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author spent writing' his history and finished with a manuscript of approximately 300,000 words. The present volume was reduced from the amazing original with the help of an editor friend.
Seldom does the reviewer quote publisher's puff ; it is too like the author on his own work — " I enjoyed my book immensely, I could not put it down until I had read it from cover to cover." " My book g'ave me a fresh outlook on life," etcetera. Nevertheless, the publisher of ^Mr. Hampton's history has so justly caug-ht the book's merits that here are two borrowed sentences : — " His work teems with facts, figures and personalities from the earliest days of the flickering monstrosities to the super-spectacles of modern Hollyv.ood. He plots the growth of the movie, explains the changes that have come over the industry itself, the internal wars and dissensions, down to the " sound " revolution and the indications of future development in the field of television."
Calmly, analytically, the author presents that thrilling story — growth of American movies. Who can wonder that no other invention created such interest as the cinema — process of mechanicallv bottling water from the Sea of Dreams ; for, what other entertainment is for all people alike, all who dream ? A famous director told us that the only possible rival, in general interest, to the movies in Hollywood is the cemetery ! Possibly Mr. Hampton's cool, impersonal stvle, which avoids underlining drama, serves, in the end, to make the whole epic of the film industry more dramatic. For, how can anyone call history dull when it covers such facts, unelaborated as thev are in the telling : that the first exhibitor to overcome public prejudice of suspect darkness of the first cinemas did so by cutting a peephole in the wall of his theatre, that Broncho Bill was the first horseopera artiste to employ a double for his stunts, that one gentleman hired roughs to smash the projection machines of those managers who would not book his features, that Selznick got by the gateman at Universal by pretending he wanted to sell some real gems for an absurdlv low figure?
There is no theorv in Mr. Hampton's book, no talk of the relative value of montage and fluid light, no whisper of those " Social Urgencies." It is exactly for this reason that it is such an admirable book for all film clubs and societies which collect library nucleus. Important history is not spoilt by theories of yesterday which w^ould put the student's experiments back in the past'.
However, we feel that the title of \lv. Hampton's book should have been A History of American Movies — and it does that job thoroughly. But the chapter on foreign films is rather haughty. We are reminded of the prints which hang in most of the cheap hotels of Spain. Under a flashing scene will be written a poetic caption in Spanish, then a brief but accurate caption in French, and, finally and sternly, the quaint English " Galilee at his Telescope !"
For the illustrations a special plan has been adopted, they are all grouped together at the end of an imposing bundle. Well grandmother