Hollywood's Dark History: Silver Screen Scandals

(Paperback)

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Description

The dawning of the nineteenth century brought with it a new era for entertainment. Vaudeville was the preferred form of entertainment, until the popularisation of the silent film. This new medium proved to be a draw for many of the stars of the Vaudevillian stage and soon they migrated to the exciting possibilities that the movies had to offer. Audiences were instantly enthralled and captivated by the stars of the silent screen. The early days of Hollywood were full of glamour and a newfound decadence. The stars in these films were instantly catapulted to fame and fortune and the spotlight of the public eye. The real people behind the glamour were far different than the characters that audiences grew to know and love and much like Hollywood today, the lives of the stars were often full of scandal and debauchery. This book examines the forgotten scandals of yesterday, featuring silent and silver screen stars like Jean Harlow, Mae West, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and Errol Flynn. Don't let the romanticised black and white world of yesterday fool you, their stories are rife with sex, drugs and murder. AUTHOR: Matt MacNabb is a popular culture historian, author and freelance writer who has spent the better part of the past 20 years studying movies, television, comics and their effects on our culture. His work has been featured in publications such as Total Film, SFX Magazine, Variety, Brick Journal, on CNN and BBC Radio, as well as various books, magazines, radio shows and newspapers. Author of five published books, including Secret History of Brands (Pen and Sword, 2017), Matt writes freelance for several websites, including Snopes and Screen Rant, and has contributed content and editorial services to books like Holy Franchise, Batman and The DC Comics Action Figure Archive. 25 b/w illustrations

Reviews

"...pleasant to read, and offers a remarkable bibliography to deepen the stories covered."-- "Old Barbed Wire Blog"
"Superb selection of photos in the middle of the book, and the text is absolutely riveting!"-- "Books Monthly"

Author Bio

Matt MacNabb is a popular culture historian, author and freelance writer who has spent the better part of the past 20 years studying movies, television, comics and their effects on our culture. His work has been featured in publications such as Total Film, SFX Magazine, Variety, Brick Journal, on CNN and BBC Radio, as well as various books, magazines, radio shows and newspapers. Author of five published books, including Secret History of Brands (Pen and Sword, 2017), Matt writes freelance for several websites, including Snopes and Screen Rant, and has contributed content and editorial services to books like Holy Franchise, Batman and The Dc Comics Action Figure Archive.