Stardom: The Hollywood Phenomenon
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
In the golden age of Hollywood, a select few transcended mere acting to become living myths — and Stardom: The Hollywood Phenomenon chronicles precisely how this extraordinary alchemy occurred. Alexander Walker presents a penetrating investigation into the machinery of fame, tracing how the American film industry systematically manufactured, packaged, and sold larger-than-life personalities to a world hungry for gods and goddesses of the silver screen. From the earliest flickers of silent cinema to the height of the studio system, Walker details the economic, cultural, and psychological forces that transformed ordinary men and women into icons of almost supernatural allure. Walker, one of Britain's most formidable film critics, argues with forensic precision that stardom was never accidental — it was a carefully engineered industrial process shaped by commerce, desire, and the public's insatiable need for fantasy. His prose is sharp, authoritative, and richly anecdotal, weaving together cultural criticism and social history to illustrate how Hollywood stars became the defining mythological figures of the 20th century. A work of serious intellectual weight dressed in compelling narrative, this is essential reading for anyone who has ever wondered what truly lies behind the blinding glare of the spotlight.
Author: Alexander Walker
Format: Paperback
Genre: Movies & entertainment
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
In the golden age of Hollywood, a select few transcended mere acting to become living myths — and Stardom: The Hollywood Phenomenon chronicles precisely how this extraordinary alchemy occurred. Alexander Walker presents a penetrating investigation into the machinery of fame, tracing how the American film industry systematically manufactured, packaged, and sold larger-than-life personalities to a world hungry for gods and goddesses of the silver screen. From the earliest flickers of silent cinema to the height of the studio system, Walker details the economic, cultural, and psychological forces that transformed ordinary men and women into icons of almost supernatural allure. Walker, one of Britain's most formidable film critics, argues with forensic precision that stardom was never accidental — it was a carefully engineered industrial process shaped by commerce, desire, and the public's insatiable need for fantasy. His prose is sharp, authoritative, and richly anecdotal, weaving together cultural criticism and social history to illustrate how Hollywood stars became the defining mythological figures of the 20th century. A work of serious intellectual weight dressed in compelling narrative, this is essential reading for anyone who has ever wondered what truly lies behind the blinding glare of the spotlight.