A Year in Books/Day 2: The Matinee Idols

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  • Title: The Matinee Idols
  • Author: David Carroll
  • Year Published: 1972 (Galahad Books New York)
  • Year Purchased: 1990’s
  • Source: Book Harbor, Columbus, Ohio
  • About: This slim volume covers all of the great American and British matinee idols of theatre and film, from John Wilkes Booth (yes, that one) to John Gilbert.
  • Motivation: I’ve loved all things related to silent cinema and the theatre since I was a child. It paid off because, as an adult, I have dedicated a meaty chunk of my professional output to the former.
  • Times Read: 3
  • Random Excerpt/Page 71: “Murmurs of excitement are heard in the audience as he displays a mounting fury over Fedora’s cross-examination. Fedora cajoles him, pleads with him, screams at him, then accuses him directly of the murder, but he denies the crime. Fedora throws herself at his feet and the scene builds to a point of almost unbearable tension. Finally he snaps.”
  • Happiness Scale: 8

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