B Western Actor's Encyclopedia: Facts, Photos and Filmographies for More Than 250 Familiar Faces

Rating:
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: A quote from a review reprinted above characterizes this disappointing book as "superbly researched." The reviewer must not be all that familiar with B-Westerns to have come to that bizarre conclusion. In fact, B Western Actors Encyclopedia doesn't seem to have been researched at all. And not only that, author Holland could hardly have used the volumes he quotes in his bibliography and still have managed to misspell the names of important genre director Spencer Gordon Bennet and popular heroine Lucile Browne. (The latter, almost needless to say, becomes Lucille Brown). Nitpicking? I don't think so. This, after all, is a volume that calls itself an encyclopedia. As a matter of fact, most fans of the genre will find themselves in the unusual situation of knowing more about the subject matter than the author. Someone once published a book debunking a recent biography of Errol Flynn. To compile a list of errors and omissions in B WESTERN ACTORS ENCYCLOPEDIA would probably prove just as exhausting. My one star is for McFarland's handsome design and several quite wonderful stills.

Rating:
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: A quote from a review reprinted above characterizes this disappointing book as "superbly researched." The reviewer must not be all that familiar with B-Westerns to have come to that bizarre conclusion. In fact, B Western Actors Encyclopedia doesn't seem to have been researched at all. And not only that, author Holland could hardly have used the volumes he quotes in his bibliography and still have managed to misspell the names of important genre director Spencer Gordon Bennet and popular heroine Lucile Browne. (The latter, almost needless to say, becomes Lucille Brown). Nitpicking? I don't think so. This, after all, is a volume that calls itself an encyclopedia. As a matter of fact, most fans of the genre will find themselves in the unusual situation of knowing more about the subject matter than the author. Someone once published a book debunking a recent biography of Errol Flynn. To compile a list of errors and omissions in B WESTERN ACTORS ENCYCLOPEDIA would probably prove just as exhausting. My one star is for McFarland's handsome design and several quite wonderful stills.