Keystone: The Life and Clowns of Mack Sennett

by Simon Louvish

An Irish-Canadian of impeccably uncomic ancestry, Mack Sennett founded in Hollywood in 1912 the world's first studio devoted to movie comedy alone. For the next 20 years he presided over cinema's most famous and popular clowns - from Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Mabel Normand and Charlie Chaplin, to Ben Turpin, Chester Conklin, Mack Swain, Ford Sterling, Louise Fazenda, Harry Langdon and very many more.

Simon Louvish, acclaimed biographer of W. C. Fields, the Marx Brothers and Laurel and Hardy, now delves into the dynamic start of Hollywood comedy, tracking the life and clowns of one of cinema's foremost pioneers, and uncovering the mystery of one of the screen's legendary relationships - that of Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand, the first great motion picture comedienne.

Be warned, though: the world of Mack Sennett and his Keystone Studio is not for those who want their entertainment refined, their comedy sweetened and their comedians properly house-trained. This is a tale of pratfalls and slapstick, of lecherous husbands and unfaithful wives, mad lovers, moustache-twirling villains, flirtatious floozies, venal vagabonds - and, of course, the perpetually inkompetent Keystone Kops...

Genres: Biography, Film, Nonfiction, Humor, Media Tie In, History

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Simon Louvish (born 1947 in Scotland) is an Israeli author and film maker. He has written many books about Avram Blok, a fictional Israeli caught up between wars, espionage, prophets, revolutions, loves, and a few near apocalypses.

He has also written biographies of W. C. Fields, The Marx Brothers, Groucho Marx, Laurel and Hardy, and Mack Sennett.

Reviews

[Andrewh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much as I love anecdotes about the wild old days of Hollywood (back in the mists of time before the internet even), when I pick up a biography, then I sort of hope for more than just a string of loosely related tall tales. In this case, the book is ostensibly a bio of Mack Sennett, the King of Slapstick (who brought the world the Keystone Cops), but it does not tell us much about him, or how he built up his empire, but rather gives us a series of unrelated potted bios of the stars he built up (like Chaplin, Arbuckle, Turpin and Langdon to name a few - 'leave Keystone and get rich' as they said at the time) at his factory and some summaries of some of the films (and summarising slapstick comedy is the best way to kill it dead). Louvish has an easy, readable style but his books always give the impression that he is deliberately undercooking his analysis (perhaps at the behest of an evil publisher) to appeal to a wider market than someone like silent historian Kevin Brownlow might, and it is our loss I feel.

[Isidore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this several times (most recently as an antidote to Sennett's amazingly mendacious autobiography), and have always found it both informative and charmingly written. The inclusion of many original plot outlines and title lists from Sennett's papers are a delightful plus. There are a few minor errors and omissions, as is to be expected.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much good information!

[BARRY FOOTE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavy going at times ,also easy to get lost with the dates going backwards
and forwards.The guesswork at the end was better reading than the facts at the beginning.

[Ian Bain · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s weird knowing without Calvin Coolidge we wouldn’t have, essentially, Everything Everywhere All At Once.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember, many years ago, as I watched Torvill and Dean wend their way gracefully over the ice to that collection of music.... not the Bolero - the other one... well... I found out that it came from a musical called Mack and Mabel.

Quite obviously the musical was about the life and loves of Mack Sennett and his movies.... and what an absolute little gem it is - I cannot recommend it highly enough... sell your children [your granny at least] to buy a copy of the soundtrack.

Well this book is just as good as it fills in the gaping holes in the story that a 2-hour musical simply couldn't reach. As you read through it, name after famous-name simply appear as we revisit a golden, sadly largely forgotten, time of the slapstick-movie.

Brilliant and enjoyable...

Thank goodness that people care enough to produce books such as these.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book to read if you want to learn about the history and beginnings of american film. Early director Mack Sennett's life is brought to life as is the world of people around him. Special mention goes to the interesting addition of stories of the early actors and directors around him. It's intersting to see how they are just as screwed up as current day Hollywood.

[Jwalth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. That's it really. It describes a time and place (well, places) that I've always been fascinated with, and people who even today are well worth finding out more about. Especially Mabel Normand; I wish there was a decent up-to-date biography on her. This will make you want to see all the films'

[Peter O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mack Sennett - silent cinema's King of Comedy, I did not know much about him before reading this book... and I still don't. However, I do know a great deal more about the silent film world and why Mack Sennett has and always will be highly enigmatic figure. Well worth a read if you want to get your head into the complexity of silent comedy.

[Autumn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uhhhhh, I can't seem to get into this one. The author's writing style is a weird combo of pedantic and informal. Also, it is taking FOREVER for my favorite movie stars to show up. I'll try again later and maybe skip around more.

[Steve Shilstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of dawn of motion picture industry anecdotes, but Mack Sennett remains unknowable, probably much to his ghost's delight.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12767125

[Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have gone through 2 copies of this book , in recent years . Mostly about Mack and his career including Chaplin , Arbuckle , Mabel Normand and Ben Turpin . Love it .