The Star Machine

The Star Machine

From one of our leading film authorities, a rich, penetrating, amusing plum pudding of a book about the golden age of movies, full of Hollywood lore, anecdotes, and analysis.

Jeanine Basinger gives us an immensely entertaining look into the â‚¬Å“star machine,â‚¬Â examining how, at the height of the studio system, from the 1930s to the 1950s, the studios worked to manufacture star actors and actresses. With revelatory insights and delightful asides, she shows us how the machine worked when it worked, how it failed when it didnâ‚¬t, and how irrelevant it could sometimes be. She gives us the â‚¬Å“human factor,â‚¬Â case studies focusing on big stars groomed into the system: the â‚¬Å“awesomely beautifulâ‚¬Â (and disillusioned) Tyrone Power; the seductive, disobedient Lana Turner; and a dazzling cast of othersâ‚¬"Loretta Young, Errol Flynn, Irene Dunne, Deanna Durbin. She anatomizes their careers, showing how their fame happened, and what happened to them as a result. (Both Lana Turner and Errol Flynn, for instance, were involved in notorious court cases.) In her trenchantly observed conclusion, she explains what has become of the star machine and why the studiosâ‚¬ practice of â‚¬Å“makingâ‚¬Â stars is no longer relevant.

Deeply engrossing, full of energy, wit, and wisdom, The Star Machine is destined to become an invaluable part of the film canon.
Country USA
Manufacturer Knopf
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2007-10-23
UnitCount 1
Format Deckle Edge
EANs 9781400041305

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Knopf
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2007-10-23
UnitCount	1
Format	Deckle Edge
EANs	9781400041305

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