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John W. Harding, Author John W Harding

Attending to details so that the bigger picture can emerge.

  • CAST ASIDE
  • THE BEN-HUR MURDERS
    • BEHIND THE SCENES
    • VIDEO SERIES: The Unspoken Ben-Hur Saga
  • THE DESIGNATED VIRGIN
    • Liquor and Flickers
    • The Contrarians
    • The McClellan Massacre
    • The Sealed Trunk
    • Videos
  • SHORT TAKES
  • SHORT FICTION
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  • THE STORYTELLER
  • CAST ASIDE
  • THE BEN-HUR MURDERS
    • BEHIND THE SCENES
    • VIDEO SERIES: The Unspoken Ben-Hur Saga
  • THE DESIGNATED VIRGIN
    • Liquor and Flickers
    • The Contrarians
    • The McClellan Massacre
    • The Sealed Trunk
    • Videos
  • SHORT TAKES
  • SHORT FICTION
  • CONTACT
  • THE STORYTELLER

Mary Pickford

Fascism and Fairy Dust
17 Jul 2021

Fascism and Fairy Dust

by John Harding | posted in: Hollywood history | 0

No place on Earth had more regard for the power of celebrity than Hollywood in the 1920s. As Fascist strongman Benito Mussolini wrested control of Italy, his name frequently popped up in entertainment columns alongside Chaplin and Fairbanks. Il Duce, … Continued

Benito Mussolini, Betty Bronson, Douglas Fairbanks, Fascism, Mary Pickford
Before You Pull the Covers Over Your Head …
5 Apr 2020

Before You Pull the Covers Over Your Head …

by John Harding | posted in: Writer's notebook | 0

Are you looking at this period of home detention as a golden opportunity to begin your novel? It is that, of course. But before you think seriously of getting started, here’s a word of advice: Make sure your subject will … Continued

D.W. Griffith, John W. Harding, Mack Sennett, Mary Pickford, Nrma Shearer, The Ben-Hur Murders, The Biograph Co., The Designated Virgin
A Voice From the Past
19 Sep 2016

A Voice From the Past

by John Harding | posted in: Writer's notebook | 0

My novels about early Hollywood are verbal time machines designed to lift the reader into a bygone era. When that happens to be the silent film era, it can be a challenge finding the right fictional “voice” for a character, … Continued

Ben-Hur, D.W. Griffith, Francis X. Bushman, G.W. "Billy" Bitzer, Karl Brown, Mary Pickford, Miriam Cooper, Norma Shearer, The Ben-Hur Murders

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The BLOG

  • Truth and Lies — the old Hollywood way! 10/19/2023
  • Chasing Cines: On the Trail of Italy’s Lost ‘Ben-Hur’ Studio 12/14/2022
  • June Mathis: The Devil and Hollywood’s “Million Dollar Girl” 03/21/2022
  • Blowing Smoke: The Mating of Propaganda and Public Relations 12/07/2021

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Recent Posts

  • Truth and Lies — the old Hollywood way!
  • Chasing Cines: On the Trail of Italy’s Lost ‘Ben-Hur’ Studio
  • June Mathis: The Devil and Hollywood’s “Million Dollar Girl”
  • Blowing Smoke: The Mating of Propaganda and Public Relations
  • Fascism and Fairy Dust

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  • John Harding on Griffith’s Secret Scandal, Part 3

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