achieve those dreams no matter what the cost. Before Mary Pickford became famous as a silent movie star, she was Gladys Smith, a little girl from Toronto, who earned her family's bread and butter by portraying children long after her own childhood passed. Sweet Memories fades in on Mary after ten years of touring the back roads of Broadway, when the sixteen-year-old, lovely as a spring rose, faces the greatest challenge of her life. Caught on a merry-go-round making movies, worldwide adulation elevates her onto an unsteady pedestal as The Biograph Girl, where labor and love mix like oil and water. During the tempest of adoration, only Charlotte stands by her side, and only Owen abides in her heart. Together, they join a band of independent filmmakers in Cuba, but none of them suspect that they have unwittingly set sail on an explosive adventure that will take a lifetime to forget. David W. Menefee is the Pulitzer nominated author of WALLY: THE TRUE WALLACE REID STORY (Foreword by Robert Osborne), and THE RISE AND FALL OF LOU-TELLEGEN, both of which were named among the Best Silent Film Books of 2011 by Thomas Gladysz in the San Francisco Examiner's annual ranking. David's other popular works include the monumental SARAH BERNHARDT, HER FILMS, HER RECORDINGS (Foreword by Kevin Brownlow), RICHARD BARTHELMESS: A LIFE IN PICTURES (named one of the Top Film Books of 2009), THE REMARKABLE MR. MESSING, BROTHERS OF THE STORM, and the popular MARGOT CRANSTON detective series.

NAMED BEST SILENT FILM BOOK OF 2011 by Thomas Gladysz in the San Francisco Examiner. Lou-Tellegan, a youth from the Netherlands, became one of the world's first movie stars. Before he became famous, he was the son of a brave and brilliant Dutch military general. Lou first found work as a boxer, a circus trapeze artist, and as a nude model in Paris for Auguste Rodin. He became an eager, dedicated stage actor with Italy's most famous actress, Eleonora Duse. When France's renowned actress, Sarah Bernhardt, plucked him from obscurity with a four-year contract, she remade him into a rich and world-famous star. Hollywood snapped him up for silent movies. Geraldine Farrar, the world's greatest opera singer, married him after a brief, whirlwind romance, but on one dark day, the fairy tale magic of his incredible storybook life came suddenly to a shocking end that stunned the entire world. David W. Menefee is the Pulitzer nominated author of SWEET MEMORIES and WALLY: THE TRUE WALLACE REID STORY.

The forerunner of 12 YEARS A SLAVE: Pulitzer nominated author David W. Menefee's tale about two brothers and their struggle to survive 14 years of slavery. In BROTHERS OF THE STORM, Abraham Lincoln cannot save Americans from war, but when one of the two brothers is condemned to die for a crime he did not commit, the Great Emancipator faces one of the most compelling decisions of his life. In BROTHERS OF THE STORM, the course of Black American history changes through the efforts of Lincoln and many other admirable men and women, such as Frederick Douglass, Sengbe Pieh, John Brown, and Harriet Tubman, but they do not walk alone. From the Amistad rebellion to the Emancipation Proclamation, Black American history comes alive in the story of Matthew and Mark, brothers of the storm of war, who follow in their footsteps. The twin orphans are torn apart and forced to live distant, separate lives. One boy's hopes are shattered, his brother's dream becomes a nightmare, and a war ignites the fuse for an explosive adventure. Their lives celebrate the power of the human spirit to do what is right no matter what the cost, and their will to reunite plunges them on a roller coaster ride along the twisting trail to freedom in a world gone mad. Believing that nothing is impossible, and trusting that love is stronger than evil, Mark fights against overwhelming odds in a nail biting race against time to save Matthew from execution before the wheels of justice forever destroy their dream to reunite.

Love during war can often end too quickly. Sabrina, a brilliant and young government scientist discovers her world turned asunder one fateful day after falling passionately in love with the man of her dreams. Neither of them expects the winds of war to ensnare them in a whirlpool of tragedy, intrigue, and deception, or that the unrelenting forces of evil will dare to extinguish the magical light of their love. A conspiracy to destroy their fragile lives triggers a desperate mission so intense that nothing but devotion and a fervent drive to reunite can untangle them from a world gone mad. Although the characters are a bewitching blend of real lovers who survived the world's most terrible war, the incidents and situations woven into the backdrop of their affair are absolutely accurate to history. You become entangled in their battle-swept lives and the undying love they have for one another in this rich, sweeping epic love story filled with gripping action, beauty, and mystery. Written by the great and compassionate Pulitzer nominated author of WALLY: THE TRUE WALLACE REID STORY, CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (co-author Carol Dunitz), BROTHERS OF THE STORM, and THE SECRET OF THE ST. LAWRENCE LIGHTHOUSE (co-author Robert L. Willis.) You'll need a box of tissues for this one. Don't miss it

In Pulitzer nominated author David W. Menefee's brilliant new novel, secret soldier Isador Messing lives up to the title "Master of Disguise." Terror strikes suddenly when Hitler's SS troops arrest his fiance on the day they plan to escape Nazi occupied Berlin. Mr. Messing believes that love, determination, and ingenuity can overcome all obstacles, and he lights the fuse for a countdown battle of good against evil. Alone and stoic in the face of malevolence, he launches a daring and desperate plan to liberate her from Auschwitz by impersonating different men during his journey across Europe. Can the remarkable Mr. Messing triumph against all odds in a war-torn world gone mad and rescue her from certain doom? SECRET SOLDIER MASTER OF DISGUISE is the new expanded version of the novel previously published as THE REMARKABLE MR. MESSING.

Sarah Bernhardt, Her Films, Her Recordings (Foreword by Kevin Brownlow, Academy Award-winning film historian.) Sarah Bernhardt was called the world's greatest actress. She spoke on one of Edison's first recordings. She appeared in one of the first sound movies. She earned a place in motion picture history with her highly influential Queen Elizabeth, a film that started Adolph Zukor on the road to success with Famous Players, the company that became Paramount Pictures. Sarah's work in early films and recordings takes center stage in David W. Menefee's monumental research work, an incredible, stunning collection of information and images rediscovered in the world's foremost archives. The book includes detailed analyses of her films, hundreds of rare photographs, plot synopses, casts, contemporary reviews, production notes, the rediscovered lost and unknown film of the death scene from Daniel, and the first French/English translations of her recordings. In a revised and expanded version of the brilliant Sarah Bernhardt in the Theater of Films and Sound Recordings, Sarah Bernhardt's unforgettable story is retold during Paramount Pictures' 2012 Centennial celebration by esteemed Pulitzer nominee David W. Menefee. David W. Menefee is the author of: Sweet Memories Wally: The True Wallace Reid Story (Foreword by Robert Osborne) The Remarkable Mr. Messing Falling Stars: 10 Who Tried to Be a Movie Star Richard Barthelmess: A Life in Pictures (Named one of the Top 10 Film Books) Brothers of the Storm The Rise and Fall of Lou-Tellegen George O'Brien: A Man's Man in Hollywood The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era "Otay " The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story Charlie O'Doone's Second Chance and Other Stories Margot Cranston: The Mystery at Loon Lake Margot Cranston: The Secret of St. Laurent Lighthouse Margot Cranston: The Quest for the Jade Dragons

In the history of the movies, thousands of men, women, children, and even animals have tried to find success as a movie star. They were drawn from theater, opera, sports, and every type of entertainment venue, and some even came from out of nowhere. They took valiant stabs at entrancing audiences with their faces, personalities, or peculiarities. A precious few achieved greater popularity than anyone could have ever dreamed, but others vanished beneath the sands of time along with the films they so lovingly made. They gave us their most audacious efforts, but they did not find any lasting success, or having enjoyed a brief blush with triumph, they returned home to their true metiers. Some simply never found a second chance. This book celebrates the memorable attempts of ten who tried to be a movie star. They shot across silver screens like comets, but they all disappeared like falling stars. Pulitzer nominated author David W. Menefee searched the major archives of the world to uncover the true behind-the-scenes stories of ten of Hollywood's most legendary headliners. He returned with this fascinating anthology that includes detailed analyses of their attempts at films, plot synopses, casts, contemporary reviews, production notes, and hundreds of rare photographs that capture the glamour and excitement of Hollywood's Golden Era. Enjoy this engaging compilation featuring Helen Keller, Enrico Caruso, Mary Garden, Babe Ruth, Otis Skinner, Anna Pavlova, Eleonora Duse, Lottie Pickford, Harry Houdini, and Maude Adams. Pulitzer nominee David W. Menefee is the author of: Sweet Memories Sarah Bernhardt, Her Films, Her Recordings, Wally: The True Wallace Reid Story, The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era' The First Male Stars: Men of the Silent Era, Richard Barthelmess: A Life in Pictures, "Otay " The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story, The Rise and Fall of Lou-Tellegen, Charlie O'Doone's Second Chance and Other Stories, Margot Cranston: The Mystery at Loon Lake, Margot Cranston: The Secret of St. Laurent Lighthouse, Margot Cranston: The Mystery at Loon Lake, Margot Cranston: The Quest for the Jade Dragons, George O'Brien: A Man's Man in Hollywood

A wonderful wedding and honeymoon at Niagara Falls should bring a night of delight to remember forever, but when famous detective Margot Cranston attends, a party in paradise becomes a festivity with fear. Two priceless jade dragons promise power and riches for whoever possesses the famous twin figurines. The bride plans for them to bring joy to the world, but her enemy plots to gain power from the gems. Join Margot, her niece Amy, and her nephew Andy, for the reception near the rapids and famed waterfall, but prepare to be drawn into a whirlpool of intrigue on their death-defying quest for the jade dragons.

Reuniting with old acquaintances should be great fun, but when famous detective Margot Cranston attends, a bash with friends becomes a crash with enemies. No one suspects evil to be lurking in the dark when a flash of lightning kills power at the party, but Margot lights a candle that ignites the fuse for one of the strangest cases in her mystery-solving career. Her investigation of a severed wire leads through dangerous warehouses and long-hidden rooms, as she unearths startling proof of a criminal ring. With help from her niece Amy and nephew Andy, Margot soon realizes that the Loon Lake shores harbor more than love and romantic hideaways. Join Margot on a weekend rendezvous with revenge, when a trail of clues throws her into troubled waters, as she unravels the shocking mystery at Loon Lake.

When detective Margot Cranston vacations in Montreal, a cruise ship sails into a crime-riddled nightmare. A ghastly ghost haunting an ancient lighthouse stirs trouble in the waters of the St. Lawrence River. Margot, her niece Amy, and her nephew Andy are ensnared in a weekend of trickery and intrigue that only an encounter with the phantom can resolve. Margot risks danger, deception, and her own death to unravel the secret of the St. Lawrence lighthouse.

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.