AUDIO

Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema

by Anne Helen Petersen
8 CDs. unabridged. 9 hrs. Tantor Audio. 2014. ISBN 9781494502560. $39.99; 1 MP3-CD. retail ed.; digital download. FILM
COPY ISBN
OrangeReviewStarPetersen examines how Hollywood controlled and shielded major stars from a variety of scandals from the silent era until the demise of the studio system in the late 1950s. She details the Fatty Arbuckle rape accusation and Wallace Reid's drug addictions as well as the stars who bucked the image that Hollywood expected of them (Clara Bow, Mae West, Jean Harlow, Judy Garland). Dorothy Dandridge, Petersen explains, possessed great talent and beauty but saw her career decline through racism. The book ends with portraits of three iconic actors—Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and James Dean—whose daring acting styles helped usher out the image of the manufactured star. Petersen's prose is engaging and illuminating, and Romy Nordlinger's assertive narration is perfect.
VERDICT This insightful, well-written analysis is highly recommended for anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood. ["Most material is now familiar, but the writing is brisk and lively," read the review of the Plume hc, LJ 9/15/14.]
Reviewed by Phillip Oliver, Univ. of North Alabama Lib., Florence , Jan 01, 2015
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