On March 12, 1993, Lillian Gish's memorial service was attended by a host of celebrities whose lives had been touched by her long and remarkable career. From her first film, ""An Unseen Enemy"" (1912), to her last, ""The Whales of August"" (1987), Lillian Gish personified film.With a theatrical career spanning nearly 100 years, Gish saw motion pictures evolve from flickers to blockbusters. Almost always playing someone who needed to be rescued or protected, her trademark delicacy and vulnerability were, however, only part of her persona. She was a strong and complex woman whose painful childhood taught her frugality, love for her mother and her sister, Dorothy, and a distrust of men. In this, her most complete biography, the author, who was her friend, chronicles the hardships, heartaches, and fierce determination that shaped her from her days as a fatherless child to those as head of her family, and on to a time when she became nearly a legend. Featuring rare photographs and intimate recollections of Lillian, Dorothy, and other important figures, the biography is helpful in understanding film history as well as one of its most beautiful and important figures.

Fatty Arbuckle's career came to a sudden halt amidst allegations that he raped and caused the death of a young starlet named Virginia Rappe. Though he was acquitted, the comedian, who was at one time second in popularity only to Charlie Chaplin, was ruined. Interviews with many of Arbuckle's contemporaries (including Minta Durfee, his first wife) and extensive research inform this serious study of the once-fabled comedian. His early days in the Keystone comedies and his relationship with Chaplin are recounted. The details of the Rappe trial and his life afterwards are also provided.

Internationally known silent film pianist Stuart Oderman brings together a collection of personal interviews with prominent personalities from music and film: Artie Shaw, Lita Grey, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Harry Richman, Vera-Ellen, Ann Miller, Janet Blair, Veronica Lake, David Burns, Marie Windsor, Vivian Blaine, Joan Blondell, Lou Jacobi, Gloria DeHaven, Tallulah Bankhead. Includes photographs taken at the time of the interviews as well as rare photographs from the author's personal collection.

From the man who brought you Talking to the Piano Player (and its upcoming sequel) comes an amazing history of the greatest comedy studio in history - Keystone. At Mack Sennett's Fun Factory it was all laughs: flying pies, bathing beauties on the beach, traintrack thrills, cliffhangers, sight gags, and rehearsed spontaniety. All that was required for the anxious distributors and eager movie audiences was A Reel a Week. Silent film pianist Stuart Oderman met and played for many of THE KEYSTONE KROWD and their contemporaries for whom making comedy was a very serious business. He also listened... THE KEYSTONE KROWD is a document of the twilight years of many of Sennett's innovators, who were still able to recall their early days when filmmaking was in its infancy. Come read their last opportunity to leave their impressions of themselves and their times from a golden era.

From the prolific fingers of master silent movie pianist Stuart Oderman comes a collection of rare interviews with some of the most important people of a bygone film era: Marlene Dietrich, Frank Capra, Colleen Moore, Jackie Coogan, Madge Bellamy, Aileen Pringle, Allan Dwan, Adela Rogers St. Johns, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Anita Loos, Anita Garvin, Leatriee Joy, Dorothy Davenport (Mrs. Wallace) Reid, Patsy Ruth Miller, Ann Pennington, Claire Windsor, Betty Bronson, Billie Rhodes, Minta Durfee, Jerry Devine, Lois Wilson and Constance Talmadge. Includes photographs taken at the time of their interviews. All photos and many of these interviews have never been seen before outside of this collection.