I Used to be in Pictures is a collection of unpublished correspondence between English born brothers, Austin and Howard Mutti-Mewse and some of the most celebrated and iconic film stars from the silent and 'golden' era of film-making.
The brothers' foray into this glamorous world began with a simple fan letter to Lillian Gish, followed by another to Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. This gave rise to a wealth of letter writing. Yet, the most interesting part of this story is that these letters were written retrospectively, as raised on a diet of black and white movies, Austin and Howard's unique relationships with these screen legends developed long after the height of their celebrity, a quarter of a century after the cameras had stopped rolling, at a time when they were able to reflect back on lives lived in the spotlight.






During the nineties, the brothers were entertained by stars, including Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, James Stewart and Elizabeth Taylor who, thrilled at this late recognition, invited them into their homes in Hollywood, Palm Springs, Malibu, Glendale and Santa Barbara; to reminisce over afternoon tea.
Accompanied by many intimate and candid photographs of screen icons both at the height of their stardom and in later years, this is a collection for anyone looking for an insider glimpse into arguably Hollywood's finest hour; a time when stars were made in black and white, when all that glittered was the sequins and the gold, a time of magic and some amazing memories. In this book Howard and Austin have captured it all...beautifully.






"It's a truly remarkable and invaluable insight into a bygone era of celebrity and cinema." Jocks & Nerds






"There was one New Year's Eve when their father handed them the phone. It was Marlene Dietrich" Esquire






"An immense and remarkable book" Libby Purves






"I am absolutely thrilled by your beautiful book" Lord Julian Fellowes