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Larger Than Life
Movie Stars of the 1950s
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Edited by:
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With contributions by:
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Preface by:
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2010
About this book
The constellation of Hollywood stars burned brightly in the 1950s, even as the industry fell on hard economic times. Major artists of the 1940s--James Stewart, Jerry Lewis, and Gregory Peck--continued to exert a magical appeal but the younger generation of moviegoers was soon enthralled by an emerging cast, led by James Dean and Marlon Brando. They, among others, ushered in a provocative acting style, "the Method," bringing hard-edged, realistic performances to the screen. Adult-oriented small-budget dramas were ideal showcases for Method actors, startlingly realized when Brando seized the screen in On the Waterfront. But, with competition from television looming, Hollywood also featured film-making of epic proportion--Ben-Hur and other cinema wonders rode onto the screen with amazing spectacle, making stars of physically impressive performers such as Charlton Heston.
Larger Than Life offers a comprehensive view of the star system in 1950s Hollywood and also in-depth discussions of the decade's major stars, including Montgomery Clift, Judy Holliday, Jerry Lewis, James Mason, Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Jayne Mansfield, and Audrey Hepburn.
Larger Than Life offers a comprehensive view of the star system in 1950s Hollywood and also in-depth discussions of the decade's major stars, including Montgomery Clift, Judy Holliday, Jerry Lewis, James Mason, Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Jayne Mansfield, and Audrey Hepburn.
Author / Editor information
R. BARTON PALMER is the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature at Clemson University, where he also directs the film studies program. He is the author, editor, or general editor of numerous books on various literary and cinematic subjects, including Traditions in World Cinema (Rutgers University Press).
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Frontmatter
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Contents
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Acknowledgments
ix -
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Introduction: Stardom in the 1950s
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1. Montgomery Clift: Hollywood Pseudohomosexual
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2. Charlton Heston and Gregory Peck: Organization Men
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3. James Stewart and James Dean:The Darkness Within
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4. James Mason: A Star Is Born Bigger Than Life
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5. Reflexivity and Metaperformance: Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Kim Novak
107 -
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6. Audrey Hepburn:The Film Star as Event
130 -
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7. Doris Day and Rock Hudson:The Girl Next Door and the Brawny He-Man
147 -
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8. Marlon Brando: Actor, Star, Liar
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9. Jerry Lewis: From Hamlet to Clown
184 -
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10. Judy Holliday:The Hungry Star
205 -
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11. What a Swell Party This Was: Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra
220 -
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In the Wings
245 -
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Works Cited
253 -
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Contributors
263 -
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Index
267
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
November 18, 2019
eBook ISBN:
9780813549941
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9780813549941
Keywords for this book
movie stars; celebrity; actor; actress; 1950s; Hollywood; stars; major artists; Jams Stewart; Jerry Lewis; Gregory Peck; cast; James Dean; Marlon Brando; generation; movie; film; cinema; audience; provocative; acting; style; the Method; realistic; performance; onscreen; Method acting; Method actor; small-budget drama; television; filmmaking; Ben Hur; Charlton Heston; star system; 1950s Hollywood; pseudohomosexual; metaperformance; reflexivity; film star; movie star
Audience(s) for this book
For a non-specialist adult audience
