Damsels and divas : European stardom in silent Hollywood
Agata Frymus (Author)
"Damsels and Divas investigates the meanings of Europeanness in Hollywood during the 1920s by charting professional trajectories of three movie stars: Pola Negri, Vilma Bánky and Jetta Goudal. It combines the investigation of American fan magazines with the analysis of studio documents, and the examination of the narratives of their films, to develop a thorough understanding of the ways in which Negri, Bánky and Goudal were understood within the realm of their contemporary American culture. This discussion places their star personae in the context of whiteness, femininity and Americanization. Every age has its heroines, and they reveal a lot about prevailing attitudes towards women in their respective eras. In the United States, where the stories of rags-to-riches were especially potent, stars could offer models of successful cultural integration"-- Provided by publisher
eBook, English, 2020
Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 2020
Biography
1 online resource (vii, 232 pages)
9781978806108, 9781978806122, 9781978806115, 1978806108, 1978806124, 1978806116
1141255638
Introduction
Pola Negri and Romance: 'Ah love! It's not for me.'
Pola Negri as The Vamp: 'Temptatious Pola assailed picture citadel by storm.'
Vilma Bánky and Whiteness: 'The almost perfect Anglo-Saxon type, more English than the English.'
Vilma Bánky as The Leading Lady: 'Bedecked in flowing gowns (...) and layers of pearls and jewels.'
Vilma Bánky and Marriage: 'My mother brought me up to be a wife.'
Jetta Goudal and Exoticism: 'She looks like a beautiful Cossack. She looks like an Oriental princess.'
Jetta Goudal and Mystery: 'A riddle in the city of eager autobiographies.'
Jetta Goudal and Temperament: 'The most temperamental actress.'
Conclusion