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Douglas Fairbanks Hardcover – December 8, 2008

by Jeffrey Vance (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 27 ratings
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This deft amalgam of biography, film history, and analysis is a superb portrait of a true pioneer who was critically important to the creation of cinema as the defining art form of the twentieth century. Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) was one of the first film superstars, a screenwriter, a major independent producer during the early studio era, a cofounder of United Artists, a founder and the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and much more. The optimism, energy, and huge success during the 1920s of his best-remembered films The Mark of Zorro, Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad, and The Black Pirate made Fairbanks a popular hero throughout the world and showcased his talents as a creative producer whose work set the standard for excellence.

Douglas Fairbanks takes the full measure of Fairbanks's remarkable life. Jeffrey Vance, who had complete access to the star's personal and professional papers and scrapbooks, also incorporates 237 photographs, some unseen for more than seventy-five years. Extensively researched, engagingly written, and sumptuously designed, the book goes behind Fairbanks's public persona to thoroughly explore his art and his far-reaching influence.

Copub: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    376 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of California Press
  4. Publication date
    December 8, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    7 x 1.2 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0520256670
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0520256675
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“One of Hollywood's earliest megastars gets lavish treatment in Jeffrey Vance's Douglas Fairbanks. . . . A real treat for cinephiles.” -- Martin Levin ― Toronto Globe & Mail Published On: 2009-01-09

“Lavishly illustrated, Vance's painstakingly researched, comprehensive and thoughtful work is a book for buffs to treasure . . . a riveting read.” -- Bill Thompson ― Charleston Post & Courier Published On: 2009-03-22

“A beautiful book, extensively researched, a model of film scholarship, one of the best cinema studies of this or any year.” -- John Gallagher ― Nat’l Board Of Review Of Motion Pictures Published On: 2008-12-01

"A gorgeously illustrated, solidly researched new biography." -- David Bordwell ― David Bordwell Published On: 2008-11-26

“The research is impeccable, the writing engaging and illuminating, and the deluxe illustrations exquisite.” -- T. Lindvall ― Choice Published On: 2009-03-01

“A generous new biography.” ― Metro Newspapers Published On: 2008-12-17

“A handsome work, with gorgeously reproduced photographs. . . . Highly recommended for film collections.” -- Margaret Heilbrun ― Library Journal Published On: 2009-01-15

“A handsomely produced, long-gestated biography . . . stunningly produced photographs.” -- Jay Weissberg ― Sight & Sound Magazine Published On: 2009-03-01

“A serious biography of one of the pioneers of cinema . . . magnificent photos.” -- Heather Shaw ― Foreword Published On: 2008-09-01

“An ambitious book . . . it tells you a lot about its hero, and it's generously illustrated.” -- Robert Gottlieb ― New York Review Of Books Published On: 2009-02-26

“In the handsomely designed biography Douglas Fairbanks, Jeffrey Vance, with Tony Maietta, relates a charmed career with a doleful undertow . . . a well-researched study.” -- Bill Stamets ― Chicago Sun-Times Published On: 2009-01-04

“Jeffrey Vance’s glorified, and glorifying, picture book retrieves the memory and the glamour of one of the first superstars.” -- Frederic Raphael ― Times Literary Supplement (TLS) Published On: 2009-04-22

“Jeffrey Vance's biography ‘Douglas Fairbanks’ retells the story of the man who became one of Hollywood's first superstars.” -- Carolyn Kellogg ― Los Angeles Times Book Review Published On: 2009-02-05

“Looks at the mad life and times of one of cinema’s first superstars . . . brings a lot of freshness to the Fairbanks biography.” -- Paul Dale ― The List Published On: 2009-02-19

“Perfect accompaniment for home entertainment viewing of the silent film star arrives in the form of film historian Jeffrey Vance's gorgeously laid out biography Douglas Fairbanks.” -- Ben Terrall ― San Francisco Bay Guardian Published On: 2009-09-02

“The book is an absolute must for any cinema buff.” ― Broadway Stars Published On: 2008-12-30

From the Inside Flap

"The heedless ambition of youth. The triumphs of maturity, redefining our ideas of fame, fortune and international celebrity. The sad aimlessness of the aging male, stripped of his powers over his formerly adoring audience. It is the archetypal Hollywood story, maybe the archetypal American story. And Jeffrey Vance tells it with verve and compassion and admirable compression in his handsomely illustrated biography of Douglas Fairbanks. It is a book that restores his subject to his rightful place as the American movies' founding Big Brother shrewd, playful, flawed and endlessly fascinating." Richard Schickel

"Over the years I have had an interest in Douglas Fairbanks' life and films before reading Jeffrey Vance's book. I was delighted to find that the research was admirable, the detail abundant, and the style devoid of pretense and heavy-handed scholarship. The book reads gracefully with a wonderful sense of 'and then what happened?' And a great deal does happen to the inimitable Doug along the way. His cinema world of high adventure, storybook romance, cloak and sword derring-do, and dazzling acrobatics against spectacular settings are all here in the text and in the abundance of extraordinary photos many quite rare. A first-rate book." Rudy Behlmer, film historian and author

"Douglas Fairbanks was one of the most important characters in film history, and this enthusiastic and well-researched book will tell you why." Kevin Brownlow, filmmaker and film historian

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (December 8, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520256670
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520256675
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.7 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 1.2 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 27 ratings

About the author

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Jeffrey Vance

Jeffrey Vance

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Jeffrey Vance is an American film historian, producer, archivist, and lecturer, as well as the author of the acclaimed volumes "Douglas Fairbanks" (UC Press/Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 2008), "Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema" (Harry N. Abrams, 2003), "Harold Lloyd: Master Comedian" (Harry N. Abrams, 2002), and "Buster Keaton Remembered" (Harry N. Abrams, 2001). His most recent book is "A Star Is Born: Judy Garland and the Film That Got Away" (Running Press, 2018) co-written with Lorna Luft.

He began his career as an archivist for M-G-M/United Artists and served the same function for the Chaplin family's Roy Export S.A.S., The Harold Lloyd Trust, and the Mary Pickford Foundation. As a producer, he packaged the "Harold Lloyd Classic Comedies" for Turner Classic Movies, later released to DVD by New Line Home Entertainment. As a filmmaker, he produced and directed the short subject "Rediscovering John Gilbert" (2010) which aired on Turner Classic Movies as well as released to home video. He has served as a consultant to virtually every motion picture studio and has appeared in numerous documentaries.

He writes for various publications, contributes audio commentary tracks for DVD/Blu-ray, and speaks at venues throughout the United States and Europe including the TCM Classic Film Festival, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, British Film Institute, Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Silent Film Festival, "Los Angeles Times" Festival of Books, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
27 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Barbara Underwood
5.0 out of 5 stars Well overdue but worth the wait!
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2008
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Much has already been written about early motion picture pioneers like D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin, but their invaluable partner, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr has been overlooked and neglected - until now. With this very attractive and professional book, author Jeffrey Vance has given due credit to one of early cinema's most brilliant stars and dynamic personalities who not only had true star power but was a driving force behind the scenes as well. Often remembered these days only for his successful 1920s costume adventure dramas such as "The Mark of Zorro", "Robin Hood" and "The Three Musketeers" to name a few, Douglas Fairbanks had a varied, interesting and successful career well before this period, and also contributed greatly to the development of Hollywood. He was one of the founders of United Artists, he and wife Mary Pickford were the first `golden couple' of Hollywood who established Beverley Hills as the suburb of movie stars; he wrote, directed and produced most of his films, was active in writing books and magazine articles, and his self-styled roles in films like Zorro established the action-adventure swashbuckler genre as well as even inspiring other action heroes like Batman. If you didn't know any of this, then you must get this book! And even for the well-versed Fairbanks fan, this book will be a treat with its thoroughly researched material, filmography and an overall style that befits a great personality of early cinema. There are excellent photos on almost every page, some rarely seen before, and Vance's style is professional, easy and enjoyable to read. Most of the book's chapters deal with definite periods in Fairbanks's life and career, with whole chapters devoted to the grand 1920s productions which deserve detailed coverage. The information covers mainly facts and explanations about the films, such as the making of them and all the people who were involved in the production, as well as interesting details to add spice but never stray too far from solid facts. This is a particularly appealing aspect because some biographies tend to speculate or stray too far from known facts, and unfortunately a more accurate or detailed biography after so many decades is no longer possible. Vance has done a superb job with the available information from a broad range of sources, writing a biography which reads with the same ease, enjoyment and thrill as watching one of Fairbanks's films. There is never a dull passage, and each page is full of information which indirectly paints a picture of early Hollywood and the developing film industry while commemorating one of its principle founders and contributors; Fairbanks himself. The first hundred pages or so cover his career before the landmark year of 1920 which has been unjustly neglected until now, and the release of this book coincides perfectly with the Flicker Alley 5-disc set "Douglas Fairbanks - A Modern Musketeer" featuring eleven of the most important films of this pre-1920 period. This book should be in any serious cinema aficionado's collection alongside those about Chaplin, Griffith and other pivotal personalities of the film industry, and it might be quite eye-opening and enlightening for those only familiar with a few Fairbanks swashbuckling films. Perhaps misjudged, under-estimated or misunderstood in past decades, this wonderful book puts Fairbanks in his proper place up among the great Hollywood luminaries.
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Brad Baker
5.0 out of 5 stars Holy Things Fade Like a Dream
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2008
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Jeffrey Vance's new completist biography of film pioneer Douglas Fairbanks is worth a look. A good long look. Well-written and concise, Vance details the amazing life, and all of the movies, of one of the 20th Century's most incredible icons; the first Motion Picture Superstar. Douglas Fairbanks was born in Denver in 1883. He was raised by his southern mother, who had separated from his father, an attorney, when he was only five. His father, an alcoholic, would desert the family. Fairbanks suffered from depression as a child. Insecurity haunted all three of his later marriages, and affected the up-bringing of his son, Douglas Jr.. But young Doug found peace, and surely promise, in the fantasy world of theater, and later...the movies...Douglas Fairbanks began amateur theater at age 12 in Colorado. He made his Broadway debut in 1902. The hit play, "The Lamb", led to a Hollywood contract. Success would follow. He appeared in "The Americano", for D.W. Griffith, in 1916. He was paid $10,000 a week to star in "Flirting With Fate(1916)". Fairbanks would marry an industrialist's daughter. With Marry Pickford, D.W. Griffith, and Charlie Chaplin, he helped form United Artists in 1919. During a Libert Bond tour he fell in love with Mary Pickford. Eventually married, Doug and Mary became the first residents of Beverly Hills, where they built the Pickfair Mansion. Pickfair was erected on top of Summit Drive in Benedict Canyon. It was torn down in 1979 by Pia Zadora. Using their combined assets, Fairbanks and Pickford bought the old Jesse Hampton studio on Formosa Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood in 1922. There they would produce some of their finest films. This studio today is called "The Lot". Here Fairbanks shot many silent epics, including "Robin Hood(1922)", and "The Thief of Bagdad(1924)". As producer and star, Fairbanks was intricately involved in all aspects of his movies. And Fairbanks did his own stunts. He did all his own, with one exception. In one early stunt, he broke his left hand, and twisted his back and wrists. In 1926, Fairbanks starred in the magical two-strip Technicolor "Black Pirate". For many years, this was a lost film. Fairbanks deposited the "Black Pirate" film elements at the Museum of Modern Art in 1938. But by 1959, the nitrate stock was deteriorating. In 1972, a restoration master negative was produced, yielding a remarkable new full-color version of the "Black Pirate". A beautiful time-capsule DVD, once mis-placed, is now available for all. Douglas Fairbanks and Marry Pickford divorced in 1936, but he never stopped calling her, or needing her love. He married an ex-chorus girl and retired from acting. A heavy smoker, Fairbanks died in 1939 at age 56. This book contains 237 pictures, many never seen before. The 1922 "Robin Hood" begins with an intertitle from Charles Kingsley's "Old and New", a poem close to Fairbank's heart since he was a boy: "So fleet the works of men, back to their earth again;/ Ancient and holy things fade like a dream".
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Ian Cohen
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any Fairbanks fans
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2017
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Vance's biography of Fairbanks is well-paced, crisply written, and it balances the details of his personal life as well as taking us behind the scenes of his cinematic adventure epics. (I'm especially interested in the latter, and I found a wealth of information in this book.) I especially like how each film has an entire chapter dedicated to it, for the most part. I would recommend this without question to any fans of silent cinema, or even film history in general.
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Richard DiStefano
5.0 out of 5 stars Great intro to Fairbanks
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2013
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I've never seen a Douglas Fairbanks movie (though that will soon no longer be true) and all I really knew about him was the he was a silent movie swashbuckler and was married to Mary Pickford. This biography/filmography was a terrific introduction to Fairbanks. Unlike many movie star bios, Jeffrey Vance's book gives about as much time, if not more, to Fairbanks' works as it does to his personal life. And I very much approve of this approach.

Printed on glossy paper, with photos on nearly all of its two-page spreads, the book is as nice to look at as it is to read. As we get into the 1920's, each chapter becomes dedicated to the production and reception of an individual Fairbanks film. I especially liked the chapter on The Taming of the Shrew, which gave a fresh perspective (to me, at least) on the cultural challenges that Fairbanks, and presumably others, faced as the industry converted to sound.

The photographs are fantastic, although I wish I had the chance to evaluate Fairbanks' tanned skin in color; could that tan have looked as unnatural in real life as it does in black and white photos?
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Darkstar62
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2015
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Perfection
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GBA
1.0 out of 5 stars Douglas Fairbanks mai arrivato
Reviewed in Italy on September 22, 2014
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Douglas Fairbanks per Jeffrey Vance. Il libro mai e' arrivato. Invece di essere ordinato d'Italia era necessario ordinarlo degli Stati Uniti e mai e' arrivato. Gillian Anderson
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