Al Christie: Hollywood’s Forgotten Film Pioneer

by Mark Kearney

Foreword by Steve Massa

Nominated for the 2023 Richard Wall Memorial Award, honoring books on film and broadcasting:

286 pages

6x9

ISBN 9798887711812

Al Christie and canine companions, 1927

“With this book, the first devoted to its subject, Mark Kearney deftly and compellingly illustrates Al Christie’s vital contribution to the art form, allowing him to take his proper place as an important producer, director, writer, and all-around comedy creator.”

- Steve Massa, author and silent film historian

Al Christie: Hollywood's Forgotten Film Pioneer is a captivating new book that sheds light on the remarkable career of a Hollywood legend who has been overlooked for too long. With over 1,000 short comedies and features to his credit, Al Christie was a prolific director and producer who made the first comedy films in the then little-known town of Hollywood in 1911 and left an indelible mark on the movie industry during his subsequent 30-year career. This biography celebrates Christie's life and work from his early days growing up in London, Ontario, Canada where he helped touring Vaudevillians hone their comic skills to his years in Hollywood behind the camera during the silent film and early talkies' era. Al Christie: Hollywood's Forgotten Film Pioneer is a must-read for anyone with an interest in cinema history.

Book Review:

"New York Sun" Review:

Author Mark Kearney's most recent podcast/intervew re Al Christie

James L. Neibaur's review of Al Christie: Hollywood’s Forgotten Film Pioneer: