The Universal Silents: A Filmography of the Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company, 1912-1929 [Hardcover]

Richard E. Braff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1998 | ISBN-10: 0786402873 | ISBN-13: 978-0786402878

On June 8, 1912, Carl Laemmle of the Independent Motion Picture Company, Pat Powers of Powers Picture Company, Mark Dintenfass of Champion Films, and Bill Swanson of American Eclair, meeting in New York City, signed a contract to merge their studios. The four formed a storied name in Hollywood history-the Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company.

From A la flamme le papillon se brule les ailes, a 1912 French clair film distributed by Universal, to Zip and His Gang (1915), this is a comprehensive filmography of 9,397 silent-era feature, split reel, and one, two, and three reel films produced or distributed by Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company. The film entries include title, release date, copyright date, producer, director, scenarist, author, length of the film, and major cast members. The work also includes the 74 serials released by Universal.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This massive filmography of over 9000 silent-era feature films produced or distributed by Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company is a testament to that studio's substantial contribution to the American film industry from its very beginning. Culling information from the weekly exhibitors' publications of the period, Braff has arranged the entries alphabetically by title and included release date, copyright date, producer, director, scenarist, author, length of film, and major cast to the extent that those details are available. Following the title listings is an appendix identifying the 74 serials released by Universal along with the episodes in each serial. The most interesting and useful feature of the book is its 82-page index. Here, even the casual fan will find familiar names like Laurel and Hardy, and more serious film buffs can get facts on the early careers of the likes of Lon Chaney and John Ford. However, the bare-bones nature of the title entries (no plot line or indication whether the film still exists) and the sheer bulk of the volume limit its appeal to the most dedicated silent-movie scholars. For large public and academic libraries with extensive film history collections.?Vivian Reed, Long Beach P.L., CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"I can only express my gratitude to and admiration for Richard Braff and give The Universal Silents a hearty recommendation" -- Classic Images

"a major undertaking and a job well done...belongs in every completist's library" -- Cult Movies

"astonishing...a very important resource" -- The Silents Majority On-Line Journal

"comprehensive coverage...recommended for large public libraries and academic libraries" -- Booklist/RBB

"everything produced by Universal in the way of shorts, features and serials is found here: a total of over 9,300 films. ...a must-have.... Highly recommended" -- The Silent Film Annual

"massive filmography of over 9,000 silent-era...films" -- Library Journal

"massive.... Recommended for libraries supporting film history programs" -- Choice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 675 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786402873
• ISBN-13: 978-0786402878
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,677,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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1.0 out of 5 stars oh dear..., January 12, 2011

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This review is from: The Universal Silents: A Filmography of the Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company, 1912-1929 (Paperback)

don t think you ll like my review.
the book was a bit small, limited illustrations(think there was a few), no mention of if all these rare old titles still exist or not.
Very little to hold your attention..even to a details lover like myself(and it was a fairly costly book too).
..and the unforgivable thing was the book only goes upto L or M in the alphabet !No mention of that in the review..and the illustration of it in the review had the words "volume 1" conspiculously erased, so you thought you were getting all of Universal s silents, but you only got half of them!
Is this not misrepresentation?
A big disappointment, in any case.
Mark