Zusammenfassung
Zusammenfassung von Merton im Filmgeschäft
Go deeper: the whole of Merton im Filmgeschäft
About 8 h to read.Für wen es gedacht ist
You will love this book if you enjoy gentle comedy, old Hollywood, and underdog heroes with big dreams. It suits anyone who likes a lively voice and warm fun at the expense of vanity.
Worum es in diesem Buch geht
A tall outlaw has seized a New York society girl and carried her across the border. A two-gun cowboy bursts in, and the fists fly. Then a storekeeper appears in the doorway and shouts at the hero to put that dummy down.
This is how Merton of the Movies begins. Merton Gill is a clerk in a small Illinois store, and the outlaw is a wax figure for selling raincoats. Harry Leon Wilson wrote this comic novel while silent pictures ruled the screen.
In dieser Zusammenfassung
- 1A clerk plays the hero in the storeroomFree
- 2Magazines and a mail-order course feed the dream
- 3Merton rides Dexter and decides to go west
- 4The gate of the Holden lot stays closed
- 5Behind the fence, the movies run on machinery
- 6A day of extra work brings a close-up and a little hope
- 7Hunger drives Merton to sleep in the sets
- 8Beulah Baxter has a double with a hoarse voice
- 9A kind girl finds a use for Merton's face
- 10The joke is on him, and Wilson keeps it kind
Punkt 1 von 10
A clerk plays the hero in the storeroom
The novel opens with a story inside a story. We read a wild border tale with a brave cowboy, a proud New York girl, and a sneering outlaw, all in the breathless style of cheap Westerns.
Then the scene breaks. The cowboy is Merton Gill, the girl is a store dummy in a gingham frock, and the outlaw is another dummy. Amos Gashwiler, the owner, has come back from lunch and found his clerk lifting a dummy over his head. He scolds Merton for leaving a customer waiting thirty minutes for hooks and eyes.
The best moment comes in the barn. Merton treats the old horse Dexter roughly all day, then hugs his neck in a tearful farewell. He is playing a scene from the pictures, where the hero kisses his horse goodbye. His sobs are real, and the horse is not moved.
Merton cannot tell acting from life, and that makes him funny and dear.
A daydream can turn an ordinary shop into a film set, and that is both the gift and the danger of Merton's mind.
That’s 1 of 10 key points.
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Go deeper: the whole of Merton im Filmgeschäft
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Questions about Merton im Filmgeschäft
What is Merton of the Movies about?
It follows Merton Gill, a small-town clerk in Simsbury, Illinois, who dreams of Hollywood fame. He travels west, struggles through hunger and bit parts, and meets a sharp-tongued girl named Flips Montague who changes his course.
Who is Flips Montague?
Flips is Sarah Nevada Montague, a witty stunt performer from a family of stage actors. She doubles for a famous star, befriends Merton on the studio lot, and takes charge of his career and his well-being.
Is Merton of the Movies a true story?
No, it is a comic novel by Harry Leon Wilson. It is set in the world of silent pictures and uses real features of studio life, such as extras, casting windows, and fan magazines, to build its story.
Is Merton of the Movies easy to read?
Yes, Wilson writes in a lively voice with short scenes, quick dialogue, and running jokes. The chapters move from a small town to a busy studio lot, so the story is easy to follow and often very funny.
What does the book say about Hollywood?
It shows the film business as a mix of hope and trickery, with painted sets, doubles, and slogans about sacrifice. At the same time it finds real kindness and loyalty among the people who work there.
Cite this edition
Wilson, Harry Leon. Merton of the Movies. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/merton-of-the-movies.
Wilson, H. L. (2026). Merton of the movies. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/merton-of-the-movies (Original work published 1922)
Wilson, Harry Leon. Merton of the Movies. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/merton-of-the-movies.
@book{wilson2026merton,
author = {Wilson, Harry Leon},
title = {Merton of the Movies},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/merton-of-the-movies},
note = {First published 1922}
}
