Laugh and Live

New York: Britton Publishing Company, 1917. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. Inscribed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.] He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including The Thief of Baghdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro but spent the early part of his career making comedies. Fairbanks was a founding member of United Artists. He was also a founding member of The Motion Picture Academy and hosted the first Oscars Ceremony in 1929. With his marriage to Mary Pickford in 1920, the couple became Hollywood royalty and Fairbanks was referred to as "The King of Hollywood". The volume is square, sharp, clean, and tight. Previous owners pencilled signature present. Minor foxing and toning. Dust jacket very good, nearly complete save for a very few tiny chips at some extremities. There is one thing in this world that is positively sure- happiness is for all who strive to be happy, and those who laugh are happy. Everybody is eligible- you, me, the other fellow. Happiness is fundamentally a state of mind, not a state of body. Indeed, it is possible to stand with one foot on the inevitable "banana peel" of life with both eyes peering into the Great Beyond and still be happy, comfortable, and serene- if we will even so much as smile. So goes the wisdom of silent film star Douglas Fairbanks, who, in addition to his movie career, wrote a number of self-help books. In Laugh and Live, which was originally published in 1917, he expounds upon his theories for living a good and happy life. Fairbanks' formula for happiness- humility, good humor, and particularly strenuous physical exercise- is enshrined in the page of this book..