The silent clowns

New York: Knopf, 1975. Softcover. G+, some fading on covers. Foxing on page edges. Inside clean and tight. Illustrated soft cover. 372 pp : illustrations. A retrospective analysis of the work of such stars as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Harry Langdon, and Laurel and Hardy. Contents as follows: The silent camera. The Pickford paradox and the choice of silence ; The unique experience ; The fact in the fantasy ; The fantasy in the fact ; Fantasy intensified: music and the dancing image ; Serious film: the disadvantages of silence -- Comedy reborn. Comedy in search of its freedom ; Sennett: The insensitive master carpenter ; Chaplin: an outline becomes a character ; Chaplin: playfulness unleashed ; Harold Lloyd: hard work ; The Roach lot: a bit more method in the madness ; An inquisitive Keaton and a generous Arbuckle ; The Keaton "no" ; Keaton: exploring the gap between life and lens ; The Keaton curve: a study in cooperation ; Some imperfect tools -- The struggle toward maturity. The risks of length and complexity: Chaplin takes the plunge ; The Chaplin breakthrough: Making seriousness funny ; Chaplin betweixt and between ; Lloyd: the virtuous filmmaking of the virtuous American ; Lloyd: architect of sympathy ; The Keaton quiet ; Keaton as film ; Keaton: the girl and the grave ; Two epics ; Who was Harry Langdon ; Langdon: creating an amibiguity ; Langdon: the ambiguity dissolves ; The demiclowns ; The unexpected Raymond Griffith ; Missing film -- The twilight dance. Laurel and Hardy: the first turnaround ; Laurel and Hardy: the saving turnaround ; The transition, after and just before: a self-conscious Chaplin ; Chaplin confronts himself ; The end without an ending: Chaplin defines the road.