|
|
NOTE: THIS PAGE DOESN'T HAVE A BACK BUTTON YET. USE
THE BACK BUTTON ON YOUR BROWSER.
ARTICLES:
BREAKING INTO SMALL PRESS
by
Sharida
Rizzuto
There are two methods to building a list of
credits in the field of writing. (A third method through newspaper
journalism is not covered here.) The first method, favored by the majority
of aspiring writers, involves submitting a manuscript to a book publisher
or articles to magazine publishers. It is the most well known method
and also the most difficult. Currently, since there are fewer publishers
in existence they are less likely to gamble on new talent. The response
time for these publishers is extremely slow. A book might take as long
as two years for publication. It is wise to utilize the second method
instead.
That method consists of seeking publication in small press.
While it is true that even small press has also diminished in size,
there are still thousands of zines, journals, newsletters, books and chapbooks
published yearly. These publications cover a huge gamut of genres,
topics, themes, etc. Learn the markets thoroughly. However, first learn
the craft of writing thoroughly. It will save embarrassment and some
rejection. Not all publishers are polite about critiquing submissions
with frequent errors. Seek out libraries, bookstores and newsstands
for books and magazines about writers and writing. Check out the Internet
for websites that contain suitable information. Frequently amateur
writers think it is necessary to pay for expensive university courses (some
also available on the Internet). There is an inexpensive way--local
writers' workshops. Some workshops are available on the Internet.
The workshops are generally free of charge. Once a writer thinks
he or she is ready to mail out a submission or two, learn the markets.
There are small press publishers with a reputation for publishing quality
writing. Try them first. If that does not after several attempts,
try some of the lesser known publishers that have been around a good while.
If that still does not work, try even lesser known publishers or new
ones.
A writer needs to learn his or her writing strengths and
weaknesses. Take the necessary steps to correct any major problems
with one's writing style. The best way to insure eventual publication
is to keep sending out submissions to various publishers. Do not wait
for a response from one before sending out another submission to another
publisher. Keep writing. Keep submitting. (Note: In reference
to simultaneous submissions--it is wise to send them out only to publishers
who will consider them and always tell them it is a simultaneous submission.
Some listings for publishers include that information. If a
submission is accepted by a publisher, be sure to notify the others right
away that the submission has been accepted elsewhere.)
Small press publishers vary in their requirements. Some
maintain strict length limits while others do not care (if they like your
work they will find space for it). Some pay a small fee (generally
1/4 cent to 3 cents per word) plus free copy while others only pay in copies.
It is necessary for an aspiring writer to acquire at least a few paying
markets for one's list of credits to be taken seriously, in the future, by
a literary agent or major publisher. However, many small press publishers
are only able to pay in free copies. Do not dismiss them. If
it gets a writer's work published, it still adds to that list of credits
in another way--a writer becomes known and more widely accepted among small
press publishers. That lends to more work being accepted and perhaps
better offers from the publishers who are able to pay. Some publishers
do not care about cover letters. However, it is a good policy to send
it along with a list of credits. When you develop a nice list of credits,
many publishers will be impressed by it. They are like anyone else.
Until the past several years, the majority of the American
population was not aware that small press existed. That includes many of
the bigger publishers, too. By the late 1980's things changed. Small
press publications were growing quickly and some large magazine publishers
began taking notice. Articles about small press started showing up.
In the 1990's, some books have been published telling all about the
small press scene (check out the list of recommended books and websites
accompanying this article). Until recently, small press was mostly
as an alternative culture thing. Now, it has almost become a fad.
The current generation of coffeehouse devotees, rock music fans,
scifi/fantasy enthusiasts, and the goth-vampire subculture among others are
into small press. The majority of these people are under thirty.
However, do not think that all of it is youth-oriented. Small
press has been around in various guises since the nineteenth century with
the emergence of penny dreadfuls, later in the twentieth century--pulp magazines
and various scifi/fantasy and horror zines promoted by the likes of H. P.
Lovecraft, John Campbell, Hugo Gurnsback, etc. The current incarnation somewhat
developed out of the 1960's radicalism as well as the earlier scifi/fantasy
and horror publications. In the 1970's, small press started to grow
at a rapid pace. The existence of some television shows and movies
helped further viewers' interest in the scifi/fantasy and horror genres.
Meanwhile, the literary zine, while always a staple of the more academic
crowd, became more eclectic. Many of the current crop of fringe, quirky
and medley zines are sometimes classified as literary.
Small press covers a broad territory: alternative press,
zines, fanzines, literary journals and more eclectic zines, newsletters,
books & poetry chapbooks, story collections, underground press, comix,
inde press, etc. Alternative press mostly includes anything from slick to
very poorly printed publications devoted to a variety of topics and themes
not considered in the mainstream. Zines cover almost anything and
everything from A-Z. Fanzines are mainly devoted to movie or television
shows and their stars. Much of it is scifi/fantasy though it will include
mystery, adventure, romance, etc. Literary journals are generally published
by university presses though not always. The more eclectic journals
are mostly published by small press. Newsletters, which are classified as
small press, are available in a broad variety of topics and themes. Books
and poetry chapbooks are published by university presses, individuals who
self-publish their poetry, small press and medium size presses. The
same goes for story collections. Underground press mostly consists
of some subculture materials such as s & m, tattooing, goth-vampirism,
death & dying, alternative lifestyles and erotica. It usually includes
the adult-oriented independent comix market. The regular comix market
generally includes itself alongside zines or fanzines depending on content.
There is a new emerging branch of small press that is and is
not small press--the e-zine. Since the e-zine has developed due to
the emergence of the Internet and the www, it is basically a new entity.
Some of these e-zines have their roots in small press since some of
the creators originally published some kind of small press publication or
currently publication a print version of an e-zine. There are, however,
some e-zine publishers who are new to zine publishing and have never published
the print version.
The best way for an emerging writer to local potential publishers
for their works is to find them through various publications (including books,
magazines, zines, newsletters, directories) devoted to small press, or through
the Internet. There are many websites devoted to writers, writing,
and publishing as well as e-zines.
Next issue--"How To Become A Successful Small Press
Publisher--And That Doesn't Necessarily Mean Making A
Profit"
Recommended:
International Directory of Little Magazines And
Small Presses
DUSTBOOKS
P.O. Box 100
Paradise, CA 95967
http://www.dustbooks.com/
Factsheet Five--Directory & Reviews of
Zines
P.O. Box 170099
San Francisco, CA 94117
http://www.factsheet5.com/
Scavenger's
Newsletter--Scifi/Fantasy/Horror/Mystery Markets
Janet Fox
519 Ellinwood
Osage City, KS 66523-1329
http://www.cza.com/scav/
John Laboritz's List of All Known
Zines
http://www.meer.net/~johnl/e-zine-list/
The Gila Queen's Guide to
Markets
P. O. Box 97
Newton, NJ 07860-0097
http://www.gilaqueen.com/
Heliocentric
Network--Markets/Reviews
http://www.wolfenet.com/~lbothell/
Fandom Directory
7614 Cervantes Ct.
Springfield, VA 22153
http://members.aol.com/fandata/
DarkEcho--Horror Markets
http://www.darkecho.com
Zuzu's Petals Literary Resource Homepage
Zuzu's Petals Quarterly
Zuzu's Links for Poets & Writers
Zuzu's Other WWW Literary Magazines, etc.
http://www.zuzu.com/
Poetry Highway
http://PoetrySuperHighway.com
Ms. Smith's English Page
http://home.earthlink.net/~jesmith/
Writing Online
http://www.hmco.com/hmco/college/English/writingonline/WritingOnline.html
Brain Bait--English Grammar links, etc.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/3995/
Mysterious Strands--extensive mystery links
http://idsonline.com/userweb/cwilson/mystery.htm
HorrorNet
http://www.horrornet.com/
LitWeb
http://www.arcana.com/shannon/litweb.html
From the upcoming issue of MIXED
MAG:
COFFEE WITH A SIDE OF GREATNESS
by Jimmy Toscano
I think that my all time favorite thing about road trips
is getting coffee, I know it sounds weird but I think it's the greatest.
It's not even the actual coffee that I enjoy; it's the ritual that
goes along with it. Its like 3:30 in the morning and I pull over
at some broken down gas station in the middle of nowhere, and I might only
have like three bucks.
But I walk in and its great, I know my three bucks is going
to go a long way, because I look down the long candy aisle and it looks just
like a huge tangible rainbow that I can reach out and touch.
The spectrum begins with a few assorted mints and lifesavers,
that fades into the gum racks, then into candies like Skittles, Starburst,
and Sprees, then it slowly turns into a huge selection of candy bars, then
into chips and cookies, and then finally at the end of this perfectly arranged
aisle is an oversized display of every beef Jerky flavor and size you could
think of. After I have taken all of that in I make my selections.
First I grab a ninety-nine cent bag of Fungions, just because I haven't
had them in a while. Next, I realize that I'm going to need something
that goes with my coffee, so I get my all-time favorite old stand-by, the
Snickers bar.
Now I am ready to get my Coffee. I walk over to the coffee
station where there are like eight coffee pots all full and steaming hot.
And there is usually always at least one trucker there, and as we wrestle
around each other trying to get our caffeine fix, he says a little more than
nothing, but not much. And I respect that because he doesn't feel the
need to talk just for the sake of talking, and neither do I.
But my mind is going a hundred miles an hour thinking how his
life on the road must be. And wishing I could see and meet all the
people and places he made contact with. But I ask him nothing, and
just fill my twenty ounce cup a little more than two-thirds the way up including
one creamer, so that it doesn't spill over in the car.
I now have everything I need so I walk up too the clerk at
the counter and lay down my treats and coffee, and as the clerk complains
about her long hours of working through the night I notice a Bazooka Joe
box marked five cents each. So I purchase one, because I know it will
hit the spot when I'm done with my treats and coffee. And while she
rings up my items and we're making small talk I think about that comic that
I will be getting in my gum wrapper. I remember my Dad buying me a
Bazooka Joe a long time ago and it said, "Help me I'm a prisoner in a bubble
gum factory," and I remember how clever he thought it was, and how much I
miss him. After that passes the clerk says, "That will be $2.99 please."
So I throw the three bucks on the counter and I am totally aware that
she doesn't expect me to wait for my change, so I wait for it anyway just
to see her expression when I do. I politely say thank you and get in
my car and take off.
For three bucks I live like a king on the road, perfectly content
for at least another four hundred miles, drinking my coffee, eating my snacks,
and listening to whatever I want to on the radio. And maybe just maybe
when I finally get to the Bazooka Joe it will be wrapped in that very same
comic I had a long time ago, and I will smile and keep driving until I run
out of gas or the gum runs out of flavor.
Copyright (c) 1998 Jimmy Toscano Published on the World Wide
Web by
Reprinted by permission of the author
From the upcoming issue of MIXED MAG
&
HOLLYWOOD
NOSTALGIA:
SCHOOLED ON THE MOVIES
by S. Rizzuto
During my childhood and teen years my father worked for three motion picture companies--Republic, Universal, and 20th Century Fox. From earliest childhood I remember my parents taking me to the movies a few times a week. I attended private screenings of films several months or weeks before they were released. I was able to watch movies that were considered for adults only. During the fifties, despite the fairly strict moral climate, society generally left it up to the parents to make decisions about what movies their children were allowed to see or what other activities that children were permitted to do. Society didn't see a need to always enforce laws prohibiting children from various activities, etc. Children were frequently sent by a parent to buy cigarettes for them and they were allowed in some bars accompanied by a parent. I remember taking my first sip of beer as a young child. It was given to me by my great-grandmother while sitting on a high stool at a neighborhood Norwegian bar. (Incidentally, I have never smoked and I only rarely drink a beer or some wine.) It makes one wonder about the validity of claims by sociologists or psychologists that such habits in a society trigger a large segment of society to develop habits of smoking or drinking. I would like to think that they are basically wrong in their assessments than to think I'm just a heck of a lot smarter than the majority of people than to take up bad habits. Go figure . . . But I digress . . . During the fifties things weren't half as bad as many people claim they were or that the current youth generation seems to think. Besides the screenings my parnets and I were allowed at all the local theaters free-of-charge. In those days there were frequently double features (sometimes called a double bill) showing at some of the theaters on a regular basis. There were frequent sneak previews held (that's when a movie is premiered for one showing several weeks in advance). Sometimes it was by invitation only and other times it was open to the public. Movie-going was still a big thing in those days. People got dressed up to go to the show. Sometimes movie stars would put in a stage appearance before a movie was shown the first night. I was able to see a variety of stars in person. I remember seeing several character actors such as Forrest Tucker, Vera Ralston, Mary Murphy, and Beverly Garland. I also saw Robert Mitchum, Van Heflin, Danny Kaye, and others I can't remember offhand.
Now all this movie-going didn't leave much time for school. In those days, generally children also could stay out of school at the discretion of the parents. I spent much time reading books, watching television, shopping, etc. besides attending the movies. My education consisted mainly movies and all those books I read. You see I selected good books. I wasn't one for the comics. I considered that childish. At the age of fifteen, I received special permission to leave school from the school board. You won't see many students nowadays allowed to do that. Fortunately, today's children have the option of home schooling if their parents are willing. There was no such thing in the fifties. I spend most of my time educating myself. I evidently did a decent job of it since at twenty-three when I took a placement test I did well enough to bypass having to attend night school before being allowed to take a GED (equivalent of a high school diploma). I later went on to college and majored in two subjects. I managed to acquire more than 250 credits simply because I wanted to take all those courses. I have always had a great desire for knowledge.
I developed an appreciation for foreign films during
my childhood as many of them were shown at some of the local theaters.
There were always a few theaters that showed exclusively what was called
"art films" (that's your current equivalent of those intellectual independent
films). Unfortunately, today there are fewer local theaters dedicated
to showing such films. When I was in New York City there were all kinds
of movies available at the theaters and in the video stores. Unfortunately,
New Orleans isn't New York nor will it ever be. This is the BIG EASY
or shall I say the BIG SLEAZY. It's not "the city that care forgot"
but rather it's "the city that forgot to care." While there are more
than fifty established writers living here, there's a fair number of bookstores
considering the population is less than a million, and there's the annual
Tennessee Williams Writers Festival (but the vast majority of the population
couldn't care less about intellectual pursuits). And, the writers keep
to themselves in their own little clique. Everything here is made up
of various cliques (Mardi Gras cliques, Uptown crowd, whatever). It's
status, it's racial, it's cultural. I'm sure many places are like that
but here it takes on a specialness all its own--it's called provincialism
and it's of the worst order. It wasn't nearly as bad while I was growing
up. One had more opportunity to mix with people from various walks
of life. That simply doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Oh,
you might see some people talking to each other who wouldn't normally do
so during Mardi Gras, but that doesn't count since most of them are drunk
anyway.
I consider myself lucky to have grown up in the time frame
that I did when laws were more leniently enforced (what laws we had) and
life was much easier because of it. It was also easier since groups of people
weren't so divided. I find that instead of there being less racial
division and less tension that the division is worst in many ways. Classes
divisions are more obvious too. Men and women, for the most part, still
don't understand each other. People are more generally mean-spirited.
They are always ready to sue someone over next to nothing. One
needs to be careful about what is said to anyone on the job, in school, or
elsewhere. And, no one knows when one might be hit during a sudden
shootout at some location because a nutcase decides that is what he wants
to do that particular day. Those kinds of things just didn't happen
in the fifties. It wouldn't have crossed the minds of most people then to
commit such a crazy act. I grew up on all those shoor ‘em up westerns
considered so violent by today's standards. Well, I don't go around shooting
things up. In fact, it's apparent that many of the current rash of shootings
are committed by the youth. While it is true many of them have probably
played too many violent video games and seen too many slasher thrillers,
how can society be sure that those things trigger such violent acts considering
the 50's westerns didn't create the same problem? It's difficult to
understand exactly what's happening in society nowadays, but one thing is
obvious and that's the simple fact that we are experiencing some kind of
major breakdown in society at large. And if some brainy people don't figure
out what the hell has gone wrong and find a positive way to fix it, we are
in serious TROUBLE.
I, for one, am not in a position to fix the problems in America. I will leave that to the ones in those important positions to fix them. As for me, I frankly rather take a time machine and go back to those simpler days (and believe me they were simpler) and enjoy the movies.
From the upcoming issue of MIXED MAG
&
HOLLYWOOD
NOSTALGIA:
MY MOVIE MEMORABILIA
by S. Rizzuto
While I was a child
my father started scrapbooks devoted to the movie industry. Later when
I was a teen I started one for the film "Lawrence of Arabia." I collected
everything I could get my hands on regarding the film: magazine articles
about the film--the actors--the filming of it; clippings from the newspapers,
ads for the film, ticket stubs ( I watched it 55 times!); photos from the
film and the actors; and much more. I started it in 1962 and worked
on it until the late 1970's. I still have it.
Besides the scrapbook, I collected the record album for the
film plus a few other versions of the music. I also bought two
copies of the souvenir book sold at the theater during the film's first
run (duing the 50's & 60's such items were commonly sold at theaters)
and the 30th Anniversary book. I also bought a poster. During the 60's
I don't think scripts of films were commonly available. Since the 80's
they are readily available. Normally, I would have purchased one for
the film but after I viewed the film 10 times I was able to write out the
entire script. It took 67 pages.
I also created a Beatles scrapbook during the '60s. It
was a foot high! Unfortunately, it was lost when my mother sold our
bookshop. I forgot it there. I sometimes wonder who has it
now??
I collected endless movie magazines, scifi &
fantasy/horror/mystery mags & small press zines, comics, posters, stills,
gum cards, buttons, videos, etc. My best items are part of a Sherlock
Holmes collection which includes books, zines, my own "SH" zine, comics,
stills, buttons, etc. and my most prized item, Basil Rathbone's autobiography,
In And Out Of Character.
My neverending interest in movie nostalgia inspired me to start
this publication in the early 90's (in print). I put the publication
on hold until I relocated and then I decided to learn how to create a zine
online.
From HOLLYWOOD NOSTALGIA #2:
THE SILENCE OF
HOLLYWOOD
by
Jimmy Skinner
"Still wonderful, isn't it? And no dialogue, we didn't need
dialogue, we had faces! There aren't any faces like that, maybe one Garbo.
Those idiot producers, those imbeciles, haven't they got any eyes? Have they
forgotten what a star looks like?"--Norma Desmond, from Billy Wilder's classic,
"Sunset Boulevard," starring Gloria Swanson.
Living in Hollywood, you tend to become enthralled, amazed
by what is, what will be, and my favorite part, what was. As I stroll down
Hollywood Boulevard along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I observe so much and
see things that most people do not realize ever existed. I see buildings
that used to be major historical landmarks when the city was in its prenatal
state in the early teens and twenties. I see parking lots and supermarkets
where major silent film studios used to stand, studios that produced such
greats as The Keystone Cops, Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand, Rudolph Valentino,
and much more. I now see all of this in my mind.
Hollywood has changed, is changing, and unfortunately will
continue to change. As I walk down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, there are
many "stars," one after the other. I notice names that are as familiar as
my own, I see their faces, I know what films they were in and how wonderful
they are and were. I see the silent names, the stars of people who have been
forgotten by time and sound. These are the stars whom many people wonder
about, "Why are these stars here, I've never heard of them?" If they only
knew that they were the ones who produced Hollywood and made it what it was
and is today. The silent stars were the birth of Hollywood.
With the silent screen stars' talents and lifestyles,
Hollywood(land) was created and made the capital and the idealization of
the entire world. They were the beginning of Hollywood's "royalty." These,
mostly common people, were the "kings" and "queens" of what we now know today
as the "movie star." Thus, the era of the silent screen stars created the
ambassadors of people's dreams and fantasies. What is "today" leaves nothing
to the imagination; the silent stars were imagination and larger than life.
Going to the movie theater then was a major outing that everyone enjoyed.
Considering there were so many stars in the silent era, how
many today can be named immediately from memory? Rudolph Valentino, Gloria
Swanson, Charlie Chaplin, Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.,
Mabel Normand, Mary Pickford. How many more were there? How many more had
careers that began Hollywood and began an entire change in people's thinking,
their beliefs, ideals, lifestyles, fads, dress, and bathtub gin? Who were
these people, how long were they around, and where are they now?
There are some remote parts of Hollywood where the silence
is piercing and you can feel how it was in the beginning. You can see and
hear Tom Mix riding over the range and you can experience
"The Birth of A Nation." You can hear the sounds
that are all still there in the silence of Hollywood. Once I was enjoying
some of this silence when suddenly I thought, or rather imagined, Rudolph
Valentino, riding on his horse as "The Sheik." I was there and he was there,
and for that one brief flickering moment old Hollywood had been reborn.
In this new era of "Give me Bronson and blood, Rambo and bombs,
and Rocky and fists," it is nice to see the silents, when a man came on a
white horse and carried off his love. What happened after that was left to
your own imagination, that reality was not as vivid and as frustrating as
it is in today's films. The madness was taken away and substituted by the
dreams.
In some cases art imitates life, and today sometimes the so-called
art is too real. In the past, life was often improved by art.
Recently, with thanks to my local Public Broadcasting Station,
I had the pleasure of watching the 1924 silent classic, "The
Thief of Baghdad," made by United Artists starring Douglas Fairbanks,
Sr., and was totally amazed at the spectacle of it. An entire city was designed
and built on the studio back lot. The sets, costumes, special effects, etc.
were amazing even by today's standards and modern technology. This was a
$2 million production which obviously was a lot of money for those days as
compared to what it would probably cost to produce such a spectacle today.
I think that many of today's producers and directors should and could learn
from this film what a spectacle really is before they spend millions that
may never be returned at the box office. It was spectacles like these, that
proved Hollywood was the dream factory of the silent era. This was the pioneering
of the ideas that still exist today in the motion picture industry. Instead
of vocally expressing ideas before the camera, the silent film star had to
show what was meant with the use of facial expressions and body language.
They thus literally invented screen acting. Lillian Gish portrayed tragedy,
Mary Pickford innocence, Rudolph Valentino male animalism, Theda Bara vamping,
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. action, Gloria Swanson glamour, and Charlie Chaplin
portrayed comedy. Pioneer directors such as D.W. Griffith and Cecille B.
DeMille were kings of the spectacle. Charlie Chaplin and Mack Sennett were
the kings of comedy. Studios were eventually formed by some stars who wanted
to get away from the rule and power of directors and producers. One of the
first such mergers were the joining of Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks,
Sr. and Mary Pickford, who then formed United Artists.
The silent spectacle was not only on the screen, but in the
private lives of the stars. Gloria Swanson's return from France after her
marriage was one spectacle that is still remembered by some. While in France
she became deathly ill, due to a botched abortion, which was not revealed
to the public. On her return home, she was given a Queen's return welcome
by millions of her adoring fans. The world hung on a thread to each word
of news about Gloria's illness and recovery. When she returned to the states,
the public was then happy, because Gloria would now return to the screen.
When Rudolph Valentino died suddenly while in New York, the world mourned,
their god of the screen had left them. Some people in fact committed suicide
upon hearing the news; songs were written for The Sheik; there was in fact
a "New Star in The Heaven" on that night. His body was viewed by the public
on his return by train back to Hollywood, as many as would be for a President.
"The Sheik" had died and left his people. There is still a major spectacle
at his tomb even today, sixty years after his death. The woman in black (although
not the original) still visits his tomb. One wonders after the emergence
of sound if Valentino would have had a successful transformation to the talkies.
Most doubt this, and he may have faded into celluloid oblivion as did countless
other silent matinee idols of the twenties.
Women of the twenties especially followed the trails of the
stars. When a new hair style was worn, for example Colleen Moore's bob, the
beauty salons would be packed with women ready for the change. Rich and poor
alike had one thing in common with today's people, that they still have their
escape into the movies.
Hollywood in the twenties was an age of desperation. People
were desperate to find the good life, and those who came to Hollywood and
found stardom usually changed their names. The publicity departments went
wild with sensationalistic stories of the celebrities' torrid or unusual
past; little girl from middle America would usually wind up becoming an exiled
princess from a European country. Those who did come to Hollywood in the
early days and made it as stars had to handle life on their own terms. Some
handled it well while others destroyed themselves. Popularity and the freedom
proved too much. Mabel Normand was one of the many who died at an early age.
Many more were to follow. They lived too fast and died too soon, unlike those
who took life slow and easy and were able to keep and enjoy what they had.
Most of the stars of the silent era did not make it into sound,
due to many reasons. One was that their voices may not have been suited for
sound and were too high for some male stars and too low for some female stars.
Some spoke with thick accents, and some just could not handle the change.
Most of their careers were cut short. The few who did make the change became
major stars of the thirties and forties, as did Greta Garbo. It was the silent
stars who created what we know today as "Hollywood."
The stage stars of the time tended to look down on the screen
as the lower class of actors. However, as film took over as the top form
of popular entertainment, even the stars of the stage made the change to
the screen, liking it or not. The stage actors at one time said, "Screen
actors didn't act for films, only posed."
Lillian Gish once said, "You have to start with the curtain
down and then go on from there once the camera started. With music and silent
film you have a universal language, a tear is a tear and a smile is a
smile."
MAJOR FILMS OF THE SILENT
ERA
"THE SQUAW MAN" - 1913, Dir. by Cecille B. DeMille, starring Dustin Farnum
"BIRTH OF A NATION" - 1915, Dir. by D.W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish
"INTOLERANCE" - 1916, Dir. by D.W. Griffith, starring Mae Marsh
"THE MARK OF ZORRO" - 1920, Dir. by Fred Niblo, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
"THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD" - 1924, Dir. by Raoul Walsh, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
"MANHANDLED" - 1924, Dir. by Allan Dwan, starring Gloria Swanson
"THE GOLD RUSH" - 1925, Directed/Written/Produced/Starring Charlie Chaplin
"THE EAGLE" - 1925, Dir. by Clarence Brown, starring Rudolph Valentino
"THE GREAT GATSBY" - 1926, Dir. by Herbert Brenon, starring Warner Baxter
"SON OF THE SHEIK" - 1926, Dir. by George Fitzmaurice, starring Rudolph Valentino
"IT" - 1927, Dir. by Clarence Badger, starring Clara Bow
"WINGS" - 1927, Dir. by William A. Wellman, starring Charles "Buddy" Rodgers
IMPORTANT DATES OF THE
SILENT ERA
1894: Horace Henderson Wilcox bought 120 acres to establish a country home and named his ranch Hollywood.
1911: October, Hollywood's first studio was opened by the Centaur Company.
1912: Adolph Zukor founded Famous Players Company.
1914: Charlie Chaplin made his film debut in Keystone's "MAKING A LIVING."
1915: PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE became Hollywood's major voice to the American film public.
1920: Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. married Mary Pickford. Their house, "Pickfair" became Hollywood's Buckingham Palace.
1923: Greta Garbo was introduced to the American public.
1925: Gloria Swanson returns home to America from France after nearly dying.
1926: Rudolph Valentino dies of "peritonitis complications" in New York; the nation mourns.
1927:
"THE JAZZ SINGER,"
the first feature film with synchronized sound and
dialogue. The careers of the silent stars were about to change, and for most,
they were ended.
SOUND HAD COME AND AN ERA HAD
ENDED.
From REALM OF THE VAMPIRE #21:
DENNIS WHEATLEY,
OCCULT
HORROR WAS HIS SPECIALITY
by Lucinda
MacGregor
British writer, Dennis Wheatley, is one of my favorite horror
writers. Though he wrote a large volume of books only a small portion
of them are classified as occult horror or supernatural thrillers. The
rest are mainly mainstream mysteries and adventures. Wheatley lived to age
eighty and wrote for about half of his life. His life spanned the later
part of the nineteenth century and more than three-fourths of the twentieth.
He was greatly influenced by the times in which he grew up and it is
evidenced in his writings. He served in the British military and was
a member of the upper class. His writings consist of novels, short
stories, historical, and autobiographical works. Some of Wheatley's
more well known books are: The Devil Rides
Out, To the Devil a Daughter,
The
Satanist,
The Haunting of Toby Jugg,
The Ka of Gifford Hillary,
The Quest of Julian Day, and
Strange Conflict. Several of them were part
of his "Black Magic" series and had exceptionally creepy cover art mostly
in red with black covers and a skull logo at the top.
Some of Wheatley's favorite themes centered on dangerous satanic
cults involving the Nazis or Communists. He claimed to have vast knowledge
of the occult and to have attended many satanic rituals However, he always
denied any involvement with them. Considering the fact that he always portrayed
them as evil it is probably doubtful he was ever a member of any cult.
However, why they allowed him access to some of their meetings considering
the fact that he wrote negative things about them, though in the guise of
fiction, is certainly a puzzlement. Could it be that his knowledge
was only second hand and questionable? The truth may never be known. No
matter. Though Wheatley's novels are written in a somewhat dated style
and some of the plots are outlandish and unbelievable, his works are highly
entertaining. For a good read on a dark and stormy night his novels
are just the ticket.
Unfortunately, Wheatley's books aren't easy to find. Many
are out-of-print and the others are not widely distributed (at least not
in the U.S.). It takes some research in tracking them down at a used
bookshop or using a search service to locate them. Perhaps, contacting a
British book-seller would be useful.
Two of Wheatley's novels were adapted to film:
"The Devil Rides Out" starring Peter Cushing and
Christopher Lee and "To the Devil a Daughter" with
Christopher Lee and Natasha Kinski. While the first one, a typical
Hammer production, does have some interesting moments, the latter is boring
and not well made.
A word of caution regarding Wheatley's works should be noted.
Wheatley was a product of his time and place. He was a somewhat
of a diehard British Imperialist and stauch anti-Communist. By current
standards his works are considered to contain racist elements. However,
Wheatley's works should be enjoyed and appreciated in spite of his shortcomings
as an individual. He was one heck of a storyteller, and it is unfortunate
that he isn't much remembered for his accomplishments as a writer.
MORE TO COME!