In the days when cinema audiences insisted that movie programs include two features, plus shorts, plus a newsreel, plus trailers, plus a cartoon, the supporting feature was known in the film trade as a "B". On many occasions, the unheralded "B" movie turned out to be more entertaining than the "A" attraction. Many of Hollywood's biggest stars, like John Wayne, Clark Gable, Alan Ladd and Carole Lombard, got their start in "B" pictures. Some, like Gene Autry (once voted the tenth most popular star in the world) made "B" movies exclusively. So this book is a celebration of the classic "B" films of yesteryear. Many of them, of course, are still aired on TV. And there are even two huge DVD companies (and several smaller ones) that specialize in vintage "B" mysteries and westerns.
