By the famous Big Reel columnist: the story of serials from Universal's 1930 The Indians Are Coming to Columbia's 1956 Blazing the Overland Trail. Fifteen fascinating chapters explain the importance of "cliffhangers" to the industry as audience builders and "product leaders." The serials provided training for actors and served as a "technical university" for people who later made the television industry work. An appendix lists in order of release all of the sound serials from 1930 through 1956, showing titles, releasing companies, chapter titles, directors and several...

Holland covers the heroes, the sidekicks, th e cowgirls and the bad guys in this encyclopedia of B wester n actors. For each performer he provides a biographical sket ch and career description, as well as photographs and a film ography. '

This history concentrates on the years between 1920 and 1930 in the United States when radio was rapidly growing and changing. It covers all important areas in the development of the radio industry, from business and finance to the rise of networks.

From little guys like Mark Dintenfass and his 1905 actophone unit to heavyweights like Samuel Goldwyn and MGM, 66 studios of all sizes and specialities are covered in this reference - films, stars, successes and catastrophes.