Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This well-researched and detailed study of female performance in classical Hollywood cinema and its persistence and ubiquity in modern celebrity culture is (almost!) as entertaining as the films and stars discussed."
-- Adrienne L. McLean * author of Being Rita Hayworth: Labor, Identity, and Hollywood Stardom *
"Kirsten Pullen’s engaging and illuminating work breaks new ground in performance studies, film and television studies, and women’s studies. A gem not to be missed!" -- Elana Levine * author of Wallowing in Sex: The New Sexual Culture of 1970s American Television *
"This is an excellent book, a solid career overview of the work of a group of Hollywood stars of the 1940s and 1950s whom, the author convincingly argues, played themselves onscreen with the sort of naturalism that one associates with the assured performances of male 'method' actors of the era. Pullen has a keen knowledge of Hollywood history. Fascinating reading for the layperson or the academic; perfect for a resource for a course in American cinema. Highly recommended." * Choice *
"This well-researched and detailed study of female performance in classical Hollywood cinema and its persistence and ubiquity in modern celebrity culture is (almost!) as entertaining as the films and stars discussed."
-- Adrienne L. McLean * author of Being Rita Hayworth: Labor, Identity, and Hollywood Stardom *
"Kirsten Pullen’s engaging and illuminating work breaks new ground in performance studies, film and television studies, and women’s studies. A gem not to be missed!" -- Elana Levine * author of Wallowing in Sex: The New Sexual Culture of 1970s American Television *
"This is an excellent book, a solid career overview of the work of a group of Hollywood stars of the 1940s and 1950s whom, the author convincingly argues, played themselves onscreen with the sort of naturalism that one associates with the assured performances of male 'method' actors of the era. Pullen has a keen knowledge of Hollywood history. Fascinating reading for the layperson or the academic; perfect for a resource for a course in American cinema. Highly recommended." * Choice *
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Playing Herself: The Naturalist Paradigm and the Spectacle of Female Sexuality 1 Engineered for Stardom: Publicity, Performance, and Jane Russell 2 More than a Mermaid: Esther Williams, Performance, and the Body 3 Light Egyptian: Lena Horne and the Representation of Black Femininity 4 Carnival!: Carmen Miranda and the Spectacle of Authenticity 5 Famous for Being Famous: Persona, Performance, and the Case for Zsa Zsa Gabor Notes Index
