Continued Next Week: A History of the Moving Picture Serial

by Kalton C. Lahue, Kent D. Eastin (Foreword)

The glaring omission in cinema history to date is that most film historians have either disregarded the silent serial or dismissed it as not being worthy of record. But the American serial was an important part of the film industry for the period between 1914 and 1930; in fact, it was the mainstay of production for two major companies in the 1920's.

The serial made no pretensions to immortality as an art form. It was designed for a twofold purpose: to entertain the masses and to reflect this achievement in its box-office receipts. There is no doubt that it succeeded well. Millions of Americans eagerly followed the serials, hissing and booing the villains, and cheering loudly when the forces of right and justice triumphed over evil. But by 1917, when feature pictures began to take over the screens of the leading movie theaters in every city, the serials were relegated to the position of added attractions. And by 1930, the silent serials were dead.

Here Kalton C. Lahue has brought the serials to life again-with all of their excitement and suspense. Who can ever forget the most famous of them, What Happened to Mary?, The Adventures of Kathlyn, and The Perils of Pauline? Pearl White, as Pauline in the latter serial, was never out of danger in her movies, and the "cliff-hanger" endings of her films made her famous.

Edward Wagenknecht, the noted writer and the author of The Movies in the Age of Innocence, has said of this book: "There can be no doubt that Mr. Lahue has given a fuller account of the serial than has ever been given elsewhere. And if the history of the cinema is worth writing, then it follows that the history of the serial is, too."

The Author
Kalton C. Lahue received his B.S. degree in history from the University of Vermont. He is presently doing research work on the motion-picture industry at his home in California.

Kent D. Eastin, president of the Eastin-Phelan Corporation of Davenport, Iowa, has been a leader in resurrecting classic films, including the serial, for the collectors' market.

293 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Born and educated in Richford, Vermont, Kalton C. Lahue became interested in motion pictures at an early age. Living next door to the Park Theater, he practically grew up in a theater seat and later worked as projectionist and assistant manager. Transferring to active duty from reserve status during the Korean War, he was assigned to the Signal School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and then sent overseas as a combat photographer in Korea. After his discharge in 1955, he enrolled at the University of Vermont to study history and became interested in silent movies for their historical value. In attempting to learn all he could about the early days of pictures, he found reference material both scanty and conflicting so he decided to write his own book. An ex-history teacher, he held an M.A. from San Jose State College and served as
Director of Educational Resources Project at Johnson State College, Johnson, Vermont, as well as Director of the Instructional Materials Center in Springfield, Vermont.

source: about the author Bound and Gagged: The Story of the Silent Serials

Reviews

[Victoria & David Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This pioneering work (1964) is as much an encyclopedia as survey. Covering the entire history of the silent motion picture serial from 1912 to 1930, it covers plot summaries, studios, actors, directors, public and behind the scenes business dealings (such as Joseph P Kennedy's involvement in the end of Pathe), reviews, and anything else the author could uncover. Not to oversell it: this is an archaeological survey, not an in depth history. The majority of the book is presented year by year and a great portion of the text is taken up by plot summeries. Therein lies a difficulty from the casual reader's point of view. Plot summeries of serials are, by definition, somewhat repetitive. Indeed, the second half of the book is taken up by one long appendix consisting of credits and chapter titles. However with a judicious read of a chapter or two at a time, the interested reader will find it well worth the effort.
(For those interested in serials with sound (1930 to 1956), I can recommend 'The Great Movie Serials Their Sound and Fury' by Jim Harmon and Donald F Glut 1972. They point out that whereas silent serials were marketed to both adults and children, serials with sound were made almost exclusively for kids.)