Now what was the name of that film again? The one that Jack Nicholson was in the Sixties, you know... How many times a month does this dilemma strike? American Film Actors are a large part of all our daily lives, if only we could remember the names of the films they appeared in. Now you have all the information you could ever need, as well as crave, at your fingertips in the new Biographical Encyclopedia of Hollywood.Expert film and theatre historian Barry Monush (of Screen World fame) has produced the work of a lifetime -- a complete listing of every actor who has appeared in American film from the dawn of the two-reeler. But Monush does more than list the vital statistics (American films, New York stage appearances, key television work, birth date, real name, educational background, years of release), he provides a highly amusing and well-researched account of each and every thespian.From Bud Abbott to Pia Zadora, Monush gives each performer his or her due, along with the occasional left jab. In most cases Monush reveals more than the particular actor ever revealed on camera. But there is also plenty of praise, and rare facts and figures, for the great artists. The neglected are finally given their due praise, the overblown finally their comeuppance. Overall, it is the most authoritative, complete and revealing resource volume on the American actor ever compiled. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Hollywood is as indispensable as it is enjoyable. Anyone who has ever loved movies, and especially loved to talk about them, must own this book.

(Applause Books). For decades, Screen World has been the film professional's, as well as the film buff's, favorite and indispensable annual screen resource, full of all the necessary statistics and facts. Now Screen World editor Barry Monush has compiled another comprehensive work for every film lover's library. In the first of two volumes, this book chronicles the careers of every significant film actor, from the earliest silent screen stars Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks to the mid-1960s, when the old studio and star systems came crashing down. Each listing includes: a brief biography, photos from the famed Screen World archives, with many rare shots; vital statistics; a comprehensive filmography; and an informed, entertaining assessment of each actor's contributions good or bad! In addition to every major player, Monush includes the legions of unjustly neglected troupers of yesteryear. The result is a rarity: an invaluable reference tool that's as much fun to read as a scandal sheet. It pulsates with all the scandal, glamour, oddity and glory that was the lifeblood of its subjects. Contains over 1,000 photos!

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 actors and actresses who made at least three silent films and had some starring or supporting roles in sound films are included in this reference work. For each performer, the place of birth, vital dates, nicknames if any, real name if different from stage name, and a source for filmographic data are included. This information is followed by capsule accounts of the performer's silent and sound careers, along with contemporary reviews of selected talkies in which they appeared.

Screen World editor Barry Monush has compiled an essential work for every film lover's library.

Offers an historical overview of the American film industry, from its beginnings in Thomas Edison's workshop to its status today as the leader of the world's filmmaking.

In this first in-depth study of how historic scientists and inventors have been portrayed on screen, A Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists and Inventors in American Film and TV since 1930 catalogs nearly 300 separate performances and includes essays on the screen images of more than 80 historic scientists, inventors, engineers, and medical researchers.

Pearl White, William Duncan, William Desmond, Ben Wilson, Walter Miller, Francis Ford, Charles Hutchinson, Jack Dougherty, and Eddie Polo are just a few of the stars to start up a whirlwind of enthusiasm among serial devotees. They offered a thrill-a-minute world of ridiculous plots, weird disguises, hair-raising escapes, hidden treasures, diabolic scientific devices, wild animals, depraved men, runaway trains, and an endless procession of knock-down, drag-out fights. Who could resist? This reference work highlights 446 serial performers who thrilled generations. Each entry includes the performer's birth and death dates, serial credits, major films and details of life before and after the movies.