A Pictorial History of the Talkies. Revised by John Kobal.

Leichte Randl�ren, innen gut und sauber / Light edge wear, inside good and clean - This lavishly illustrated book records nearly 40 years of the fabulous, glittering world of the 'talkies'. It tells the story of the growth of the greatest entertainment medium of all time from its earliest days, when an amazed and delighted world first heard Al Jolson sing in The Jazz Singer, to the present. -- Across its pages moves a glamorous parade of famous stars and spectacular scenes from great films. Beautiful actresses from Mary Pickford and Greta Garbo to Elizabeth Taylor and Julie Christie; screen heroes from Douglas Fairbanks, Gary Cooper and Cary Grant to Peter O'Toole and Terence Stamp; brilliant comics from Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy to Lucille Ball and Peter Sellers-they are all here. And there are the child stars, the animal stars, the specialists in horror, epitomised by Boris Karloff, the lovers, the villains, and many, many more. -- The important milestones in the history of the talking motion picture are included: the 1930 posters proclaiming 'Garbo Talks!', the use of colour, the development of bigger and wider screens, stereophonic sound, and the battle against the growing importance of television. Even such short-lived curiosities as '3-D' have their place in this comprehensive book. -- A Pictorial History of the Talkies contains over 4,000 illustrations - a magnificent and unique record of the world of the screen.