The Star Machine

The Star Machine by Jeanine Basinger tells the story of how Hollywood movie studios produced stars from the 1930s through the 1950s by running them through a machine of sorts. Stars were assigned a type: star, character, or supporting, and then placed in movies that fit their type. Names were changed, teeth capped, hair cut, bodies shaped, biographies written, articles planted in the papers, and stars were born. I cannot gush enough about this book. Basinger fills it with over 200 photos of the stars that capture the era with their soft lighting and fabulous fashions. She picks specific stars and follows their journey through the star machine to show how it succeeded and how it just as often failed. She also uses stories of stars who broke the mold and made the machine unnecessary. The book feels decadent, like a box of good chocolate or fluffy slippers. But the way Basinger talks about movies is anything but fluffy. She's the chair of film studies at Wesleyan University, and reading the way she describes films, I would absolutely pay money to hear her teach a class on the subject. She gives even the flimsy, frothy comedies of the 1930s depth by discussing how a character is developed before they even walk onscreen. This is a book that demands a class or TV special filled with clips. I discovered stars I'd never heard of and fell back in love with long time favorites. My too see list has expanded exponentially.Two small notes: Johnny Depp's singing was dubbed in CryBaby, but he's proven he can sing since in Sweeney Todd. And, why the hatred toward Abbot and Costello? They are two of my family's favorites! Those points aside, if you are a fan of old movies, this is a must read. Charmingly written with insight and witty asides, Basinger's love for film shines on every page.

In the 1930s and 40s, the U.S. movie industry pumped out hundreds of titles annually - an efficient factory serving the needs of millions of people requiring diversion from the trauma of depression and then war. The evaluation of this system forms the basis of Ms Basinger's interesting and very readable book. To create the end product, the studio system needed inputs of every kind, most particularly the actors that would "sell" the product to the public. One of the theses the book makes is that the studios could not just foist anyone on an audience and expect that person to be a star, but rather spent a great deal of time identifying who would connect with the audience and making sure that they were cast in vehicles that would initiate and then sustain that connection. To that end, studios would also create false names, embellish biographies, plant stories in a compliant press, and "spin" events (divorce, criminal charges, etc) that were inconsistent with that actor's image. Though movie stardom during this time is portrayed as very glamourous, actors worked long hours and were narrowly cast by the studios in the way that didn't always permit career growth. Once an actor achieved star status, they signed long term contracts and when the public tired of them, or they got older (particularly women), or were too troublesome, they were unceremoniously replaced by others groomed to take their place. Once this happened, without the system to sustain him or her, the actor would often fade into obscurity. (We are lucky that the Internet and DVDs give us an opportunity to once again appreciate these forgotten actors' performances.) In terms of the structure of the book, Ms Basinger first reviews how the system worked, and then she looks at the careers of various actors in terms of how they coped (or failed to cope) with the demands that the system made. She spends some time looking at how the star system evolved with the coming of WWII, and ends by contrasting the stars of today with those of what some call the `golden age of Hollywood'. There is also some space dedicated to individuals who functioned as "character actors" and "supporting players" (and there was a difference). Those that want to develop an understanding of how the movie business functioned in its heyday will find this book very rewarding. If you also like movies, you'll appreciate it all the more.

Basinger is a master at maintaining an excellent pace on what could have been a very tedious subject in lesser hands. Her grasp of an era now long gone is remarkable. She brings to vivid life the sturcture of the studios and how they manufactured their "products." And in some cases how they simply allowed the "product" to dictate its own existence. It has been years since I've read such a fascinating book on the movie industry.

a tight book that covers 1930's through 1960's era Hollywood. the thing about this Book is that it uncovers how the Hollywood system creates personalitys, names and re-invents alot of the Stars of Yesteryear. this Book drops alot of interesting tidbits and how and why certain actress and actors careers turned out how they did. Hollywood has always been the land of selling make believe and this Book un-masks that and so much more. very compelling read and book.

The cover of Basinger's book The Star Machine is gorgeous; it is iconic in its expression of the Golden Age of Hollywood when Tyrone Power and Loretta Young were two of its most beautiful and talented stars. Too often Miss Young is ignored when the great stars are mentioned. Basinger's chapter on Loretta correctly describes Young's longevity, from the silent movies, to the talkies and finally as a pioneer in TV, with her legendary program, The Loretta Young Show. There are not many movies stars who were lucky enough to enjoy such a long career. The only female star I can think of is K. Hepburn. And why did she survive? She was a figher, ahead of her time, and without doubt one of the most beautiful women ever to appear on the silver screen. Again, back to the cover: it's one by Hurrell, and it says it all about Holywood in the 1930's. Ty Power's carrer took off after making three pictures with Loretta, both of them exqusitely beautiful. You don't see stars like that any more. Thank goodness we still have their movies.