I read this gem twenty years ago and then rediscovered it (along with several other forgotten treasures) when I did my recent book purge. Needless to say, this did not get given away to the Salvos. I can't stop reading about Hollywood's Golden Age at the moment. I try to pick up something else but my mind just goes back to it. So, why fight it? I'm truly fascinated. I did exactly the same thing with books about Ancient Roman history about six years ago and the result was I wrote the first of my More...

Movie stars and stardom, including analysis of many silent stars incl. Pickford and Fairbanks, Griffith’s influence, Gish, Barthelmess, Chaplin, Swanson, Negri, Garbo, Valentino, Gilbert, and articles about scandal, talkies, and studio control. Talkie actors are Davis, Crawford, Gable, Wayne. Finishes with observations about the 60s.

Early form of star study that focuses on the connection of stardom with the development of the industrial model of Hollywood in the silent era. The value in Walker's study lies in the way he closely analyzes the stars' films, personal lives, and their public image.