Customer Reviews

Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Buster Keaton

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The Book of the Year!

This has been an exceptionally good year for books on Silent Films! New titles by Basinger, Brownlow, Drew, and Riley (below) - yet Bengston's SILENT ECHOES is ... clearly the Film Book of the Year! Whether you are a longtime fan of Buster Keaton & the Silent Film era or a newcomer, you will want your own personal copy of SILENT ECHOES. Frankly, I'd recommend two: one to wear out from the heavy use you'll give it when you watch the Keaton films discussed in the book, and a second one to put on your bookshelves for safe keeping. You can read about the book's scope & coverage, above. Here, just let me tell you what the book can do for you, personally, as a film lover. It does, in book form, what film critic Richard T. Jameson wrote that only the best films can do: After experiencing it, you see life ... a little differently. Think about the power of a film - or a book - to change your life a little bit. THIS one will! After reading this book, you'll see Keaton's films - and other films of this era - in a different way, too. You will never see Keaton's work in the same light again - you 'll not only enjoy the films even more, you will also notice the world that was being documented in these films, and rejoice that so many of the landscapes that Keaton filmed still exist, today! You'll begin to watch other films of this era with that new perspective, and you may be inspired to create a similar book of your own!

Other new titles also recommended: Jeanine Basinger's SILENT STARS Kevin Brownlow's MARY PICKFORD REDISCOVERED Willam M. Drew's AT THE CENTER OF THE FRAME: LEADING LADIES OF THE TWENTIES & THIRTIES Philip J. Riley's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

About 25 years ago, the now-demolished Playboy Theater in Chicago ran a landmark Buster Keaton revival featuring newly struck prints, correct projection speed, and musical accompaniment to Buster Keaton's features and shorts. It was a revelation and the first time that I truly understood what was lost when silent comedy faded into, as Norma Desmond might say, Talk! Talk! and More Talk! Moreover, it was the first time it became clear to me the degree of modernity and surrealism in Keaton's work--particularly in contrast to Chaplin's Victorian emotionalism. In short, I fell in love with Buster and his work. Now, "Silent Echoes" comes along to lovingly excavate the faded world of Buster Keaton's Los Angeles. The book is infused with John Bengston's love of Keaton, encyclopedic knowledge of his work and relentless ingenuity as a urban archeologist. Even better, it inspired me to rent the Keaton ouvre on laserdisc and video in order to revisit the locations of his shots and the depth of his humor and humanity. "Silent Echoes" is a labor of love that's a treat for film lovers.

John Bengston analyzes the Keaton studio and points out in minute detail the locations that show up in his films (1920-28), with the help of fire insurance maps, aerial photos, archived photos from public institutions, old postcards, itinerant things he's dug up, etc. Judging by the contents of "Silent Echoes", Keaton preferred to film in the real world, as opposed to the inside of a soundstage, and because of this, Bengston has provided us some great then-and-now photos that illustrate just how much L.A. (and other locations) have changed in the last 75+/- years (which turns out to be pretty depressing).

One of the things I found fun about "Silent Echoes" was making my own discoveries of things that would not have been pointed out by the author. I got kind of a kick out of seeing a rock formation from the film "Three Ages" that looked exactly like Wallace Beery's face, Keaton's co-star in the film. Another thing is, Bengston makes it easy for the reader to analyze the comparisons he's trying to get across. I never had a problem understanding the content, which made it more enjoyable to read.

I enjoyed "Silent Echoes" so thoroughly that I found myself occasionally spending as much as a half hour studying a single page! This amazing, sometimes eerie, book is a must for all Keaton fans (especially those in the L.A. area, who can run around town and stand in the actual filmed spots), but you don't have to be one to enjoy it. However, it will help if you've seen the films showcased in this book.

Holy Mackeral, what a treat! Silent Echoes author John Bengtson has not only tapped into the passions of Buster Keaton fans but the myriad of film studio/location history buffs as well! His research and sleuthing of this subject, with exacting detail, is so unprecedented that even a non-fan would find his efforts interesting.

Throughout its 130-plus pages Bengtson's book meticulously compares past Keaton filming sites through their modern-day existence by way of extensive use of period maps, location stills, current photos and written text. With photogrammetrist skill he shows us snippets of what had been and what is now. Because of his efforts I've been able to get a better glance of the way Keaton and the industry worked as well as a treasured peek into Hollywood's own photographic past (many of which I've never seen published until now). As one of the ilk that relishes being in the same spot where famous scenes were shot, this book hits the mark in spades for me. I can't wait to get back to LA, book in hand, and run around town looking at each site listed!

Depending on your point of view, you might see this as a pointless exercise, or as an astounding accomplishment. I incline toward the latter view. This is a magnificent documentary on Keaton's work as well as a meditation on lovely, fantastic old Los Angeles as it fades into the past. Necessary reading!

What a masterpiece! Although I was not a Keaton buff prior to reading this book, I am now. Bengtson does a wonderful job in bringing the silent film nuances to life. His use of photographs and his explanations vividly illustrate not only the craft of Keaton, but also the changes that have occurred in time at each filming site. I was impressed by the detective work that went into this book. Definitely a BUY, you won't be disappointed.

I have had this book for over a year and I still look at it every once and a while. I love "then and now" books and this is really a great one. I was in LA this spring and I passed the statue that Buster was on to hide from the police. It brought the movie more into real life for me. Now when I watch Buster's movies I look for the scenes from the book. I would definitely get this book if you love Buster.

Buster Keaton was a notorious stickler for detail in all of his film work. Buster's ghost was probably nodding his approval over the shoulder of John Bengtson as he painstakingly researched SILENT ECHOES, a tribute to the Keaton ouevre and a forever-lost Los Angeles. Bengtson juxtaposes stills from Keaton films with photos from modern-day L.A., showing in detail where Keaton filmed, virtually following his trail, from the shorts to the features. This book is a must for both film fans and historians.

This phenomenal book is a must-have for anyone interested in film history. And for fans of Buster Keaton the question will soon become: how many copies to have? Because one copy will be with you on the road as you follow in the footsteps of the author (and, by extension, the footsteps of the great Keaton himself) to the actual locations all over Southern California where his movies were made. And you will want one copy to stay pristine on your bookshelf at home, because your road edition is guaranteed to become worn and dog-eared with use. To lovers of film, and to lovers of the genius of Buster Keaton in particular, this wonderful book is like a roadmap leading to a cinematic holy grail! It leaves you wishing that the same detective work would be done for other great film auteurs as well. This book is an unprecedented achievement, which is why it is deserving of more than five stars.

The first time I went to Hollywood, I had this then-new book in my camera bag. If it weren't for this book I would have missed so many interesting spots from Buster's silent comedies. As I tooled up Hollywood Blvd, a street sign for "Cosmos" sounded familiar so I took out Bengtson's book and there it was; a picture of the building in front to my left was in the background of a few scenes in "Cops." Any silent film buff worth their weight in silver nitrate needs this book before they tour Hollywood!