Eighty good-sized biographies of significant silent-era players hard to find in other reference works, and almost nowhere at this length: The villains and sidekicks of two-reelers (Jim Corey, Nelson McDowell), cowboy action stars (Jack Hoxie, Art Acord, Hoot Gibson, et al.), comedians, character actors, matinee idols and other talented and reliable performers.

A comprehensive filmography (compiled for this book by Richard E. Braff and listing year, studio, director, screenplay, story or author, length and cast) accompanies each entry. The biographies are revised and edited versions of a series that ran in the film periodical Classic Images.