The Sound of Silence
The Sound of Silence

Author: Michael G. Ankerich

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2011-03-11

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 078646383X

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Marion Shilling began her career as a silent film ingenue for MGM and went on to play heroines in Westerns of the 1930s. Stage actress Esther Muir made the transition from Broadway to Hollywood just as talkies became popular. Hugh Allan was a leading man in the last years of the silents only to leave the film business in 1930 because of the uncertainty surrounding his transition to sound films and his disgust with studio politics. These three performers and thirteen others (Barbara Barondess, Thomas Beck, Mary Brian, Pauline Curley, Billie Dove, Edith Fellows, Rose Hobart, William Janney, Marcia Mae Jones, Barbara Kent, Anita Page, Lupita Tovar, and Barbara Weeks) reminisce here about Hollywood and the movie business as it made the transition.

Film and Television Stardom
Film and Television Stardom

Author: Kylo-Patrick R. Hart

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2009-01-14

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 1443803758

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Film and Television Stardom examines film and television stars as a collectively complex, intriguing social phenomenon from the early twentieth century to the present day. Its range of topics includes (but is certainly not limited to) the emergence and historical development of the star system, silent-film stardom, stardom and media spectatorship, stardom and consumption, stardom and the paparazzi, reality-television “stars,” stars in the news, and studies of individual stars. In addition to providing numerous new insights and approaches to exploring the phenomenon of film stardom (past and present), its various chapters significantly expand the comparatively nascent body of academic writing that has been devoted to investigating the historical and theoretical aspects of television stardom by focusing on both traditional television programming genres and the more recent phenomenon of reality-television programming. The numerous stars addressed in this book (including Roseanne Barr, Gertrude Berg, Ingrid Bergman, Cher, Sacha Baron Cohen, Bette Davis, Jodie Foster, Jerry Lewis, Carmen Miranda, Anita Page, Jessica Simpson, and James Stewart) are analyzed in relation to noteworthy performances in a variety of well-known films (including The Accused, The Broadway Melody, Cinderfella, Citizen Kane, Dark Victory, The Man from Laramie, Persona, and Singin’ in the Rain) and television programs (including Da Ali G Show, The Apprentice, The Goldbergs, Roseanne, and Survivor).

Alcohol in the Movies, 1898-1962
Alcohol in the Movies, 1898-1962

Author: Judy Cornes

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2015-03-12

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 1476607362

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A 1906 film called The Dream of a Rarebit Fiend shows a man drinking and eating voraciously at a restaurant, then going home to bed. In the surreal scenes that follow, furniture disappears, tiny devils poke the man's head with pitchforks, and his bed hurls itself out the window and across the city. But it wasn't commentary on drinking; rather, it was a showcase of early special effects--double exposure photography, panning shots, and montage. Turn-of-the-century films typically treated drinking as a subject for comedy and ridicule, and the comic possibilities translated well into silent movies. As talkies developed and the film industry matured, alcohol's portrayal was reflected in the times: prohibition, the Great Depression, the war years, and as social commentary. Here is a study of 64 years of alcohol as portrayed in film. The author begins with the appearance in 1898 of what is probably the first commercial: a 30-second film of men in kilts dancing and the words "Scotch Whiskey" appearing in the background. The final film is 1962's Days of Wine and Roses, which addresses alcoholism. The author includes a film from each decade, those with artistic or historical value, those that represent the comedy, drama and musical genres, and well-known pictures such as The Lost Weekend and A Star Is Born. The first three chapters cover 1903 to 1939. The remaining chapters follow not a timeline but the growing complexity of the movies. A recurring motif is the use of the term "white logic," a phrase used by writer Jack London in his 1913 memoir John Barleycorn. It refers to disillusionment with everyday life brought on by and exacerbated by alcohol. An annotated filmography lists the date, source and other relevant information about movies in this study.

Guilty Pleasures
Guilty Pleasures

Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2002-09-24

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 1101146389

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Meet Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, in the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that “blends the genres of romance, horror and adventure with stunning panache”(Diana Gabaldon). Laurell K. Hamilton’s bestselling series has captured readers’ wildest imaginations and addicted them to a seductive world where supernatural hungers collide with the desires of the human heart, starring a heroine like no other... Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: re-animating the dead and killing the undead who take things too far. But when the city’s most powerful vampire asks her to solve a series of vicious slayings, Anita must confront her greatest fear—her undeniable attraction to master vampire Jean-Claude, one of the creatures she is sworn to destroy... “What The Da Vinci Code did for the religious thriller, the Anita Blake series has done for the vampire novel.”—USA Today

Silent Stars Speak
Silent Stars Speak

Author: Tony Villecco

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2015-11-18

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 0786482095

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The pioneers of the motion picture industry were a group of uncommonly talented men, women, and children. Many of their films have now vanished or disintegrated, and the only evidence of them is in the memories of their creators. The twelve men and women featured in this collection of interviews share their memories of the early days of filmmaking, from the technicalities of lighting and production, to celebrities they encountered. The interviewees include Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Virginia Cherrill, child star "Baby Peggy," director Andrew Stone, and original "Our Gang" member Jean Darling. Their stories of what it was like to make a movie in the silent era are illuminating glimpses into an era that fades with every passing year. Each interview is accompanied by a comprehensive filmography, and dozens of photographs of these celebrities and their associates are also included.

No One Written Off
No One Written Off

Author: Great Britain. Department for Work and Pensions

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 9780101736329

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This consultation paper is based on the reforms proposed by David Freud in his report "Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work" (2007, DWP, www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2007/welfarereview.pdf). The Government's vision for the welfare state is one where no one is written off and everyone is required to fulfil their responsibilities to prepare for, look for and take up work, with support provided at all stages. The reforms are designed to achieve an active and personalised welfare state, boosting employment and tackling long-term benefit dependency. Disabled persons or people with long-term health conditions will be targeted, in a bid to reduce the number of people on incapacity benefits by one million. A new Work Capability Assessment will re-assess all existing incapacity benefits claimants for eligibility to the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - to ensure they are receiving the right benefit and their personal needs are identified. ESA will be a temporary benefit for most, as people recover from or adapt to their condition and prepare for a return to work. Private and voluntary sector providers will be eligible to undertake support work. The medical assessment procedure will be reviewed. The reforms also tackle child poverty by providing additional support while strengthening parents' responsibilities to contribute financially and emotionally to their children's upbringing. The benefits system will be streamlined: a long term goal is the abolition of Income Support and the creation of a system based on Jobseeker's Allowance and the ESA. The Government also wishes to devolve more power to individual customers, local partnerships and providers to improve the quality and effectiveness of services. Providers will have greater freedom to innovate and deliver services through a new "Right to Bid" process.

Latinas in the United States, set
Latinas in the United States, set

Author: Vicki L. Ruiz

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2006-05-03

Total Pages: 909

ISBN-13: 0253111692

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Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia records the contribution of women of Latin American birth or heritage to the economic and cultural development of the United States. The encyclopedia, edited by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez-Korrol, is the first comprehensive gathering of scholarship on Latinas. This encyclopedia will serve as an essential reference for decades to come. In more than 580 entries, the historical and cultural narratives of Latinas come to life. From mestizo settlement, pioneer life, and diasporic communities, the encyclopedia details the contributions of women as settlers, comadres, and landowners, as organizers and nuns. More than 200 scholars explore the experiences of Latinas during and after EuroAmerican colonization and conquest; the early-19th-century migration of Puerto Ricans and Cubans; 20th-century issues of migration, cultural tradition, labor, gender roles, community organization, and politics; and much more. Individual biographical entries profile women who have left their mark on the historical and cultural landscape. With more than 300 photographs, Latinas in the United States offers a mosaic of historical experiences, detailing how Latinas have shaped their own lives, cultures, and communities through mutual assistance and collective action, while confronting the pressures of colonialism, racism, discrimination, sexism, and poverty. "Meant for scholars and general readers, this is a great resource on Latinas and historical topics connected with them." -- curledup.com

George Hurrell's Hollywood
George Hurrell's Hollywood

Author: Mark A. Vieira

Publisher: Running Press Adult

Published: 2013-11-12

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 076245069X

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George Hurrell (1904 -- 1992) was the creator of the Hollywood glamour portrait, the maverick artist who captured movie stars of the most exalted era in Hollywood history with bold contrast and seductive poses. This lavishly illustrated book spans Hurrell's entire career, from his beginnings as a society photographer to his finale as the celebrity photographer who was himself a celebrity, and a living legend. From 1929 to 1944 Hurrell was the "Rembrandt of Hollywood," creating portraits of Marlene Dietrich, Norma Shearer, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, and Joan Crawford that were a blend of the ethereal and the erotic. His photos of Jane Russell sulking in a haystack made the unknown girl a star -- without a film credit to her name. He immortalized leading males stars of the day from the Barrymores to Clark Gable and Gary Cooper. Latter photo shoots magnified the glamour of the likes of Warren Beatty and Sharon Stone. Through newly acquired photos and in-depth research, photographer and historian Mark A. Vieira, author of Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits, offers not only a wealth of new images but a compelling sequel to the story presented in his earlier book on Hurrell. Hurrell was himself a star -- rich, famous, successful. Then, at the height of his career, he suffered a vertiginous fall from grace. George Hurrell's Hollywood recounts, for the first time anywhere, Hurrell's rise from the ashes -- how movie-still collectors and art dealers pulled the elderly artist into a nefarious world of theft and fraud; how his undiminished powers gave him a second career; and how his mercurial nature nearly destroyed it. The photographs that motivate this tale are luminous, powerful, and timeless. This book showcases more than four hundred, most of which have not been published since they were created. George Hurrell's Hollywood is the ultimate work on this trailblazing artist, a fabulous montage of fact and anecdote, light and shadow.

Ruth Harriet Louise and Hollywood Glamour Photography
Ruth Harriet Louise and Hollywood Glamour Photography

Author: Robert Dance

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 9780520233478

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Published in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art which is sponsoring the first major traveling exhibition of the glamour photography of Ruth Harriet Louise. Most of these photos are being seen for the first time in decades, and they may well lead to the elevation of Louise to the ranks of the great glamor portraitists.