The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Movie Star Biographies

Note: This article focuses specifically on biographies about silent film personalities, rather than their autobiographies–which in some ways are a whole ‘nother ballgame.

Every film fan wants to find out more about their favorite silent film stars or even directors. I know I always do, even though I always run the risk of dashing all my rosy preconceptions (“so in real life that sweet dimpled actress was actually a thrice-married drug smuggling blackmailer who drank a quart of whiskey a day and ran a dog fighting ring? DANG it!”). However, this hasn’t stopped me from devouring as much information as possible about my favorites. During this process it became clear to me: Think Before You Read.

Being attacked by a mutant doll is the least of your worries.

Check Those Sources!–A Handy Guide

It’s time to go over something so important, so essential to research, that colleges should teach entire courses on it: how to tell good sources from bad ones.

Now, a “source” is not merely some dry technical thing that only interests college professors and newspaper writers.  Sources of information are a part of daily life.  When you look up a recipe in a book, that book is a source.  When you go on a website to see what time a store closes, that site is your source.  When you ask someone where your sunglasses are and they reply “On your head, stupid,” that person is a source.