Synopses & Reviews
Silent Traces: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Charlie Chaplin is the long-awaited follow-up to John Bengtsons critically acclaimed masterpiece
Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Buster Keaton.
In Silent Traces, Bengtson explores the traces of early Hollywood hidden within Charlie Chaplins timeless films. This stunning work of cinematic archeology combines Chaplins movie images with archival photographs, vintage maps, and scores of then-and-now comparison photographs to conjure up the silent-movie era from an entirely new perspective.
By describing the historical settings found in such Chaplin classics as The Kid, City Lights, and Modern Times, Bengtson illuminates both Chaplins genius and the evolving city that served as a backdrop for his art. Part time machine, part detective story, Silent Traces presents a unique look at Chaplins work, and a captivating glimpse into Hollywoods most romantic era.
Review
"A delightfully obsessive piece of artistic detective work...that would make the ghost of Jacques Derrida weep with pleasure." Los Angeles Times Book Review
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"John Bengtson has again produced a book that combines film history, social history, and a cultural study of Los Angeles." Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian
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"John Bengtson uses the films of Charlie Chaplin to perform effortless miracles of observation and detection." Los Angeles Times
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"What a debt we owe him! . . . Silent Traces is a marvelous sequel to his book on Buster Keaton." Kevin Brownlow, director and film historian
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"Silent Traces offers fascinating glimpses of Charlie Chaplin's Hollywood in relation to the Hollywood of today." Bob Mondello, National Public Radio
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"Silent Traces is terrific! Bravo!' Ray Bradbury
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"Silent Traces is a fascinating inquiry that transcends the geographical and approaches the spiritual." Palm Beach Post
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"Film history at its most accessible, this volume is a treasure for Chaplin fans." Editor's Guild Magazine
Synopsis
Uncovering tidbits of the history of Los Angeles and the early film industry that are hidden within Charlie Chaplin's timeless films, this stunning work of cinematic archeology combines Chaplin's movie images with archival photographs, vintage maps, contemporary photographs, and scores of then-and-now comparison photographs to conjure up the silent-movie era from an entirely new perspective.Uncovering tidbits of the history of Los Angeles and the early film industry that are hidden within Charlie Chaplin's timeless films, this stunning work of cinematic archeology combines Chaplin's movie images with archival photographs, vintage maps, contemporary photographs, and scores of then-and-now comparison photographs to conjure up the silent-movie era from an entirely new perspective.
About the Author
John Bengtson is a business lawyer and film historian who discovered the magic of silent comedy at an early age. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Silent Traces: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Charlie Chaplin, Silent Echoes: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Buster Keaton, and Silent Visions: Discovering Early Hollywood and New York Through the Films of Harold Lloyd. Bengtson has presented his work on Buster Keaton as keynote speaker at events hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre, and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. He is a featured columnist of the Keaton Chronicle newsletter, and lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his two daughters.