Jeanine Basinger

Jeanine BasingerFrom 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 "star machine," 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 didn't, and how irrelevant it could sometimes be. She gives us the "human factor," case studies focusing on big stars groomed into the system: the "awesomely beautiful" (and disillusioned) Tyrone Power; the seductive, disobedient Lana Turner; and a dazzling cast of others—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 studios' practice of "making" 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.

Uno de los más distinguidos eruditos del cine nos ofrece un rico, penetrante y divertido libro sobre la edad de oro de las películas y cómo los estudios trabajaron para la fabricación de estrellas. Con penetrantes informaciones, Basinger nos revela casos centrados en grandes estrellas del sistema: el "impresionantemente hermoso" Tyrone Power o la desobediente Lara Turner, pasando por todo un deslumbrante elenco de estrellas. Profundamente fascinante, lleno de energía, ingenio y sabiduría, "The Star Machine" está destinado a convertirse en un clásico del género.

Estudio sobre la obra cinematográfica del director Anthony Mann para su presentación durante el 52º Festival Internacional de Cine de San Sebastián.