Silent Film Stars on the Stages of Seattle

Before they became household names, many would-be Hollywood stars began their careers as small-time actors in regional theatres and playhouses. Few of them earned much recognition based on their time in the footlights, but often the stage provided these Hollywood hopefuls with their first break in show business. Drawing on material from the J. Willis Sayre Collection, a nearly unbroken accumulation of theatrical programs from 1865 to 1955, this book chronicles the Seattle stage engagements of over 30 silent film personalities, the majority of whom played the city prior to their major motion picture debuts. Such Hollywood giants as Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille, D.W. Griffith, Buster Keaton, and Norma Talmadge, to name just a few, can trace their beginnings back to the Emerald City. Three appendices provide a list of Seattle engagements - including title, dates, and venue - organized alphabetically by performer, a complete list of actress Clara Kimball Young's performances at Seattle's Lois Theatre from September 1908 to July 1909, and an extensive list of individuals who are listed in the Player Index of the J. Willis Sayre Collection and are also known to have appeared in silent motion pictures.