Hollywood Reborn: Movie Stars of the 1970s

by James Morrison (Editor), James Morrison (Introduction), Chris Cagle (Contribution by), Nick Davis (Contribution by), Cynthia Erb (Contribution by)

Overview

Weary from the turbulent sixties, America entered the 1970s hoping for calm. Instead, the war in Vietnam and its troubled aftermath persisted, the Watergate scandal unfolded, and continuing social unrest at home and abroad provided the backdrop for the new decade. The scene was similar in Hollywood, as it experienced greater upheaval than at any point since the coming of sound. As the studio and star systems declined, actors had more power than ever, and because many had become fiercely politicized by the temper of the times, the movies they made were often more challenging than before. Thus, just when it might have faded out, Hollywood was reborn—but what was the nature of this rebirth?

Hollywood Reborn examines this question, with contributors focusing on many of the era's key figures — noteworthy actors such as Jane Fonda, Al Pacino, Faye Dunaway, and Warren Beatty, and unexpected artists, among them Donald Sutherland, Shelley Winters, and Divine. Each essay offers new perspectives through the lens of an important star, illuminating in the process some of the most fascinating and provocative films of the decade.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813547497
Publisher:	Rutgers University Press
Publication date:	04/27/2010
Series:	Star Decades: American Culture/American Cinema
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 2.00(d)

About the Author

JAMES MORRISON is a professor of literature and film studies at Claremont McKenna College. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of several books, including Roman Polanski and All That Heaven Allows: The Cinema of Todd Haynes.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Stardom in the 1970s James Morrison 1

1 Jane Fonda: From Graylist to A-List Maria Pramaggiore 16

2 Robert Redford and Warren Beatty: Consensus Stars for a Post-Consensus Age Chris Cagle 39

3 Al Pacino: From the Mob to the Mineshaft Joe Wlodarz 61

4 Jodie Foster and Brooke Shields: "New Ways to Look at the Young" Cynthia ERB 82

5 Richard Roundtree: Inventing Shaft Jans Wager 101

6 Shelley Winters: Camp, Abjection, and the Aging Star James Morrison 120

7 Faye Dunaway: Stardom and Ambivalence Thomas Schur 138

8 Divine: Toward an "Imperfect" Stardom Karl Schoonover 158

9 Julie Christie and Vanessa Redgrave: Performance and the Politics of Singularity Nick Davis 182

10 Donald Sutherland: The Politics and Erotics of Submission Jean Walton 202

In the Wings James Morrison 226

Works Cited 233

Contributors 239

Index 241