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Safe in Hell (1931), Talkie Triumph for Tough Dorothy Mackaill

November 16, 2012 By Cliff Aliperti 5 Comments

Safe in Hell (1931) nearly starred Barbara Stanwyck, but no matter as Dorothy Mackaill makes the part her own. A bit about the film and what happened to this otherwise forgotten star.

James L. Neibaur of Examiner.com calls it: "One of the most interesting and important film books of the young year," adding, "the documentation is original and significant." Full review.

Jacqueline T. Lynch, author of Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer.Star., says: "A prime example of a classic film fan taking the reins to produce a scholarly study of a neglected figure from the Golden Age of classic films in a way that I feel is refreshing, infinitely helpful to fans and students of old movies." Full review.

Silver Screenings says: "A fascinating account of an ambitious and hard-working woman ... Aliperti’s book is well written and incredibly well researched." Full review.

Speakeasy says: "Despite her decline, this is not a sad or bleak book but an enjoyable history ... Any fan of the collectible Citadel “Films of” book series will appreciate the modern twist on that format, a full biography followed by an expanded filmography." Full review.

A Classic Movie Blog says: "I think this is a good format for performers with short lives and brief careers ... I went into it with only mild curiosity about Twelvetrees and now I find my self pining for copies of unavailable, but intriguing films." Full review.

Helen Twelvetrees, Perfect Ingenue is available in paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon.com.

Safe in Hell (1931), Talkie Triumph for Tough Dorothy Mackaill

Freddie Bartholomew Complete Biography of the 1930’s MGM Child Star

Ten Cents a Dance (1931) Starring Barbara Stanwyck

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