Thomas E Simmons

Tod Browning Loose-Leaf Encyclopedia Thomas E Simmons

A breathtaking biography of linked poems which narrate the life and films of neglected American horror film director Tod Browning. Tod Browning directed films like Dracula (1931) and The Unholy Three (1925). Lon Chaney starred in ten of them. But it was Freaks (1932) which effectively ended Browning's Hollywood career. Reviews labeled it revolting because Browning had cast actual circus "freaks" in roles ordinarily reserved for professional actors. Featuring a stunning cover by visual artist Paul Peterson, this collection of poems traces Browning's beginnings as a circus sideshow barker to the heights of fame, his decline, and his almost unnoticed death in 1962.