The Great Movie Shorts: Those Wonderful One- and Two-Reelers of the Thirties and Forties [Hardcover]

Leonard Maltin (Author), Pete Smith (Foreword)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: Crown; First Edition edition (January 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517504553
• ISBN-13: 978-0517504550
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lenny Maltin looks at the movie's best shorts!, April 9, 2003

By 

Kevin S.Butler (Mamaroneck,New York,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Movie Shorts: Those Wonderful One- and Two-Reelers of the Thirties and Forties (Hardcover)

The short films of the 1930's,40's and 50's have never been given a proper documentation in books during the 1950's or 60's.Many film historians and writers dismissed the shorts as minor filler for the class a pictures.But Leonard Maltin gives us all another look at this forgotten genre'and he shows us all how great the movie shorts were.In his book:"The Great Movie Shorts"(Now rereleased under it's new title:"Selected Short Subjects!)Maltin reveals the unique talents of such brilliant performers as Al Jolson,Rose Marie,Eddie Cantor etc.As they recreated their classic stage performances in the Warner Bros. and Paramount film shorts.That were shot in Brooklyn and Astoria,Queens NYC.He also shows us the early film dramas of the 30's and the beloved film comedies of such well known performers as L&H,"The Little Rascals",Clark And McCollough,"The Three Stooges",Thelma Todd/Zasu Pitts/Patsy Kelly,George Burns and Gracie Allen and "Joe McDoakes"(George O'Hanlon..Best remembered by tv cartoons fans as the voice of the voice of "George Jetson").He also shows us other film series that have been neglected:Leon Errol , Edger Kennedy and Andy Clyde and what lead to the decline of Movie shorts (the cause of the death of the movie shorts was the advent of tv) and how tv saved the old movie shorts.When they were rerunned on local and network affilliated tv shows(More often than not..The old movie comedies and musical movie shorts were screened on kids tv shows).The book also features a filmography of the series and photos from the series.For those fans of this forgotten genre'..This book is a chance to revist a part of our happy times at the local bijou..For those persons..who have never experienced what it was like to see these films(In the movie theaters..not on tv)This is their chance to learn about the good old days.When Filmgoers first experienced seeing:L&H,"The Three Stooges"or even:Babe Ruth performing in a movie short.Bravo Lenny! Kevin S.Butler.