Judy Garland was an entertainment icon whose performances on stage, screen and television had a tremendous impact across decades and media. This film-by-film study of her work follows her progression from pig-tailed child to a top motion picture star, with such timeless classics as The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St Louis, and A Star is Born. Garland's talent and versatility as an actress are explored through each of her movie roles. More than just a reference filmography, this work examines how Garland's talents were realized and understood by producers and the world. It analyzes the star's relatonships with various co-stars and directors and details how she balanced her painful insecurities with her often focused and driven approach to her work. Through the context of her work on film, Judy Garland's innate and enduring star power is readily appreciated and acknowledged.

In 1931 Universal Studios released Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. This box office success was followed by a string of films featuring macabre characters and chilling atmospherics, including Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man. With each new film, Universal established its place in the Hollywood firmament as the leading producer of horror films, a status it enjoyed for more than twenty years. In The Monster Movies of Universal Studios, James L. Neibaur examines the key films produced by the studio from the early 1930s through the mid-1950s. In each entry, the author recounts the movie’s production, provides critical commentary, considers the film’s commercial reception, and offers an overall assessment of the movie’s significance. Neibaur also examines the impact these films had on popular culture, an influence that resonates in the cinema of fear today. From the world premiere of Dracula to the 1956 release of The Creature Walks among Us, Universal excelled at scaring viewers of all ages—and even elicited a few chuckles along the way by pitting their iconic creatures against the comedic pair of Abbott and Costello. The Monster Movies of Universal Studios captures the thrills of these films, making this book a treat for fans of the golden age of horror cinema.

Frank Sinatra is an iconic figure in music, but his film career is often overlooked. His innate talent as an actor is proven in many serious dramatic roles, including films like Man with the Golden Arm, The Manchurian Candidate, and From Here to Eternity, for which he received an Oscar. From romantic musical comedies to Rat Pack films, Frank Sinatra achieved a great deal of success in motion pictures. He even took a stab at directing. This book examines each of Frank Sinatra's movies, from his early years as a bobby soxer idol, to more serious roles that exhibited the depth of his talent. Provided are background stories, production information, critical assessments, and an explanation of how his career as a recording artist connected to the movie. Discover through 60 photographs, interviews, and more, this underappreciated aspect of Sinatra's career.

The 1930s represented the strongest and most significant decade in Clark Gable's career. Later known as The King of Hollywood, Gable started out as a journeyman actor who quickly rose to the level of star, and then icon. With his ruggedly attractive looks and effortless charisma, Gable was the sort of manly romantic lead that bolstered features alongside the likes of Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, and Spencer Tracy. The decade culminated with Gable's most noted movie, Gone With the Wind. This book traces Gable's early career, film-by-film, offering background information and a critical assessment of each of his movies released during the 1930s,

Using interviews with Jerry Lewis and many of his co-stars, this book analyses his collaborative efforts with Dean Martin, his subsequent solo work, his writing and directorial careers, and more recent movies such as Hardly Working (1979) and The King of Comedy (1982). Comprehensive filmographic data are provided for each of the films, with cast and production credits, studio, release date, and running time. Lewis's own reflections on his work are included for many of the entries.

Long before his momentous teaming with Oliver Hardy, comedian Stan Laurel (1890-1965) was a motion picture star in his own right. From his film debut in Nuts in May (1917) through his final solo starring effort Should Tall Men Marry? (1928), Laurel headlined dozens of short comedies for a variety of producers and production companies, often playing characters far removed from the meek, dimwitted ""Stanley"" persona that we know and love. This film-by-film look at the pictures Stan made as a solo artist, as well as those he wrote and directed for other stars, shows his development as a movie comedian and filmmaker. Comedy legend Jerry Lewis, a longtime friend and admirer of Stan Laurel, provides an affectionate and eloquent foreword. Included are several rare photographs and production stills.

When Charlie Chaplin left Keystone Studios for more money and greater creative control at Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, he added more depth to his character, more thought to his direction, and more substance to his humor: at Essanay, he grew from a comedian to a true cinematic artist. This work carefully examines all sixteen Chaplin comedies produced at Essanay, showing Chaplin as an artist in transition from the knockabout Keystone farces to more refined, sometimes brilliant Mutual productions. From ""His New Job"" (1915) to ""Triple Trouble"" (1918), the book covers each film with key details, a history of its production, and valuable commentary that places the picture in context within Chaplin's canon.

Bob Hope got his start in show business when he was in his twenties, remained active past the age of 90, and lived to be 100. His longevity was remarkable, especially when one considers that he was active in vaudeville, radio, motion pictures and television. He excelled in each of these popular forms of entertainment, but his films are the most genuine testaments to his timeless comedy. His smart quips, fast pace, and breezy manner were perfect ingredients for the brand of comedy that was popular during World War II and the years immediately following the war. This book begins with a discussion of Bob Hope's early career and the short films that he starred in, and then covers each of the Hope films beginning with The Big Broadcast of 1938. The Hope films, the author says, do not have deep subtexts or clever cinematic innovations, but provide clever, uplifting entertainment that continues to inspire laughter and offer solid examples of the humor that made Americans smile during and after World War II. Cast and credit information is provided for each film.

Noted for its ?B? westerns, RKO also produced several movie classics; two were Citizen Kane and Gunga Din. Comprehensive filmographic data are included here for all of the studio's features: title, year of release, production credits, cast, genre, running time, alternate titles, availability on videocassette, and plot synopsis. Many entries give background information on the film's production and stars.

Producer Hal Roach wanted to match his success with Laurel and Hardy by producing films with a female comedy team. So in 1931 he teamed up Thelma Todd and ZaSu Pitts for a series of two reel shorts that were quickly successful. When Pitts left the studio for other pursuits, she was replaced by Patsy Kelly and the series continued to be successful. Thelma Todd died suddenly under mysterious circumstances in 1935 and Patsy tried to carry on alone, first with Pert Kelton, then with Lyda Roberti. When Lyda died in 1938, the series ended. This book is the first film-by-film look at each of the comedies these women made, how they responded to different directors, and how the movies adapted to changes along the way. As the short comedies are discussed, other projects each of the actresses engaged in outside of the series will also be mentioned. Each film examined will include credits, production information, period reviews, background, and a critical assessment.

The Andy Clyde's Columbia Comedies is a film-by-film look at the short subjects Andy Clyde starred in for Columbia Pictures from 1934-1956. Clyde had the longest running series of shorts at that studio after The Three Stooges, with nearly 80 productions. Each film will be discussed. There will also be introductory chapters on Clyde's early life, stage work, silent films, and early talkies. A concluding chapter will discuss his appearances in feature films, including several Hopalong Cassidy westerns, and his work in television on such shows as Lassie and The Real McCoys. The Andy Clyde's Columbia Comedies will also include information found in no other study, and many rare photos and graphics.

In 1931 Universal Studios released Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. This box office success was followed by a string of films featuring macabre characters and chilling atmospherics, including Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man. With each new film, Universal established its place in the Hollywood firmament as the leading producer of horror films, a status it enjoyed for more than twenty years. In The Monster Movies of Universal Studios, James L. Neibaur examines the key films produced by the studio from the early 1930s through the mid-1950s. In each entry, the author recounts the movie's production, provides critical commentary, considers the film's commercial reception, and offers an overall assessment of the movie's significance. Neibaur also examines the impact these films had on popular culture, an influence that resonates in the cinema of fear today. From the world premiere of Dracula to the 1956 release of The Creature Walks among Us, Universal excelled at scaring viewers of all ages-and even elicited a few chuckles along the way by pitting their iconic creatures against the comedic pair of Abbott and Costello. The Monster Movies of Universal Studios captures the thrills of these films, making this book a treat for fans of the golden age of horror cinema.

W.C. Fields is one of the top comedians of Hollywood's golden era of the 1930s and 1940s, and has emerged as a comic icon since. This book is a film-by-film study of his work, offering assessments and background information on each, from his early silent movies through his final starring film and later supporting cameos at the end of his life. This is the first book to assess many of the once-lost silent films that have since been discovered and restored, while also offering new information about movies that are still lost, and fresh assessments of his noted classics.

From 1917 to 1919, Joseph Schenck produced a series of Comique comedies starring master movie comedian Roscoe ?Fatty? Arbuckle and featuring an apprentice, Joseph Frank ?Buster? Keaton. These films were initially deemed significant by modern archivists for representing the first movie appearances of Keaton, widely considered one of the most important figures in motion picture history. But the Comique films also remain the most important of Arbuckle's career because they feature him at the height of his cinematic genius. The 14 short comedies starring Arbuckle and Keaton are analyzed in this book. After two chapters of biographical introductions, the rest of the book discusses their collaborative efforts and reveals the way in which the films evolved from Arbuckle's wild slapstick to feature more of the subtlety and cleverness of Keaton. Closing sections discuss what became of Arbuckle and Keaton afterward, commenting significantly on the scandal that undermined Arbuckle's career.

One of the great icons of 1930s Hollywood film, Jean Harlow died a tragically early death in 1937 at age 26. During her brief career, she delivered memorable performances in such MGM classics as Red Dust (1932), Bombshell (1933), Dinner at Eight (1933) and Libeled Lady (1936), among others. Taking a film-by-film look at Harlow's work and her own impressions of her costars and directors, this retrospective traces her growth as an actress-from tentative supporting player to top star at a prestigious studio-and how her often tumultuous life informed her performances.

Harry Langdon was a silent screen comedian unlike any other. Slower in pace, more studied in movement, and quirkier in nature, Langdon challenged the comic norm by offering comedies that were frequently edgy and often surreal. After a successful run of short comedies with Mack Sennett, Langdon became his own producer at First National Pictures, making such features as Tramp Tramp Tramp, The Strong Man, and Long Pants before becoming his own director for Three's a Crowd, The Chaser, and Heart Trouble. In The Silent Films of Harry Langdon (1923-1928), film historian James Neibaur examines Langdon's strange, fascinating work during the silent era, when he made landmark films that were often ahead of their time. Extensively reviewing the comedian's silent screen work film by film, Neibaur makes the case that Langdon should be accorded the same lofty status as his contemporaries: Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. With fascinating insights into the work of an under-appreciated artist, this book will be of interest to both fans and scholars of silent cinema.