Silent Movie Star Biographies...and a cuppla others:

you may find some of these at your local libraire:

- The Day the Laughter Stopped: The True Story Behind the Fatty Arbuckle Scandal - David A Yallop : this guy should be as famous as Chaplin, or Keaton. But he was caught up in a scandal, unjustly accused of rape and murder, and a lot of his film work was destroyed. This is a moving biography and a fascinating picture of Hollywood pre talkies. Makes you realise that Murdoch wasnt the first evil media emperor...

ps. here is a website dedicated to Arbuckle, if you wan this story but dont want to read a whole book: http://silent-movies.com/Arbucklemania//home.html

I know, I know, he looks like Bert Newton. But he was funnier.

- Harold Lloyd- Tom Dardis: Hubby put me onto this one, didnt know anything about Harold Lloyd tho I had seen the still from the fillum where the dude with the glasses is hanging off the clock before. Funny man, lots of modern comedy is indebted to his big visual ideas..

- Louise Brooks - Barry Paris: I wish I was a flapper.

- Keaton: The Man Who Wouldnt Lie Down - by Tom Dardis, also Keaton- by Rudi Blesh. Genius. Keaton, I mean,not the biographers. But they do a good job too.

also, moving on to the talkies:

Dear Me- by Peter Ustinov: wonderful autobiography by a very intelligent and funny man

An Affair To Remember- by Christopher Andersen: the story of the relationship between Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey. The catholic church has a lot to answer for. The guilt these two felt about being in love for years is so so sad.

Peter Cook A Biography- by Harry Thompson: Why are so many funny people so tragic? And what's so funny about bees? After reading this I am no closer to answering either question. Great bio tho.

Billy- by Pamela Stephenson: biography about the marvellous Mr Connelly, written by his wife.

Also a biography kicking around here somewhere on Orson Welles which is rather marvellous, but I cant find it and I cant remember who wrote it. But it was good. So if I remember I'll let you know...