Description
Book Synopsis Despite the recent explosion of scholarly interest in “star studies,” Brazilian film has received comparatively little attention. As this volume demonstrates, however, the richness of Brazilian stardom extends well beyond the ubiquitous Carmen Miranda. Among the studies assembled here are fascinating explorations of figures such as Eliane Lage (the star attraction of São Paulo’s Vera Cruz studios), cult horror movie auteur Coffin Joe, and Lázaro Ramos, the most visible Afro-Brazilian actor today. At the same time, contributors interrogate the inner workings of the star system in Brazil, from the pioneering efforts of silent-era actresses to the recent advent of the non-professional movie star.
Trade Review “The volume embraces diverse and nuanced approaches to stardom…; all [contributors] succeed in putting their findings into readable prose. A thorough scholarly apparatus is included. The volume represents a major contribution to star studies.” • Choice
“This is [a] rich text which examines a diverse range of Brazilian stars across different time periods, genres and media platforms. Furthermore, with authors employing a wide range of approaches incorporating race, sexuality, age and gender, this volume collectively adds a new wealth of knowledge to the study of global cinematic stardom, thus far underrepresented in film scholar- ship. The set of images highlighting key performers and performances readers may be unfamiliar with is also a nice touch which adds to the overall appeal of the book.” • Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television
“The strength and originality of this tightly edited volume lie in its historical perspective and comprehensiveness. Each chapter works well on its own, but also forms part of a larger design, and the editors have done an excellent job in mapping the terrain of stardom in Brazil over a century. I know of no other volume, focused on the cinemas of Latin America, that attempts the same chronological range, from early cinema to the present day.” • John King, University of Warwick
Table of Contents Introduction
Lisa Shaw and Tim Bergfelder
Chapter 1. Consuming visions: female stars, the melindrosa and desires for a Brazilian film industry
Maite Conde
Chapter 2. A star system created by fans: Pernambucan cinema in the 1920s
Luciana Corrêa de Araújo
Chapter 3. A star in the spotlight: Carmen Santos and Brazilian cinema of the 1920s
Ana Pessoa
Chapter 4. Carmen Miranda: from national star to global brand
Ana Rita Mendonça and Lisa Shaw
Chapter 5. Cinelândia magazine and the creation of home-grown movie stars in the 1950s
Lisa Shaw
Chapter 6. Oscarito and Grande Otelo: ‘the terrible twosome’
Jõao Luiz Vieira and Leonardo Macario
Chapter 7. Eliane Lage: a falling star in the skies of the Tropics
Ana Carolina de Moura Delfim Maciel
Chapter 8. Radio stars on screen: critiques of stardom in Moacyr Fenelon’s Tudo azul (1952)
Luís Alberto Rocha Melo
Chapter 9. Jece Valadão, the ‘charming crook’: a star image between tradition and modernity
Rafael de Luna Freire
Chapter 10. José Mojica Marins versus Coffin Joe: auteurism and stardom in Brazilian cinema
Laura Canepa
Chapter 11. As loiras: Brazil’s screen blondes
Stephanie Dennison
Chapter 12. A star is born: the rising profile of the non-professional actor in recent Brazilian cinema
Charlotte Gleghorn
Chapter 13. The black body reframed: Lázaro Ramos and the performance of interracial love
Ben Hoff
Chapter 14. Seu Jorge as a cross-media star: from local authenticity to global appeal
Katia Augusta Maciel
Chapter 15. Latin lover or Latin(o) loser? Rodrigo Santoro and the Hollywood stereotype
Daniel O’Brien
Notes on Contributors
Bibliography
Index
