Merton of the Movies

(Paperback)

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Description

Merton of the Movies, which Gertrude Stein called the best book about 20th century American youth, follows midwestern bumpkin Merton Gills unlikely journey from a Kansas stockroom to the star-studded set of a silent film. Unfortunately, the actors hes idolized from afar lose their luster up close, which fuels his desire to become a dramatic leading man not some slapstick fool. By a stroke of luck, Merton lands a gig as an extra. His natural oafishness catches the eye of stuntwoman Flips Montague, and before long hes a comic star the only problem is, its all a spoof, and he doesnt know it.

First published in 1919 in the Saturday Evening Post, and adapted three times to film and once as a Broadway musical, Harry Leon Wilsons cartoonish tale has earned its place as an essential California classic. This freewheeling romp gets to the heart of any Angelenos worst nightmare: what if Im not in on the joke

Author Bio

Harry Leon Wilson was an American novelist and dramatist best known for his novels Ruggles of Red Gap and Merton of the Movies. Tom Lutz is an American writer and literary critic, and founder and editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Review of Books. Mitra Jouhari is a writer and performer based in Los Angeles. She is currently writing for "Big Mouth" on Netflix, has written for High Maintenance on HBO, Pod Save America on HBO, Miracle Workers on TBS, and The President Show on Comedy Central, for which she was nominated for a WGA Award. She worked on the inaugural season of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and was a punch-up writer on S5 of Broad City.