A Laurel and Hardy Photobook on Kickstarter!

Every month I browse the crowdfunding website Kickstarter to see what goodies are in the making by creative individuals and this month I was pleased to see a series of Laurel & Hardy photobooks compiled by two Englishmen, Patrick and Russ. They appear to be avid fans of the silent comedy duo and these books "Laurel & Hardy Silents" mark the first two volumes in a series of six... along with a neat-looking Laurel and Hardy Magazine series as well. 

If you are not familiar with crowdfunding, it's a very easy process. You browse prospective projects ("campaigns") written by the project creators that explain what they are hoping to accomplish - in this case, getting these books into print - and then you buy the end product before it is made. A project needs to reach its funding goal before it is successful and goes into production. This project has already reached it, so the books are set to ship in December 2026. It's really just pre-ordering items...but if enough crowdfunders don't get together to pre-order, then the final product is never made. My sister and I have a number of Kickstarter campaigns under our belts, so we love the whole crowdfunding process and especially the community - a really swell bunch of people!

As the creators' state, "Our long-term aim is to create a complete six-book series covering the entire film career of Laurel and Hardy, published in three two-volume releases. This first set, covering the silent era, is the foundation on which that entire project will be built."

It looks like an impressive set of photobooks - they are packaged in a slipcase as well - and quite a collector's item. Only 1000 of each set will be made (although they mention that all orders will be fulfilled regardless). Unfortunately, shipping is quite expensive for U.S. backers, but it is what it is. 

Check it out! The campaign ends in 30 days. You can read all about it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/laurelandhardybooks/laurel-and-hardy-silents

Our Debut Book! - Classic Films is now available on Kickstarter

 After ten years of writing posts for Silver Scenes, I have finally decided to publish a book! It is called "Classic Films - Famous and Forgotten Films" (Volume 1). This has long been a pet project that I kept putting off working on but now the gears are in motion and this book is set to become a reality in the summer of 2024. Hoorah!

Every January, the crowd-funding site Kickstarter hosts an initiative called "MAKE 100" where creators must offer a reward limited to only 100 editions. I usually take part in the MAKE 100 by restoring historic photographs, but this year I launched Classic Films and, surprisingly, it was funded within 4 days! The campaign still has 11 days to go before it concludes but I have already begun work on the book. Such fun!

If you would like to support this project, just click on the link below: 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dianam/classic-films-famous-and-forgotten-films-1930-1985-vol-1?ref=2tel2s

The paperback costs $14 and the deluxe limited-edition set (includes a signed book, DVD and photo) costs $40. This will, hopefully, be the first volume in a set of 4-5 books. As most of you well know, there are thousands of films that can be reviewed so a series like this could be endless. 

Ten years' worth of reviews now being put into book-format

Each book will have about 45-60 film reviews as well as lots of themed lists to get you to explore other films in similar genres. It will also be profusely illustrated in the style of the old movie magazines of the 1930s. If there is room, I may even sneak in a few bios. 

I'm having a ball putting this project together! It is re-capturing the feelings I had when I was young and first fell in love with classic films...and I hope that anyone who reads the book will get these feel-good sensations, too.  

"Put it in me book exactly as I dictate!"

Book Review: Mister Roger's Neighborhood - A Visual History

For over thirty years, Fred Rogers fostered the imaginations of little tykes across America through his PBS children's program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He helped teach these youngsters lessons about growing, loving, and being happy just for being the unique individuals that they are. He also took them on some fascinating tours of factories to see how things are made and led them into the wonderful world of fantasy through the daily stops in the town of Make-Believe. 

Clarkson Potter Publishers latest release, Mister Rogers Neighborhood - A Visual History, gives us Mr. Rogers fans a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at this series. The 334-page book is just what its name implies...a visual history. It is brimming with photographs, handwritten notes from Fred, script excerpts, and set design sketches from the show. The book is a very easy read with a well-structured design and includes wonderful interviews with the cast members, producer, director, and other crew. Tim Lybarger, who runs the website The Mister Rogers Neighborhood Archive, helped write the book along with authors Melissa Wagner and Jenna McGuiggan. And Tom Hanks, who stars as Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, writes a lovely forward.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - A Visual History ( $23.99 ) is a must-have for any TV fan or anyone who grew up watching this beloved show. There is so much to find out about the characters on the show ( did you know that Daniel Striped-Tiger was Fred's alter-ego? ), all of the different episodes, and what an impact Fred had, not just on his television audience but the people he worked with as well. After reading this book, you'll want to binge-watch Mister Rogers' Neighborhood for a few days because this series truly was special. 

Yvonne Mitchell, Author & Playright

At some point in their career, most actresses feel the need to write an autobiography, but while there are many actresses who penned one of these personal books of praise, there are very few who put a quill in hand to write something more than an autobiography - to write a book. Lilli Palmer, Cornelia Otis Skinner, and Julie Andrews are several actresses that come to mind who have made a name for themselves as authors.....another is Yvonne Mitchell. 

Did you know that this striking English actress was quite an accomplished writer? One of her early works, a play entitled The Same Sky, won an Arts Council playwriting competition in 1951 and was performed at the Nottingham Playhouse that same year. Her writing may have possibly came about from her desire to address her feelings about being Jewish, which was a bit uncommon in the English stage scene. This play is set in London during the Blitz and deals with a romance between a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish man and the reaction of their families to this arrangement. 

Mitchell in "Woman in a Dressing Gown" ( 1957 )

Mitchell's husband, Derek Monsey, was a theater critic, journalist, and novelist himself, so they shared a passion for writing as well as for the theater. In 1957, at the height of her career, she wrote her autobiography entitled "Actress". That same year, she penned "Colette", one of the best biographies of the famous French author. Even while she was busy throughout the late-1950s and 1960s making films such as Passionate Summer, Tiger Bay, Sapphire, Conspiracy of Hearts, and The Trials of Oscar Wilde, she didn't put her writing on the backburner. It was during this time that she wrote "The Bed-Sitter" ( 1959 ), "A Year in Time "( 1964 ), "Cathy Away" ( 1964 ), and "The Family" ( 1967 ).

In the 1970s, Mitchell eased away from films and focused more on theater work, nonetheless, she also wrote novels such as: "Martha on Sunday" ( 1970 ), "But Wednesday Cried" ( 1974 ), "God is Inexperienced" ( 1974 ), "Fables" ( 1977 ), and "But Answer Came There None" ( 1977 ). 

There are so many reasons why fans and critics adore Yvonne Mitchell and it is wonderful that she was able to take her writing, which was a creative outlet for her, and build a reputation for herself as an author as well.

This entry is a part of our latest series entitled "Did You Know?".....sometimes we just feel like sharing interesting fragments of television and movie history and now we have a place to do just that. If you have a hot tip that you would like us to share on Silver Scenes, drop us a line!