There is a great deal of pleasure to be gained from the first thirty years of American movies-even without seeing the movies. The Silent Screen is dedicated to guiding readers through some of those pleasures. The book highlights the main events, the leading lights, and the films that mattered. It is a selective history for those who want to be informed without being overwhelmed, who would like to know enough about the silent era to feel at home there, respect its artists, and admire their work.

Culled from the author's five previous anthologies, The First Tycoons, The First Film Makers, The Stars Appear, The Silent Comedians, and Films of the 1920s, The Silent Screen stands alone as an inclusive series of essays for general readers.

An added value to the introductory text are eleven appendixes, which include information on silent film companies, early film executives, notable directors, and a listing of the titles and directors of films reviewed in the first five volumes.