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The Parade's Gone By... Paperback – June 23, 1976

by Kevin Brownlow (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 80 ratings
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The magic of the silent screen, illuminated by the recollections of those who created it.
A narrative and photographic history of the early days of the movies, combining fact, anecdote, and reminiscence in a critical survey of films, actors, directors, producers, writers, editors, technicians, and other participants and hangers-on.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    608 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of California Press
  4. Publication date
    June 23, 1976
  5. Dimensions
    6.88 x 1.4 x 9.88 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0520030680
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0520030688
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Not since Terry Ramsaye's memorable A Million and One Nights was published back in 1926 have the colorful early days of the movies . . . been re-created and freshly documented with such flair and fervor. . . . The book is a must for movie buffs."

― New York Times

"Brownlow is also a fanatical historian and an eloquent writer. The resulting combination of scholarship, first­ hand knowledge and superbly articulated passion is rarein books about movies (or about anything else). Brownlow's book is a fascinating compilation of stills, reminiscences, and facts. It is a perceptive and indeed definitive account of the silent era , and an artist's notably eloquent eulogy to a generation of artists who went before him. It takes a permanent place on anyone's shelf of books about the movies."

― Los Angeles Times

"By doing the digging that most American cinema historians avoid or  minimize, [Brownlow] has offered us a whole new range of contributors to film-making." ― Cinema Journal

"The surprise of this book dealing with film history is that it is gripping reading. One hopes it may be absorbing reading also for those who have yet to discover the wonders of the silent film." ― AV Communication Review

"A plethoric and consistently fascinating work, containing much fresh material. . . . Kevin Brownlow covers actors, directors, producers, scenarists, photographers, art directors, editors, title-writers, stuntmen and technicians . . . a generous, valuable book." ― New York Herald Tribune

"Though silent film was no more than 40 years past when this rich, fascinating survey of its history was published, it felt as ancient then to many budding cinephiles as it does to those today. Brownlow’s book, with its phenomenal interweaving of facts, anecdotes, interviews, and stunning array of pictures made what seemed dated and passe fresh and demanding to be experienced. Few books on cinema have ever made the movies they covered come alive as much as here to those who have not yet seen them. Among its achievements was the rediscovery of the mostly forgotten French pioneer Abel Gance." ― IndieWire

From the Back Cover

This book attempts to correct the distortions, for the silent era was the richest in the cinema's history. The author has tried to recapture the spirit of era through the words of those who created it. Linking chapters provide a context for the interviews has led to gaps, and I cannot claim that his book is definitive.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (June 23, 1976)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520030680
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520030688
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.88 x 1.4 x 9.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 80 ratings

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Kevin Brownlow

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
80 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

FordAnglia
5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Book for Film Lovers & Filmmakers -- one of Kevin Brownlow's Best!
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
Because so many films of the silent era have been lost or are damaged or projected at the wrong speed (24fps instead of 16fps) the general public's notion of them is a bit skewed. Kevin Brownlow's love of film, and especially the Silent Films, brought forth this invaluable book published in the 1960s. He was able to interview many of the pioneers of the film industry while they were still alive--at a time when so many had already been forgotten by both the public & their own industry. Digital restoration of early silent films has now shown us how well-made & beautifully photographed many of them were. It's a shame this book is out of-print, but film lovers & future filmmakers alike will find it enthralling & educational.

As an aside, Brownlow is featured in a fascinating new book  A Thousand Cuts: The Bizarre Underground World of Collectors and Dealers Who Saved the Movies  all about the underground world of film collectors & how their passion for film led to so many classics being saved.
12 people found this helpful
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BSK
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on silent movies.
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
This book is on silent pictures, centered on interviewing people who were there when cinema started to raise and Hollywood was created, which makes it incredibly interesting. Some chapters are on people who had already died but had an undenied influence on the development of moving images to progressively elaborated silent pictures, as D,W. Griffith, Cecil B. DeMille or Douglas Fairbanks. Forgotten names are also given credit, as Edward Slomon or William deMille, whose pictures are mst ofthem lost. Directors, actors and technicians are reunited. Henry King, Allan Dwan or William Wellman, Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, and lesser known people in the editing, title, scenario setting or lighting processes are all there.
One of the best qualities about this book, full of anecdotes and interesting people, is its lack of criticism, which (with one exception) leaves the reader the freedom of creating his/her own opinion. It is written with interest and respect, and in a time (the sixties) when it was much necessary that someone cared to preserve these memories, because many of those people were still alive to ask and look back to a past we can now only read about.
A highly rewarding reading.
15 people found this helpful
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Man O Peace
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book About A Forgotten Time
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2011
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What makes this book so different than other books about silent movies is the stories. Kevin Brownlow interviewed these people in the sixties while they were still alive and got personal anecdotes that would have otherwise died with them. So this isn't a portrayal of "this happened and then this happened", but an insight to what it was like to be making movies at that time. It is a fascinating telling of a bygone time. Movies are just not able to be made like they were then and something was really lost in the process. While many of the great movies mentioned in the book are still "lost" (hopefully in some private collections somewhere to see the light of day at some point), many have been "rediscovered" since the publishing of this book. My recommendation is to read the book and then see the movies, if that is at all possible. Even if you have already seen the movies before, you will get an entirely different perspective on the film after reading this book. Enjoy!
9 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Still the Best Work on Silent Film
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2023
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Kevin Brownlow, and I would add William K. Everson, the the gold standard of film studies.
4 people found this helpful
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Carol P Kusama
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for classic film fans
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
I'm still reading this massive book but the interviews in it by Kevin Brownlow that he got when so many significant people from the beginnings of motion pictures in America were still with us is priceless. You really get to feel how life was in movie making in the early silent era! From directors to cameramen to actors, they tell you in their own words how life was then and how making movies was all those years ago. Many more films I sure hope to see are mentioned!
3 people found this helpful
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Celestial Badger
5.0 out of 5 stars First hand accounts of what it was like to work at the beginning of the film industry
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Great book about how silent movies were actually made. It's pretty amazing how slapdash they were - just hiring random people off the street to make movies. One interview is with a woman who got hired to write scripts at the age of *12* - and it's interesting how many women were involved before filmmaking got to be a "man's job." There's plenty of perspective from people who were not "stars" - cameramen, PA's and the like, which I find fascinating.
2 people found this helpful
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Diarci
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2011
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If you are even remotely interested in Silent Film, this book is a Must Have. Walter Kerr's "The Silent Clowns" is, of course, the masterpiece of the genre, but it is more limited in scope. "The Parade's Gone By" covers the silent comedians, but also every other aspect of silent film production as well. Camera men, directors, screen writers, production designers, and of course the major stars, are all in here with perceptive interviews whenever possible. In some interviews the subject's ego and/or reticence gets in the way, but that only helps in understanding the character of the people involved. A wonderful book. But don't forget to buy "The Silent Clowns" as well.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book - great service.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2015
Verified Purchase
A brilliant book - well worth the high price, even for a 'used' book. It was delivered quickly and was described accurately by the seller.
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Mr. Anthony J. Hume
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2015
Verified Purchase
awesome tome about the wonderful silent era - simply brilliant
2 people found this helpful
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