The Five Sedgwicks: Pioneer Entertainers of Vaudeville, Film and Television

by Michael Zmuda

Overview

Individually and together, The Five Sedgwicks are among the unsung heroes of early filmmaking in Hollywood. Their work took them from vaudeville to silent film, through the studio era and into the Golden Age of television. By the late 1920s the Sedgwick siblings were well-known motion picture personalities: Edward was satirized by actor Harry Gribbon as an enthusiastic comedy director in King Vidor's 1928 silent comedy hit Show People; Josie was a star of Western films and was presented the honorific title of "Queen of the Roundup"; Universal Films promoted Eileen as their "Queen of the Serial." This book details the family's extensive contributions to the entertainment industry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786496686
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	05/15/2015
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Michael Zmuda has written for various television and music publications. This is his first movie-related book. He lives in Carmel, New York.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface
One. Medicine Shows and ­Gas-Lighted Theaters
Two. Tank Towns and ­Four-a-Day Vaudeville
Three. Orange Groves and Shootouts
Four. Dynamite’s Daughter, the Ramblin’ Kid, and the Diamond Queen
Five. The Saddle Hawk, Lightnin’ the Police Dog and Leo the Lion
Six. The Rise of the Almighty Studio System and the Fall of the
Silent Film
Seven. The Business of Laughter During the Depression Years
Eight. A Hollywood in Transition and the Fate of the Silent Idol
Nine. Nazis, Country Bumpkins, and a Couple of Redheads
Ten. Journey Beyond the Silver Screen
Sedgwick Family Filmography
Bibliography
Index