silent sigh

The Star Machine by Jeanine Basinger

From one of our most distinguished film scholars, comes a rich, penetrating, amusing book about the golden age of movies and how the studios worked to manufacture stars.

With revelatory insights and delightful asides, Jeanine Basinger shows us how the studio “star machine” worked when it worked, how it failed when it didn’t, and how irrelevant it could sometimes be. She gives us 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. She anatomizes their careers, showing how their fame happened, and what happened to them as a result. Deeply engrossing, full of energy, wit, and wisdom, The Star Machine is destined to become an classic of the film canon.

i was disappointed that, after reading this tome, there were no real surprises…at least for me, since i am so obsessed with hollywood…. 

i didnt appreciate the way the author would state her own opinions, as though they were a foregone conclusion. there were a few too many “asides,” too, given that this is a research-heavy book.

it would have helped to read more of the studio heads - and their army of minions - own words. the author did sometimes reference internal memos and other written evidence of the star-making going on behind the scenes, but not nearly enough to explain how the studios chose the names, personalities, appearances, histories, relationships, movies, etc., for each of their “stars.”

the portions where the author delved into the personal stories of actors like deanna durbin and lana turner were the most compelling portion of the book; at least when those actors, themselves, had compelling histories. sometimes the authors insistence on cataloging and detailing an actors every last role grew tedious, especially because most of those movies were forgettable fare, even in the 1940s.

i left wanting to know more about the inner lives of these early luminaries, especially tyrone power and loretta young, both of whom seemed to have depth and sadness beneath the surface which, regrettably, the author barely touched upon.