Any good book deling with the Live-action shorts?

[WoodpeckerWoody]

I'm looking for book that deals with the live-action shorts from Silent era and the Golden era of USA cinema,

[Bradskey]

I don't know of one definitive or encyclopedic book in the vein of "Of Mice and Magic" concerning short subjects.

There are several books on specific short subject series. There's the "The Little Rascals: Life and Times of Our Gang". There are a few major books dealing with Laurel and Hardy, some with their personal lives ("Stan and Ollie: The Roots of Comedy") and some mostly with just their filmography ("Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies"). There's a book about the Hal Roach Studios, and several about Mack Sennett (although many seem to be OOP). There are dozens of books about the Three Stooges. There are books about individual silent comedians like Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon and others. The subject is rather broad and varied, and only the noteworthy series seem to merit books. Hollywood also produced scads of shorts that were neither good nor memorable.

[CueBallCat79]

Originally Posted by Bradskey

There are several books on specific short subject series. There's the "The Little Rascals: Life and Times of Our Gang".

I have an old copy of this from 1977. If you own this book you will never need another book on the Our Gang comedies. Ever.

Anyone know what the definitive Chaplin book would be?

[Bobby Bickert]

http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.p...-0-7864-0577-0

[Thad]

Laurel & Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies (Young, Skretvedt) is the only book you'll need on them. There is a book that discusses their Fox features more seriously, but who cares about those.

[Shemp]

Originally Posted by WoodpeckerWoody

I'm looking for book that deals with the live-action shorts from Silent era and the Golden era of USA cinema,

Some that you will find listed (w/Amazon links) at ThreeStooges.net's Bibliography...

- The Great Movie Shorts (Bonanza 1972), by Leonard Maltin
- Selected Short Subjects (De Capo 1983), by Leonard Maltin (softcover re-release of The Great Movie Shorts)
- The Vitaphone Films (McFarland 2002), by Roy Liebman
- The Columbia Comedy Shorts (McFarland 1986; softcover re-release 1998), by Ted Okuda and Ed Watz

[The Coyote Never Wins]

The Leonard Maltin book(s) that Shemp recommended are decent overviews (I've only read the older, Bonanza edition, though).

As far as Chaplin... I guess the best thing I've read about his stuff so far is still Walter Kerr's The Silent Clowns, but Kerr focuses more on Chaplin's features (among many other subjects). I wouldn't mind having a more specific resource either.