Jeffrey Vance

Jeffrey Vance
Born May 21, 1970
Cleveland, Ohio
Occupation(s) Film historian, author

Jeffrey Vance (born May 21, 1970) is an American film historian and author who has published books on movie stars including Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.

Career

While working as an archivist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists he met Eleanor Keaton, Buster Keaton's widow, and began organizing her collection of photographs, leading to the illustrated biography Buster Keaton Remembered (2001). He later served as archivist for the Chaplin family's Roy Export S.A.S., The Harold Lloyd Trust, and the Mary Pickford Foundation where he helped preserve both film and photographs from these important collections. As a producer, he packaged the Harold Lloyd Classic Comedies for Turner Classic Movies, later released to home video. As a filmmaker, he produced and directed the short film Rediscovering John Gilbert (2010) which aired on cable television as well as released to home video.

Publications

  • Buster Keaton Remembered (Harry N. Abrams, 2001)
  • Harold Lloyd: Master Comedian (Harry N. Abrams, 2002)
  • Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema (Harry N. Abrams, 2003),
  • Douglas Fairbanks (UC Press/Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 2008)
  • A Star Is Born: Judy Garland and the Film That Got Away (TCM/Running Press, 2018)

DVD/Blu-ray commentaries