Around 500 movies from the silent and early talkie era are now available on DVD. Of course this figure includes shorts as well as features, plus 40 or 50 films that are available in multiple versions.
This handbook, sub-titled "A Classic Movie Fan's Guide", provides detailed reviews of 178 of these movies, plus less comprehensive information on over 100 additional titles, dating from 1918 through 1933, that are now available to purchase in DVD format from various suppliers. (A few highly recommended firms are listed in the book).
Almost all the films reviewed are full-length features that showcase stars like Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Clara Bow, Lon Chaney, Louise Brooks, Charles Chaplin, Joan Crawford, Colleen Moore, Harold Lloyd, Gary Cooper, William Powell, Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Norma Shearer, Buster Keaton, Shirley Temple, Barbara Stanwyck, Ronald Colman, Lillian Gish, Marion Davies, and Wallace Beery, who are still top favorites with all motion picture fans.
In addition, however, it's very pleasing to note that players like Laura La Plante, Charles Ray, Alice Terry, Pola Negri, Mary Miles Minter, Rod La Rocque, and Mabel Poulton are also featured on a large number of DVD discs. These stars were extraordinarily popular in their day and are just waiting to be re-discovered by today's movie lovers.
Current release information is provided for each film. And the DVD itself is rated for quality on a scale of one to ten. Purchasers will save the price of this book by following just one or two of the author's recommendations. It's disappointing to buy a DVD and then find the picture and/or sound quality is so poor that the movie cannot be enjoyed.
A further bonus is that the book has been illustrated with over 110 beautiful black-and-white photos from the Pattison Gallery of vintage movie stills, one of the best and largest private collections in the world.
This handbook, sub-titled "A Classic Movie Fan's Guide", provides detailed reviews of 178 of these movies, plus less comprehensive information on over 100 additional titles, dating from 1918 through 1933, that are now available to purchase in DVD format from various suppliers. (A few highly recommended firms are listed in the book).
Almost all the films reviewed are full-length features that showcase stars like Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Clara Bow, Lon Chaney, Louise Brooks, Charles Chaplin, Joan Crawford, Colleen Moore, Harold Lloyd, Gary Cooper, William Powell, Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Norma Shearer, Buster Keaton, Shirley Temple, Barbara Stanwyck, Ronald Colman, Lillian Gish, Marion Davies, and Wallace Beery, who are still top favorites with all motion picture fans.
In addition, however, it's very pleasing to note that players like Laura La Plante, Charles Ray, Alice Terry, Pola Negri, Mary Miles Minter, Rod La Rocque, and Mabel Poulton are also featured on a large number of DVD discs. These stars were extraordinarily popular in their day and are just waiting to be re-discovered by today's movie lovers.
Current release information is provided for each film. And the DVD itself is rated for quality on a scale of one to ten. Purchasers will save the price of this book by following just one or two of the author's recommendations. It's disappointing to buy a DVD and then find the picture and/or sound quality is so poor that the movie cannot be enjoyed.
A further bonus is that the book has been illustrated with over 110 beautiful black-and-white photos from the Pattison Gallery of vintage movie stills, one of the best and largest private collections in the world.
