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SLAPSTICK LTD Books brings us Slapstick, a novel by Laura Toops, a story of the success of Hollywood, and the heartbreak that often accompanies it. Set in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Slapstick is the story of a silent film slapstick genius, Harold Gilbert. Hal, as everyone but his leading lady, Lila Lenore, calls him, had begun making comedies with Max Randolph, a leading producer of successful, though not exceptional, films. Max and Hal's wife, Ella, dated for a while, until he refused to marry her. Then she drifted into marriage to Hal. She remained Hal's leading lady until her pregnancy with their first child forced her to step aside for a much younger Lila Lenore. In the meantime, Hal quits Max Randolph and starts his own studio. The quality of his pictures improves immediately, and he becomes an unqualified success. Max almost goes broke, and he vows revenge on Hal Gilbert. And Hal can hardly enjoy his success for the nightmares, nightmares of the night he saw a young blonde girl die. And Max was there and told him it was his fault she died, for he was drunk and failed to know she wasn't able to withstand the heroin Hal gave her. Hal knows he was drunk that night, and he can't remember giving her the dope. That was just the beginning of Max's revenge. Lila Lenore also fits into the scheme when she falls in love with the much older Hal Gilbert. She finally corners him on the set one night when he is working alone, and manages to get him into bed. That is the beginning of an affair that would only end when Lila becomes pregnant and has a back alley abortion, which almost kills her. She and Hal drift apart then, especially when Hal refuses to do any more talking pictures, the new rage he feels is a fad. At the same time, Ella has begun drinking heavily. She resents the two children, resents Hal's success, while her own career has stagnated. She begins a slow spiral into insanity, which culminates when she finds out about his affair with Lila. But it is her abuse of the children that sends her to the mental institution from which she never returns. The language in Slapstick is often as raw as the emotions it portrays. If taking God's name in vain offends you, this book is not for you. But if you don't mind the language and love stories of movies and movie stars, you will enjoy Slapstick. |