1920s Hollywood Autograph Book of Silent Movie Director and Actor Marion Mack

Item Details

Chicago, Universal Press, 1926, Hardcover

This is a fascinating “On the Screen: Motion Picture Memories” remembrance book that belonged to silent movie actor Marion Mack and her husband director/writer Louis Lewyn. Mack starred with Buster Keaton in The General. Approximately 50 original autographs and inscriptions, with a few drawings as well. There is detailed information in the front on screenwriter Ralph Spence’s 1927 movie “The Gorilla”, with Spence’s self-portrait and photograph on one page. The first page is dated March 5, 1926, well before filming for The Gorilla had begun, and under “Theatre” Spense has written “All of ‘em—I hope”. Under Synopsis, he’s penned just “Lights on, Lights off”. Until 2024, The Gorilla was considered one of Hollywood’s “lost films”.

In addition to Spence’s drawing and notations, there is a warm inscription by Charlie Chaplin’s first wife and Oz Film Manufacturing Company actress Mildred Harris, with a self-portrait. Harris portrayed Dorothy, Button Bright and Fluff in L Frank Baum's short-lived Hollywood films. Other signatures of note include actors Joe Rock, Mary Philbin, Ruth Hiatt, Pauline Curley, Merna Kennedy, James Hall, a very young David Durand, producer Myron Selznick, and dancer Aidi Kawakami who has signed in Japanese. Several inscriptions are in Spanish. One page notes that “Your home is very beautiful”, and a few are signed by Mack’s McCreery relatives (Joey Marion McCreery was her real name), so likely this book was used to document guests at Lewyn and Mack’s home. Dates in the book are from 1926 to 1930.

11”x8.25” hardcover published by the Universal Press in Chicago (1925). With a little scuffing to cover, some internal finger soiling, a couple cutouts, and pencil notes on front endpaper.