Here is a volume containing more than four thousand film and television personalities who have passed away. Each is listed chronologically according to the year of death and then alphabetically. Each listing includes the deceased's age at the time of death and, in most cases, the cause. There are also notations, where applicable, beside the name of an Academy Award nominee or Oscar winner, together with fascinating details offered for the first time.

As a young man, Everett Jarvis was a devoted movie buff, and it was his strong interest in noting the fate of favorite players who had vanished from the public eye that led to the present compilation. Mr. Jarvis began publishing it in 1986, updating the book every few years. Thousands of copies were sold via mail order. This edition roughly spans the years 1915 up to 1995.