"Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture" is among
the books featured at the upcoming San Francisco Silent Film Festival.
By Thomas Gladysz
SF Silent Film Examiner
Along with a line-up of must-see films, one of the regular attractions of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival are the historians, biographers, archivists, scholars and authors in attendance at the annual event. Over the years, many individuals prominent in the field have participated in the Festival.
Over the course of the Festival weekend, as is now tradition, many of these special guests gather between films to sign copies of their work and meet with fans.
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival has announced this year’s schedule of signings. And, according to Executive Director Stacey Wisnia, this year’s author line-up is “the biggest in the history of the Festival.”
The 14th annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival will take place at the Castro Theatre next weekend, July 10, 11 and 12. For further information, see http://www.silentfilm.org/
Friday, July 10 - before and after The Gaucho
Jeffrey Vance returns to the Festival along with writing partner Tony Maietta to sign copies of their new book, Douglas Fairbanks (University of California Press). Vance, a film historian, producer, and lecturer is also the author of an acclaimed trilogy of books on silent-film comedians. Vance and Maietta will be signing books in the Castro lobby.
Saturday, July 11 - after “Amazing Tales from the Archives” (approximately 11:00 am)
Shawna Kelly, the great granddaughter of Daredevil DeLay (an innovator of several aerial firsts for motion pictures), will be signing copies of her new book, Aviators in Early Hollywood (Arcadia). Also signing after “Amazing Tales from the Archives” is film historian Christel Schmidt, from the Library of Congress. Schmidt contributed to Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture (Little, Brown and Company). Both Kelly and Schmidt will be signing books on the Castro mezzanine.
Saturday, July 11 - after Bardelys the Magnificent (approximately 1:45 pm)
Legendary film preservationist David Shepard will be signing copies of Bardelys the Magnificent (Flicker Alley), the just released two disc set of lost films starring John Gilbert. The DVD makes its debut at the Festival. Also signing is retired cartoonist and current comic’s herstorian Trina Robbins, who edited The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley’s Cartoons, 1913-1940 (Fantagraphics). Interestingly, the Robbins’ book contains the likenesses of a handful of silent film stars, including Gilbert. Both Shepard and Robbins will be signing on the Castro mezzanine.
Saturday, July 11 - after Wild Rose (approximately 4:00 pm)
Film scholar Richard Meyer will be signing copies of his new book, Jin Yan: The Rudolph Valentino of Shanghai (University of Washington Press). Joining him on the Castro mezzanine will be Qin Yi, widow of the Chinese film star Jin Yan and the subject of Meyer’s book.
Saturday, July 11 - after Underworld (approximately 6:45 pm)
Film noir authority Eddie Muller, who will introduce Underworld, will be signing copies of Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir (St. Martin's) and Art of Noir (Overlook). Joining Muller is author and San Francisco Chronicle film critic Mick LaSalle, who will be signing copies of Joan Crawford: The Enduring Star (a new book on the one-time silent film & noir star) to which LaSalle contributed the forward. Both Muller and LaSalle will be signing on the Castro mezzanine.
Sunday, July 12 - after the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (approximately 11:45 am)
Leonard Maltin will be signing copies of his various books including Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons (Plume). Joining him will be Leslie Iwerks, the granddaughter of Disney artist Ib Iwerks and herself an Academy Award-nominated producer/director. Iwerks is the author of The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (Disney Editions). Both Maltin and Iwerks will be signing on the Castro mezzanine.
Sunday, July 12 - after Erotikon (approximately 3:15 pm)
San Francisco novelist Glen David Gold, author of the best selling Carter Beats the Devil, will be signing copies of Sunnyside - his new novel about Charlie Chaplin. Gold will be signing on the Castro mezzanine.
Sunday, July 12 - after So’s Your Old Man (approximately 5:15 pm)
Director Terry Zwigoff, who will introduce So’s Your Old Man, will be joined by acclaimed comix artist Dan Clowes to sign copies of their recently released Ghost World: The Special Edition (Fantagraphics). For their work on Ghost World, Clowes and Zwigoff received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Books Inc., a local independent bookstore, will be on hand throughout the Festival selling books and DVDs by participating authors. The store will also stock other books on silent film, including new releases, small press titles, and classic works.
For more info: For times and ticket information for each program, visit the San Francisco Silent Film Festival website at http://www.silentfilm.org/event-home.html
Comments
If you get a chance, please tell Eddie Muller for me that George Eastman House is showing Man in the Dark [corrective brain surgery gives gangster Edmond O'Brien amnesia after a heist] in 3-D on August 31st (also Drums of Tahiti), and DVDs with Mr. Muller's commentary get placed higher in my rental queue than they otherwise might deserve (most congenial), and when Susan Andrews (Fallen Angel) responds to one of his de rigeur mortis stories about an actor's demise with, "You ARE ghoulish!" -- she nails it!
Have ffun at the ffestival!
P.S. Thelma Temple says hello: dryden.eastman.org
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