books used non fiction movies biographies gossip scandals Hollywood silent films. STARS OF THE SILENT FILM: ANYTHING BUT BORING! Silent Players, by Anthony Slide. (University of Kentucky Press, Lexington, 2002, hardcover, no dj, 439 pages.) The author personally knew dozens of actors from the silent era (i.e., up to 1930 roughly). Here he presents 100 of them in a no-holds-barred, highly personal, and highly opinionated set of biographical portraits, each accompanied by a beautiful photo. Slide isn’t afraid to be outrageous – really, Ralph Graves and Mack Sennett having a two-year gay love affair that no other source has substantiated? – but he never fails to be one heck of an entertaining read. Even if you are not interested in silent films, you’ll have a tonne of fun with this book! Used book sites sell it for nothing less than $65 including shipping.