| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 90.1

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| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 90.1 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Early American Cinema in Transition: Story, Style, and Filmmaking, 1907–1913. By Charlie Keil. (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2001. xiv, 306 pp. Cloth, $60.00, ISBN 0-299-17360-7. Paper, $24.95, ISBN 0-299-17364-X.)

Carl Becker once famously declared that ev-eryman is a historian, thus suggesting that history was not solely the province of professionals. We might likewise contend that film is something shared by audiences and scholars alike. Yet the field of film studies has seemed, at times, to accept language and theories that, while meant to elevate discussion, can also carry arguments well beyond what the evidence will support. Charlie Keil has proven, however, to be a scholar who by mining film archives has shown that theory is especially useful when coupled with documentation—that film history and film studies can complement one another.

Keil investigates a period that spans less than a decade, during which American film-makers fashioned new ways to tell stories rather than merely to present images or filmed plays. Keil's narrative is brisk and incisive; his use of a variety of sources—especially the close viewing of hundreds of films—makes his argument persuasive and significant.

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