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Selected Short Subjects: From Spanky To The Three Stooges
THE CLASSIC BLACK & WHITE SHORT SUBJECTS OUR GANG, LAUREL & HARDY, THE BOWERY BOYS, EDGAR KENNEDY, BUSTER KEATON, AND EDUCATIONAL FILMS, AMONG OTHERS. ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS.
- GenresMedia Tie InNonfiction
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
About the author
Leonard Maltin
185 books74 followersLeonard Maltin, is an American film and animated-film critic and historian.
Maltin began his writing career at age fifteen, writing for Classic Images and editing and publishing his own fanzine, Film Fan Monthly, dedicated to films from the golden age of Hollywood. After receiving a journalism degree at New York University, Maltin went on to publish articles in a variety of film journals, national news-papers, and magazines, including Variety and TV Guide.
Maltin in 1990
As an author, Maltin is best known for Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, (some editions titled as his ...Movie and Video Guide), a compendium of synopses and reviews that first appeared in September 1969 and has been annually updated since October 1987. (It was published under the title TV Movies until the 1990s, and in 2005 spawned a spin-off, Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide, limited to films released in 1960 and earlier to allow the regular book to cover a larger number of more recent titles.) He has also written several other works, including Behind the Camera, a study of the art of cinematography, The Whole Film Sourcebook, Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia, Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals, and Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons.
Since May 29, 1982, Maltin has been the movie reviewer on the syndicated television series Entertainment Tonight. He also appears on the Starz cable network, and hosted his own syndicated radio program, Leonard Maltin on Video, as well as the syndicated TV show Hot Ticket with Boston film critic Joyce Kulhawik (originally E! personality and game show host Todd Newton). He currently hosts a television show entitled Secret's Out on ReelzChannel movie network. He also spearheaded the creation of the Walt Disney Treasures collectible DVD line in 2001,[4] and continues to provide creative input and host the various sets.
He appeared on Pyramid twice as a celebrity player, in 1987 on the CBS $25,000 version and in 1991 on the John Davidson version. He appeared on Super Password as a celebrity guest in 1988.
In the mid-1990s, he became the president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and is on the Advisory Board of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum. For nearly a decade, Maltin was also on the faculty of the New School for Social Research in New York City. He currently teaches in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.
In 1998, Maltin settled a libel suit brought by former child star Billy Gray, of Father Knows Best fame, whom Maltin identified as a drug addict and dealer in his review of the film Dusty and Sweets McGee for the movie guide book. The statement appeared in print for nearly twenty-five years before Maltin publicly apologized for the error.[5]
He currently hosts "The Maltin Minute" for DirecTV customers. Maltin also teaches at the University of Southern California.
Maltin began his writing career at age fifteen, writing for Classic Images and editing and publishing his own fanzine, Film Fan Monthly, dedicated to films from the golden age of Hollywood. After receiving a journalism degree at New York University, Maltin went on to publish articles in a variety of film journals, national news-papers, and magazines, including Variety and TV Guide.
Maltin in 1990
As an author, Maltin is best known for Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, (some editions titled as his ...Movie and Video Guide), a compendium of synopses and reviews that first appeared in September 1969 and has been annually updated since October 1987. (It was published under the title TV Movies until the 1990s, and in 2005 spawned a spin-off, Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide, limited to films released in 1960 and earlier to allow the regular book to cover a larger number of more recent titles.) He has also written several other works, including Behind the Camera, a study of the art of cinematography, The Whole Film Sourcebook, Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia, Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals, and Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons.
Since May 29, 1982, Maltin has been the movie reviewer on the syndicated television series Entertainment Tonight. He also appears on the Starz cable network, and hosted his own syndicated radio program, Leonard Maltin on Video, as well as the syndicated TV show Hot Ticket with Boston film critic Joyce Kulhawik (originally E! personality and game show host Todd Newton). He currently hosts a television show entitled Secret's Out on ReelzChannel movie network. He also spearheaded the creation of the Walt Disney Treasures collectible DVD line in 2001,[4] and continues to provide creative input and host the various sets.
He appeared on Pyramid twice as a celebrity player, in 1987 on the CBS $25,000 version and in 1991 on the John Davidson version. He appeared on Super Password as a celebrity guest in 1988.
In the mid-1990s, he became the president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and is on the Advisory Board of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum. For nearly a decade, Maltin was also on the faculty of the New School for Social Research in New York City. He currently teaches in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.
In 1998, Maltin settled a libel suit brought by former child star Billy Gray, of Father Knows Best fame, whom Maltin identified as a drug addict and dealer in his review of the film Dusty and Sweets McGee for the movie guide book. The statement appeared in print for nearly twenty-five years before Maltin publicly apologized for the error.[5]
He currently hosts "The Maltin Minute" for DirecTV customers. Maltin also teaches at the University of Southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 16, 2025
Ah, the good old, movie days!
I got to see actors and actresses from my long lost youth and how they were presented on film, good or mayhap, bad. Seeing show people on their way up to fame, or heading in the opposite direction, gave me a hint as to what happened to those players I was familiar with and enjoyed seeing in the various films they appeared in. Being quite young, and not a sophisticated moviegoer, allowed me to choose my own favorites, not those chosen by paid critics. This unsophistication allowed me to thoroughly enjoy many movies, despite their presentation.. So, there it is, after ninety-one years have gone by.
I got to see actors and actresses from my long lost youth and how they were presented on film, good or mayhap, bad. Seeing show people on their way up to fame, or heading in the opposite direction, gave me a hint as to what happened to those players I was familiar with and enjoyed seeing in the various films they appeared in. Being quite young, and not a sophisticated moviegoer, allowed me to choose my own favorites, not those chosen by paid critics. This unsophistication allowed me to thoroughly enjoy many movies, despite their presentation.. So, there it is, after ninety-one years have gone by.
November 26, 2025
A great resource for these obscure films!
June 14, 2012
Leonard Maltin's book on film history are always worthwhile, and this book is no exception. It is a definitive source for some of the more obscure short subjects like The Little Rascals, The Boy Friends series which starred some of the silent Little Rascals players as teenagers, the Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly comedy series, The Three Stooges, etc. Maltin discusses the history of these series and gives a list of each episode, and there are plenty of supplemental photographs.
December 21, 2015
Bad
Terrible, boring, mostly about people I never heard of and didn't look familiar. Waste of money. Don't buy it people!
Terrible, boring, mostly about people I never heard of and didn't look familiar. Waste of money. Don't buy it people!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews