Silent Traces: Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Charlie Chaplin

by John Bengtson, Kevin Brownlow (Foreword by)

Silent Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Charlie Chaplin is the long-awaited follow-up to John Bengtson’s critically acclaimed masterpiece Silent Discovering Early Hollywood Through the Films of Buster Keaton .

In Silent Traces , Bengtson explores the traces of early Hollywood hidden within Charlie Chaplin’s timeless films. This stunning work of cinematic archeology combines Chaplin’s movie images with archival photographs, vintage maps, and scores of then-and-now comparison photographs to conjure up the silent-movie era from an entirely new perspective.

By describing the historical settings found in such Chaplin classics as The Kid, City Lights, and Modern Times , Bengtson illuminates both Chaplin’s genius and the evolving city that served as a backdrop for his art. Part time machine, part detective story, Silent Traces presents a unique look at Chaplin’s work, and a captivating glimpse into Hollywood’s most romantic era.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

Reviews

[Richard Behrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary detective work! A companion volume to Bengtson's two other books on Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton. I spent many supplementary hours on Google Earth looking up all the locations and planning my next visit to LA.

[Mikul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. My favorite topic: Hollywood History.
I'm so fortunate to live in the same area many Chaplin movies were made. And some locations/buildings I can still visit to this day.