Samuel Goldwyn (1879–1974)

This 1923 publication was published the year before Samuel Goldwyn co-founded the famous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer company.

This has a scrapbook feel to it, in that the narrative is episodic, complemented with photos. To start with, we hear of Mr Goldwyn’s rise from obscurity, followed by his interaction with the stars he worked with, or in some cases second-hand anecdotes that he’s heard from other producers and such like.

According to a couple of other reviewers who are more knowledgeable on the subject than me, Goldwyn didn’t write this, so perhaps he entrusted a ghost writer to do a better job than he felt capable of. Whatever the case, this is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in early cinema.

My main interest was in Mary Pickford. In fact, I only found this book through searching free online sites to see if they had anything about Mary. Goldwyn knew her quite well, and along with having a chapter devoted to Mary, she crops up on and off throughout the book.

Charlie Chaplin is also a “recurring character”. How could he not be? Charlie was good friends with Mary and her then husband Douglas Fairbanks.

Anecdotes on Mabel Normand are also interesting. She comes across as fun-loving and kind-hearted

I was glad that Harold Lloyd puts in an appearance. I used to watch his films/shorts a lot during my childhood, and I’ve recently “rediscovered” him. Turns out he was the quiet one at big social gatherings, though he’d come out of his shell if placed in a small group of people.

Apart from the names already mentioned, only one or two other stars were familiar to me. This did not, however, affect my reading pleasure. I appreciated the anecdotal approach, and I liked the photos.… (mere)