About this item
Highlights
- For a decade Wallace Reid was the most recognized face in Hollywood, the most universally beloved actor in silent film.
- About the Author: The late E.J. Fleming researched Hollywood for decades and penned biographies of Carole Landis and Wallace Reid, among other books.
- 312 Pages
- Performing Arts, Film
Description
Book Synopsis
For a decade Wallace Reid was the most recognized face in Hollywood, the most universally beloved actor in silent film. Today all that is widely remembered of "Wally" Reid is that he died in a padded sanitarium cell, the victim of a fatal morphine addiction. Of all the actors who have enjoyed great fame only to vanish from the public eye, Reid perhaps fell the fastest and the hardest.
This first full biography recounts Reid's complicated childhood, his disrupted family history and his rise to film stardom despite these restricting factors. It documents his myriad talents and accomplishments, most notably his gift for brilliant onscreen acting. The text explores in depth how the modern studio, however unconsciously, turned the popular star, a well-adjusted man with a loving family, into a drug-dependent mental patient within three years. His death rocked the foundations of Hollywood, and the huge new industry that he helped build nearly died with "Dashing Wally Reid."
Review Quotes
"exhaustive...recommended"-Library Journal; "excellent...loads of solid research...a book of riches...a must-read...well written, informative...get this book...will be a revelation to a lot of film fans"-Classic Images; "exhaustively researched, alternately fascinating...filled with information, and interesting rare photo illustrations...this book offers a lot of detail, especially impressive in that motion picture's early years can sometimes be difficult to research, especially prior to 1915...most highly recommended"-Examiner.com; "in-depth biography...extensive research"-www.midnightpalace.com.
About the Author
The late E.J. Fleming researched Hollywood for decades and penned biographies of Carole Landis and Wallace Reid, among other books. He lived in the country in Connecticut.
