The 1920s was a bustling time in Hollywood, as starry-eyed young women sought fame and fortune—only to discover that their dreams did not match the reality of the film industry.

Edgcumb Pinchon was there to report on it all. He interviewed women who worked as “extras” in Hollywood, and was himself involved in the film business as a screenwriter and author. He describes here the hierarchy of those on set (in front of and behind the camera) with first-hand knowledge and humor.

In addition to Pinchon’s article on “Extra” Girls, this book includes articles on Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B. DeMille’s epic The King of Kings, Hollywood’s spread to small-town America (Hollywood on the Ohio), and the evolution of film.