The first version of this piece is buried way down in the "newbies" page, so I'll pos it here, too, this one seems to get more readers than others, so here it is: I've just completed a 3-year work on the life and times of actress Marjorie White (Mary, in "Woman Haters") Here's a synopsis of the story:
Synopsis for “Marjorie White”
“Marjorie White” is the life story of a young actress, virtually forgotten today, but popular to a dedicated number of film historians, who lived and died in the early years of the 20th century. It covers her from her start in the performing world, in her earliest childhood, to her untimely death in the 1930s.
Most, but not all, of the material in the story has been culled from numerous sources, with my own words interspersed, to tell of this beautiful woman’s life, at home, on stage, and later on the silver screen. It covers aspects of both her personal and professional lives, in the most minute detail I could unearth, to show her as a person, a woman, and a real-life human being, rather than simply a grainy image, seen for a few minutes on 75-year-old black-and-white film.
Any number of other brief bios of her, by other authors/fans, and most, if not all, were culled from pre-existing publicity information, most rife with rumors, erroneous beliefs, wrong dates and sequences of events, but I’ve gone far beyond those, into depths of history, from her parents’ origins in the mid-19th century, through her own life. It is my hope that the statistical data I’ve uncovered will lay to rest the untruths, dates and places, of the events of her life.
I mulled over any number of cliches and catchy phrases for a title, but as I grew to know her, I gained a modicum of admiration and respect for the memory of her, and decided on giving her the simple dignity of using her proper name “MARJORIE WHITE”, as the book’s title.
While I trust the 100+ pages will bring smiles and pleasure to readers, there are a few areas which may tend to read a bit slow, especially geographical and statistical data further along, but there’s a pleasant surprise at the very end, which I’m sure will bring a gasp of delight, a warmth to the heart, and an exclamation of “OH! MY!” from everyone.
Keep in mind, that although Ms. White was among the best of comediennes of her era, this is a serious piece of work, far removed from the comedy of the Three Stooges, who are mentioned only briefly in the section covering the film “WOMAN HATERS”, and then only as part of my broad overview of that one.
In brief, this book is the culmination of three years of hard work which has led me deeply into the fields of geographical and political history, and more importantly, genealogical history, from which I’ve learned such a great deal, to keep for my use in any future works I may do. In compiling all this data, I believe, to paraphrase STAR TREK: “I’ve Gone Where No Man Has Gone Before!”
My thanks to everyone who has helped my compile this work, contact me to obtain your copy, and YES, your comments and criticisms are most welcome, be they good or bad. Every response I get is deeply appreciated and will be acknowledged. Read it and enjoy!
Gary Olszewski
If You're interested, and I hope you are, contact me directly at gmzewski@aol.com for details & info how to obtain a copy from me. I can't advertise openly here, 'cause this isn't Amazon! And no kdding, here, this really IS a serious piece of work, all fans and history buffs will enjoy and appreciate!
