Missing iPhoto thumbnails

I've tried everything, but just can't seem to get iphoto to display large or small thumbnails.  Exported iPhoto library to external hard disk a couple of months ago and all continued to work well.  Then updated to snow Leopard OS.  A week later noted that external hard drive not mounting.  Very intermittent and sometimes it would mount and other times not, but certainly iphoto library not working with photos not visible or editible.
Eventually after trying every bit of advice regarding sorting out 'external hard disk not mounting,' resorted to extracting data with software program called Stella something.  All data retrieved and all images within iphoto library original and modified folders all viewable in preview.
However although iphoto now working fine with iphoto library on new ext hard drive none of the thumbnails are displaying so I can't see what photos are where. If I click on an events thumbnail (empty black box) it takes to me to collection of grey boxes representing photos for that event. These open up and are editible. but I just don't know what they are until I've gone through this process.
I have tried rebuilding the small thumbnails, the large thumbnails, repairing permissions, rebuilding from back up, but no change.  I even removed ilife '09 from hard disk and reinstalled and updated software to ensure library readable, but again same problem.
My next option is to get ilife '11 but I dont think that'll be any different.  Failing that I might take all photos out of iphoto library and re-import the lot but firstly not sure if I need to import all from both original and modified folders and what will happen to all the albums, books, calendars previously created.
Any help to resolving this problem would be a life saver! I wonder whether there are conflicting files in the iphoto library regarding thumbnails or structure or something aside from a problem with the photos themselves.
Many thanks
Oh and also when I open imovie it tries to retrieve videos from iphoto library and states that not in correct format even though they don't seem to have changed to me and open just fine from finder.

ok so I downloaded iPhoto Library Manager and used its rebuild function.  Appeared to be working and in fact has rebuilt half of the library thumbnails and everything complete - perfect....Well almost except it only managed to rebuild half of it, copying 3000 or so of the 8900 photos on my external hard drive stating that it could not find the remaining photos in the original folder, even though I can and they seem to open up no problem in finder.  So there must be some corrupt data in the files that direct iphoto to locate all these original photos I'm guessing - What do you think?
(Also interesting imovie no longer is able to find movies within iphoto library even though they are all there)

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