They Had Faces Then: Super Stars, Stars and Starlets of the 1930's [*Jane Novak's copy*]

Secacus NJ: Citadel Press. Near Fine in Near Fine dj. (c.1974). First Edition. Hardcover. (price-clipped) [a beautiful copy, about as nice as one could hope to find, with no blemishes to the book apart from the bookplate on the front pastedown (see Notes); the jacket, apart from the price-clipping, is in almost perfect condition (it appears to have been encased in a jacket protector from Day One, now replaced with a new mylar cover)]. (B&W photographs) A very personal tribute by the author to hundreds of memorable actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age -- not just the great beauties like Garbo or Dietrich, but also "all the others: ingenues and dowagers, frumps and vamps, homemakers and homebreakers." The first and longest section of the book, by Springer, is an A-Z encyclopedia of these ladies, with entries of varying lengths, illustrated with a wide variety of portrait photos and scene stills. (Most of these are pretty small, as this is not a "glamour shot" type of book; only a handful of photos are reproduced full-page size.) The jacket blurb claims that the book covers "almost a thousand" actresses, but not all rate full entries: at the end of each letter of the alphabet there's a section entitled "Notes on Other 'M' [or whatever] Ladies," in which many are commented on, some with just a single phrase or two. The value and charm of the book, however, lies not so much in its informational content as in the personal tone of the author's commentaries; as noted in the jacket blurb, Springer "grew up in the thirties, [and] recalls these actresses, remembering their personalities and performances and the magic ingredients of their audience appeal." (He went on to a long career as a press agent and personal representative for many movie people.) However, and helpfully, there is a second section of the book, entitled "Jack D. Hamilton's Biographical Notes," in which the co-author provides just those kinds of career outlines for all the women over whom Springer has swooned in the preceding pages. The bookplate on the front pastedown identifies this copy as having belonged to silent film actress Jane Novak (with her signature on it) -- who, alas, was not active enough in the 1930s to have rated an entry of her own, but is mentioned in passing on page 195 as "making an old-timer's return in HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD." (with a photo on page 196). (I wonder how she felt about being called an "old-timer" as of 1936, when she was all of 40 years old?) ****NOTE that additional postage charges will be assessed for international shipping of this heavy oversize book; if this concerns you, please contact us for a shipping quote before placing your order. As always at ReadInk, domestic Media Mail shipping is free.**** . (Inventory #: 30052)