The Parade's Gone By...
by Kevin Brownlow
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Book Summary Information
Author: Kevin BrownlowEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1976-06-23
ISBN: 0520030680
Number of pages: 577
Publisher: University of California Press
Book Reviews of The Parade's Gone By...
Book Review: It stands the test of time
Summary: 5 Stars
It is a wonderful thing that this book is back in print. I got my copy a few years ago when I came across a huge street sale on 5th Avenue in NYC - the Gotham Book Mart had a space, and there was a cloth-bound, third printing (1969) edition of "The Parade's Gone By." I paid $27.50, but I would've paid twice that, as I had been looking for the book for some time.
This is, indeed, one of the definitive books about the silent era. Kevin Brownlow is a true scholar of the period, and his affection for this long-gone medium is both apparent and enjoyable to read. Many other books about silent film are weighted towards the stars and directors - Brownlow's book certainly has its fair share of that, as it should - but he explores lesser known areas of the industry, such as cameramen and filming techniques, music during production, stunts, art direction, scenario, editing, and a fascinating and insightful discussion of the melodramatic acting style of the period. Brownlow tries to understand silent films through the eyes of audiences contemporary to the period, not as audiences 40 years later (or today) would view them. This is, indeed, one of the secrets to enjoying silent films. And this feeling is captured by the many interviews of those who worked in the industry in those days.
The photographs throughout the book are quite interesting and informative - not the standard photos we see repeated over and over in other silent film books.
This book will give anyone quite an education in silent film, and deserves a place on the shelf of everyone who is interested in this wonderful and lost medium. You can't have my cloth-bound 1969 edition, but in any form the book is worth having. (Other reviewers' complaints about Clara Bow aside.) Check out also "Hollywood: The Pioneers" by Brownlow and John Kobal, a companion to the documentary series made by them over 25 years ago.
Other books I recommend:
The three volumes of "History of the American Cinema" series entitled,
"The Emergence of Cinema, The American Screen to 1907" by Charles Musser, one of the most engrossing histories of the evolution of the industry and art form you'll ever read,
"The Transformation of Cinema, 1907-1915" by Eileen Bowser, and
"An Evening's Entertainment, The Age of the Silent Feature Picture, 1915-1928" by Richard Koszarski.
These books provide an extremely comprehensive look at all aspects of the industry from its inception, discussing cameras, projectors, film stock, editing, tinting, intertitles, film companies, distribution & exhibition, patents and legal issues, as well as the films themselves. Some may find them rather pedantic - they aren't "light" reads, but are certainly for the serious silent film student...
And, of course, William K. Everson's "American Silent Film," one of the standards...
Also, a rather fascinating and personal history of silent film by James Card, the first curator of the film archive at George Eastman House in Rochester, NY. His book is entitled, "Seductive Cinema, The Art of Silent Film." James Card started this film archive with his own personal collection of about 800 titles; today George Eastman House has over 8,000 silent films in its archive, many of which is the only surviving print in the world. Card met many of the giants of the industry, and discusses his own personal interaction with them - his discussion of Josef von Sternberg is rather humorous. And Card's story about how, in the mid-1940's, he rescued the only surviving print of Herbert Brenon's "Peter Pan" from certain destruction is worth the purchase price...
Lastly, "Silent Cinema" by Paolo Cherchi Usai. This book is intended more as an introduction to and study of film preservation, but as such, it contains information about the industry, techniques, and materials used in producing films 75+ years ago that you won't find in many other places, and well illustrated.
Happy reading, and keep silent films alive!
Summary of The Parade's Gone By...
The magic of the silent screen, illuminated by the recollections of those who created it.Movies Books
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