Books with author Harry Leon Wilson

Merton of the Movies is a comic novel by Harry Leon Wilson. It was adapted into a stage play and three films. Wilson, a writer and novelist, wrote the book after a brief stint in Hollywood. Merton of the Movies was published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1919[1] and published as a book in 1922. Thomas Hischak described Merton of the Movies as a "light-hearted romp" with characters "cartoonish but endearing". The novel sold millions of copies and has been adapted to other media several times. Small-town bumpkin Merton Gill fantasizes about joining the glamorous world of silent films, and takes a correspondence school course in acting. He travels to Hollywood, where he is disillusioned by the foibles of his screen idols. He is befriended by comedienne and stuntwoman Flips Montague, who helps him land a bit part, which he bungles so badly with his comically inept acting that the studio is inspired to use him for comedy. Gill becomes a comedy star, delivering lines that he thinks are serious straight drama

MERTON OF THE MOVIES follows the misadventures of Merton Gill, an aspiring movie actor with no talent. When the producers see how ridiculous his acting is, they cast him in a comedy, but tell him that he's acting in a drama. MERTON OF THE MOVIES was adapted for film three times (1924, 1932, 1947).BUNKER BEAN is a clever satire on Big Business and urban culture of early 20th century America. This work helped to popularize the term "flapper."• Merton of the Movies• Bunker BeanHarry Leon Wilson (1867-1939) was an American novelist and dramatist. Born in Illinois, Wilson worked his way west at age 16, ending up in California. There he worked for H.H. Bancroft, and eventually earned modest sums writing for PUCK, where he later served as assistant editor and editor. He left PUCK in 1902 to devote himself fully to writing, and achieved success with several novels and dramas. He lived in Carmel, California until his death in 1939.