Merton of the Movies

Description

In Merton of the Movies, Harry Leon Wilson manages to create a hilarious portrait of a naive yet ambitious small town boy who dreams to become a great Hollywood actor. The author draws a lot of laughs through his humoristic writing style and through the continuous comic situations Merton seems to create all the time – and that without him even knowing it.

The book centers around Merton Gill, a small town clerk who works in a general store but who dreams to become a great movie star. While his daydreaming seems to drive his boss nuts, that does not interrupt the young aspiring artist. He graduates corresponding courses from the General Film Production Company of Stebbinsville in Arkansas, and so he believes that it is enough to make him a great actor.

Merton saves some money and goes to Hollywood, where his dreams all but evaporate as he nearly ends up starving. He is saved by an actress that does her own stunts as he obtains an audition. In it, his overacting and clumsiness make the entire audience laugh him out of stage, but in the end, he obtains a role in a Hollywood drama – or so he thinks.

The humor of the book is brought on by Merton, a man who cannot shoot, ride, dance or sing and neither can he perform stunts. The author creates a parody of Hollywood silent era films, especially by having Merton believing that he is acting in a drama, while in reality he is the main actor in a comedy. Merton’s naivety and overacting create countless funny situations which make Merton of the Movies a classic that is still popular today. Hollywood directors and Broadway actors know why they keep bringing this funny character into play even after a century since creation.
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