Merton of the Movies

by Harry Leon Wilson

"Merton of the Movies" by Harry Leon Wilson is a comic novel published in 1922. Small-town dreamer Merton Gill abandons his simple life to pursue stardom in Hollywood's silent film industry. Armed with a correspondence course in acting, he arrives in the glamorous world of cinema only to find his idols less perfect than imagined. With help from stuntwoman Flips Montague, Merton finally gets his chance—but his earnest, dramatic performances produce hilariously unexpected results that transform his career in ways he never anticipated.