OUR MUSEUM STORE

BOOKS BY LON DAVIS & LARRY TELLES

Lon lives with his wife Debra live in Eugene, Oregon.  He is the author of three books.

SILENT LIVES: 100 Biographies of the Silent Era

Silent Lives: 100 Biographies of the Silent Era highlights the great—and near great—of the motion picture’s early years (including Essanay stars G.M. “Broncho Billy” Anderson, Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, Charlie Chaplin, and Ben Turpin). Each vividly written profile is illustrated with exquisite photographs and line-art advertisements, many of which have not been seen in decades.

Diana Serra Cary (the former child star Baby Peggy) praised Silent Lives as “a well-written, illustrated, and comprehensive collection of biographies—a ‘must have’ book for fans and serious researchers alike. It is also that rarest of shorthand guides, a genuinely reliable reference tool.”

"A truly delightful, interesting and informative volume - with a nice (and very mixed) choice of subjects." - Anthony Slide

411 information-packed pages, more than two hundred rare photos, and an insightful foreword by Kevin Brownlow.

$ 24.95  (20.7 oz)

KING OF THE MOVIES: Francis X. Bushman

Francis X. Bushman had a life like no other. He was the screen's first great romantic idol, a bodybuilder, an artist's model, a Broadway and stock company actor, a husband (four times), a father (six times), a dog breeder, a songwriter, a vaudeville headliner, a radio performer, a television personality, a senior citizens' advocate. He lived an exaggerated life, both as a free-spending multi-millionaire star and a bankrupt has-been.

After all the accolades and criticisms, he was that rare kind of man who had no regrets.

Larry is one of the founding members of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. A much shorter version of his book was serialized in the first five issues of museum's newsletter, The Chronicle. In 2004 Larry expanded the material further when he used it as a handout in an Elderhostal class he taught. After that class Larry took all the material that he saved over the years and the result was this unique history book for all ages.  Silent film history on one page and on the opposite page, American history.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SILENT SCREEN:
And the World at that Time

This is history made fun and easy in 200 pages. Pictures of renowned people and movie stars are sprinkled liberally throughout the short biographies and events of the time. It is the ideal Christmas gift for you, your parents, grandparents and friends.

Young readers who love movies, as well as those who grew up in the years of silent films, or lived with parents and grandparents who talked about that era, will be fascinated with the innovative time in American history that revolutionized our culture. Contrary to other books about the movie industry, Larry Telles, with clever labels, guides the reader through both world history and the history of the silent screen at the same time, allowing readers to experience both or only one if they prefer.

All books include a DVD of 51 silent screen video clips collected from the library of David Shepard, who has restored hundreds of silent films. David Drazin, a well-known Chicago piano player accompanies the clips.