Mack sennett news newspapers books scholar jstor february 2018. Walker mcfarland, incorporated, publishers, apr 25, 20 performing arts 671 pages. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies. Later mack sennett acquired the property and created permanent sound stage buildings.
Walkers achievement here is even more amazing because of the misinformation that has been spewed about sennett himself by sennett himself and the films that came from his studio by lazy researchers. As brent walker writes in his book, mack sennetts fun factory, to. About the book this is a comprehensive career study and filmography of mack sennett, cofounder of keystone studios, home of the keystone kops and other vehicles that showcased his. How mack sennett came to the valley and created studio city historian mary mallory details the studio city beginnings of 85 years ago. The filmography covers the more than 1,000 films sennett produced, directed, wrote or appeared in. Mack sennett studios photograph wisconsin historical society. For their age and, in some cases, extreme rarity, the shorts and two features in the mack sennett collection, vol. Paramount pictures distributed sennett s silent films from 1917 to 1921. Hysells excellent work, we can also now add her to the ranks of mack sennett performers.
Sennett was a movie pioneer, beginning to make shorts in the first. At one point, she had her own movie studio and production company set up for her by exlover mack sennett. When he was 17, his parents moved the family to east berlin, connecticut, and he became a laborer at american iron works, a job he continued when they moved to northampton, massachusetts. This is a comprehensive career study and filmography of m. Gierucki said it is important to preserve this significant chunk of our cultural history. Check out mack sennett studio historical marker on.
Griffith, mack sennett, josephine earle, alice hollister, lois meredith, mary miles minter, fatty roscoe arbuckle, marie shotwell, june caprice, virginia getchell, marie dressler, douglas fai. A hist ory and filmography o f his s tudio and his. The historic mack sennett studios in silver lake offers rental studio space with stateoftheart video and music production facilities including soundstages, green room, white cyc, recording facilities, and conference center. A history and filmography of his keystone and mack sennett comedies with biographies of players and personnel. Libraries help preserve the legacy of mack sennett, the king of. Keystone studios was an early film studio founded in edendale, california on july 4, 1912 as the keystone pictures studio by mack sennett with backing from actorwriter. Peter loveseys 1983 novel keystone is a whodunnit set in the keystone studios and involving among others, mack sennett, mabel normand, roscoe arbuckle, and the keystone cops.
The building, which rogg took over in january, touts quite a history. Lee mack sennetts fun factory a history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel por brent e. Mack sennett and real estate development flicker alley is proud to present the following essay by mary mallory. Dan aykroyd portrayed mack sennett in the 1992 movie chaplin. The murder of director william desmond taylor was one of the biggest scandals of hollywoods early era and it almost destroyed mack sennett, the king of comedy. Jul 03, 2016 a few years ago, film historian brent walker published the amazingly thorough history of sennetts career, mack sennetts fun factory which is now in affordable softcover. Mack sennett was a canadianamerican film actor, director, and producer, and studio head. King of comedy by sennett, mack as told to cameron shipp and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Although mack sennett has a permanent place in film history. In a story of water, a 1961 short film by jean luc godard and francois truffaut, the directors dedicate the film to mack sennett. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Sennett gave the seasoned vaudeville veteran a great deal of artistic freedom to develop his own style. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel as want to read. This is a comprehensive career study and filmography of mack sennett, cofounder of keystone. Rare photos not appropriate for history books duration. Today, that same hallowed space is available for soundstage and production studios rental. The original main building, the first totally enclosed film stage and studio in history, is still.
A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett. Mack sennett studios has positioned itself as the home of las cultural renaissance and serves as bridge between hollywoods history and its future. The keystone studios were a sprawling, messy site in edendale, california, with stages open to the sky and shack. The versatile photo shoot space and soundstages at mack sennett studios have a long history dating back to the silent film era. He was assigned his own production team to make his shorts, of which smile please 1924 was his first. There are many openroofed studios with cloth diffusers. This collection, and that book, should be paired together in any public or university library, especially colleges who have classes on film history. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel 2 volume set reprint edition by brent e. Jul 06, 2015 to satisfy cravings, the company created the one reel behind the scenes at the mack sennett studio, in which teddy, pepper the cat, a goat, bear, and various other animals appeared along with bathing beauties like prevost and haver, as they clowned around in the studio s still department. Mack sennetts fun factory is without a doubt the best book on silent comedy since walter kerr published the silent clowns in the mid70s. Books that have a connection with the king of comedy, actordirectorproducer, mack sennett.
Book now mack sennett studios exists as an entertainment industry pillar, a living testament to the historic arc of an industry that continues to undergo tremendous changes as digital technology replaces the materiality of traditional cinematic techniques. One look great, some restored by cinemuseum and keystone films using the original highly unstable and flammable nitrate camera negatives, in their original 1. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel brent e. Mary mallory is a photograph archivist, historian and the coauthor of the recent books hollywood celebrates the holidays and hollywoodland. This is a comprehensive career study and filmography of mack sennett, cofounder of keystone studios, home of the keystone kops and other vehicles that showcased his innovative slapstick comedy. Mack sennett studios soundstage and production studios. Leo sulky continued doing face bits and dress extra work into the 1950s, when he appeared at several mack sennett alumni association gatherings prior to his death in 1957. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of due to covid19, orders may be delayed.
There have been many worthy books on the keystone film company, mack sennett, and mabel normandnot to mention the countless volumes on charlie chaplin. The life and clowns of mack sennett by simon louvish 368pp, faber. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel 2 volume set 9780786477111. Apr 07, 2010 not long after this brief work at the sennett studio, betsy ann hisle appeared in a number of high profile silent features such as beau geste, the way of all flesh and sorrell and son. In a story of water, a 1961 short film by jeanluc godard and francois truffaut, the directors dedicate the film to mack sennett. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel 2 volume set by brent e. From bear manor books the link to buy the book is above, the group silents are golden raves. Read mack sennetts fun factory a history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel by brent e. A pleasant read, with photocopies or excerpts of partial scripts, studio synopses, contemporary print cartoons, etc. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel 671 by brent e. Born in melbourne, quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the biograph company of new york, and later opened keystone studios in edendale, california in 1912.
January 17, 1880 november 5, 1960 was a canadianamerican film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the king of comedy. Known as the female charlie chaplain, normand was the reigning queen of comedy in silent films. We would like to place a plaque made for it in 1954 but not installed. However, there have been multiple transformations since the original filming by the keystone company. Walker mcfarland, jan, 2010 performing arts 671 pages. Once dubbed the king of comedy, producer and director mack sennett was a ringmaster for a motley crew of comedic talent that included charlie chaplin, fatty arbuckle, mabel normand and the keystone kops, who slid, slipped and slapped their way across american movie screens of the 1910s. Mack sennett resource learn about, share and discuss mack. This is a comprehensive career study and filmography of mack sennett, cofounder of keystone s. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel. Sennett a slapstick pioneer of the silent era who worked with charlie chaplin and fatty arbuckle actually built a larger studio on glendale boulevard in echo park. He was not unemployed for long, with mack sennett signing the babyfaced clown to a keystone studio contract a month later.
The present address of the site is 1712 glendale boulevard, echo park, california. A history and filmography of his studio and his keystone and mack sennett comedies, with biographies of players and personnel by brent e. Learn more about free events this saturdaysee below. How mack sennett came to the valley and created studio city. Mack sennett was born michael sinnott on january 17, 1880 in danville, quebec, canada, to irish immigrant farmers. Relocated marker in echo park salutes mack sennetts first. This book unwittingly advances that theory in telling the story of the mack sennett studios. Below, leo dons keystone cops gear with james finalyson, mack sennett and others at the 1950 mack sennett alumni reunion in simi valley, california.