"This greatly expanded and updated edition (over 18,500 entries versus 9,000 in the earlier) includes everyone from John Aasen, an 8-foot, 9-inch circus star who appeared in silent film comedies, to Vladimir Kosma Zworykin, who invented the iconoscope and kinescope that together constituted the first all-electronic television system. This is the most complete necrology available on people in the industry during the silent film era.".

"The entries include birth and death dates and places, real name when it differs from the professional name, married name for women, age at death, and information about autobiographies and biographies. When available, the cause of death and birth certificate information are also provided. Following these data, there is a reference, including the headline, to any obituary in The New York Times, Variety or, occasionally, another publication."--BOOK JACKET.