Masculinities in American Cinema

The Evolution of Male Stardom, 1909–1941

Inbunden, Engelska, 2026

2 009 kr

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Stephen Sharot traces the evolution of male stardom from its beginnings in 1909 through the United States’ entrance into World War II in 1941, highlighting the influence of a changing American society on masculine identity and ideals. Drawing on conceptual frameworks from both sociology and film studies including hegemonic masculinity, the civilizing process, and star studies, Sharot analyzes the various masculinities adopted by male stars like Richard Barthelmess, Thomas Meighan, William Powell, among others. In doing so, he demonstrates the integral relationship between trends in masculine personas, shifting gender relations, and changes to the nature of work and the labor force. As constructions and articulations of masculinity among emergent classes were transformed, he contends, so too were their representations.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-09-03
Mått152 x 229 x 25 mm
Vikt454 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor280
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN9798216370505

Tillhör följande kategorier

Film inom Kultur
Kulturvetenskap inom Samhälle och politik
Genusvetenskap inom Samhälle och politik
Media och underhållning inom Ekonomi och Ledarskap

Introduction: Perspectives on Masculinities 1. Early Male Stars 2. Fan Magazines and New Stars 3. The 1920s: Latin Lovers, Leading Men, and He-Man Stars 4. The 1920s: Masculinization, Regular Guys, and Debonairs 5. The Transition to Sound, the Great Depression, and a Woman’s Hollywood 6. The 1930s: Tough Guys and Working-Class Personas 7. The 1930s: British Gentlemen and Leading Men 8. The 1930s: Glamorous Males, Debonairs, Crooners, and New Stars Conclusion: World War II and After Bibliography About the Author Index

A historically detailed work that illuminates, through extensive engagement with primary and archival resources, the evolution of on- and offscreen representations of masculinity in Hollywood’s heyday and how so many persist into the present. The social tensions the author traces over time, including the production contexts for the films and publicity material he examines, make the book especially useful, as well as fascinating, for scholars and general readers alike.