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163 reviews for:
Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema
Anne Helen Petersen
3.53 AVERAGE
163 reviews for:
Scandals of Classic Hollywood: Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema
Anne Helen Petersen
3.53 AVERAGE
I'll do a full review later, but for now I'll just say that evelyn nesbit's lover did not kill her husband. I believe the story goes that her husband killed a man who was her benefactor from her career as a very young stage actress, and who purportedly drugged and sexually assaulted her during that time. It bothered me that this error made it to print, so I don't really know what to take away as factual.
Scandals of Classic Hollywood by Ann Helen Peterson is a 2014 Plume publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
As I began reading this book it struck me that one of the worst scandals portrayed here was the Fatty Arbuckle scandal which occurred in the silent film era. This the story the author started out with. The more I read the more I had to remind myself that back in the 20's , 30's, 40's and 50's these Hollywood icons were indeed committing huge scandals by having extramarital affairs, abortions, multiple marriages and divorces and drug use. Before the 1960's Hollywood played up the glamor and insisted on morality clauses. What was not common knowledge was how very powerful the studios were . MGM was quite successful at covering up some really big scandals and were also instrumental in the complete meltdowns of some of it's biggest and most loved stars. These stories are all very familiar but the author did an admirable job of telling these stories in such a way that they seemed fresh.
Many of these stories are just plain sad. Dorothy Dandridge and Judy Garland both died in the their forties of drug overdoses. Both were victims of the system , of the powerful studios and the men in their lives.
The gossip columnist were also willing to play along with the studios in a tit for tat way. They would go along with whatever story the studios came up with or would look the other way if they were tossed juicy information in return. The studios had their own physicians who covered up things or helped to enable addictions or arranged abortions. In one instance they even convinced an employee to take the blame for an actor's crime, including jail time!
I think the main problem with a book like this being published now is that most of us are so jaded by the antics of today's celebrities, these scandals are not even scandals. They seem rather tame in most instances and so I am not sure how fascinating these stories will be for some. I did find myself looking up YouTube videos of Mae West, and Jean Harlow and was interested in some of the historical information on these ladies who were way ahead of their time.
Hollywood was no different really in those days, it was just handled better and differently so that the image was kept in tact. These days scandal sells and celebrities seem to almost embrace it. I have on occasion mourned the old Hollywood glamor and the false face celebrities put forward leading the naïve public to believe the actors and actresses were living upstanding and moral lives and were genuine and humble. The illusion created was amazing when you think about it. Even when stars behaved badly the way it was spun for the public kept the star's image in tact and although one's neighbor was divorced and now shunned because of it, it was OK for Clark Gable to marry and divorce or Humphrey Bogart to divorce and then marry a much younger woman.
One thing though remained a huge secret and that was homosexuality. Many stars during these years were open within the Hollywood circle while others never admitted to anything. If the truth had ever come out that really would have been a scandal in those days, since many were sex symbols. Again, the studios were on top of it even though there were a few close calls.
Again, by today's standards most of the stories here are not shocking or a scandal or controversial. If I had not heard most of these stories so many times before the history alone would have been interesting reading. For me personally I found the book to be more or less a rehash of common and well known facts about the celebrities featured. The book did have me thinking about some of these stars for the first time in a long while and I think I will spend a little time looking up their old movies and enjoying their performances on screen, so although I didn't really learn anything new from reading this book, it did spark a renewed interest in the movies and stars of the years prior to the drastic changes that took place in the 1960's
For those who are not familiar with this era, this would be a great book to start with. You might find it interesting to compare those days to the times we live in now. Actresses were still required to “reduce” and race is still an issue for those looking for mainstream roles. While major strides have been taken in the right direction over the years, there are still old Hollywood standards that remain alive and well.
Over all this one is 3 stars.
As I began reading this book it struck me that one of the worst scandals portrayed here was the Fatty Arbuckle scandal which occurred in the silent film era. This the story the author started out with. The more I read the more I had to remind myself that back in the 20's , 30's, 40's and 50's these Hollywood icons were indeed committing huge scandals by having extramarital affairs, abortions, multiple marriages and divorces and drug use. Before the 1960's Hollywood played up the glamor and insisted on morality clauses. What was not common knowledge was how very powerful the studios were . MGM was quite successful at covering up some really big scandals and were also instrumental in the complete meltdowns of some of it's biggest and most loved stars. These stories are all very familiar but the author did an admirable job of telling these stories in such a way that they seemed fresh.
Many of these stories are just plain sad. Dorothy Dandridge and Judy Garland both died in the their forties of drug overdoses. Both were victims of the system , of the powerful studios and the men in their lives.
The gossip columnist were also willing to play along with the studios in a tit for tat way. They would go along with whatever story the studios came up with or would look the other way if they were tossed juicy information in return. The studios had their own physicians who covered up things or helped to enable addictions or arranged abortions. In one instance they even convinced an employee to take the blame for an actor's crime, including jail time!
I think the main problem with a book like this being published now is that most of us are so jaded by the antics of today's celebrities, these scandals are not even scandals. They seem rather tame in most instances and so I am not sure how fascinating these stories will be for some. I did find myself looking up YouTube videos of Mae West, and Jean Harlow and was interested in some of the historical information on these ladies who were way ahead of their time.
Hollywood was no different really in those days, it was just handled better and differently so that the image was kept in tact. These days scandal sells and celebrities seem to almost embrace it. I have on occasion mourned the old Hollywood glamor and the false face celebrities put forward leading the naïve public to believe the actors and actresses were living upstanding and moral lives and were genuine and humble. The illusion created was amazing when you think about it. Even when stars behaved badly the way it was spun for the public kept the star's image in tact and although one's neighbor was divorced and now shunned because of it, it was OK for Clark Gable to marry and divorce or Humphrey Bogart to divorce and then marry a much younger woman.
One thing though remained a huge secret and that was homosexuality. Many stars during these years were open within the Hollywood circle while others never admitted to anything. If the truth had ever come out that really would have been a scandal in those days, since many were sex symbols. Again, the studios were on top of it even though there were a few close calls.
Again, by today's standards most of the stories here are not shocking or a scandal or controversial. If I had not heard most of these stories so many times before the history alone would have been interesting reading. For me personally I found the book to be more or less a rehash of common and well known facts about the celebrities featured. The book did have me thinking about some of these stars for the first time in a long while and I think I will spend a little time looking up their old movies and enjoying their performances on screen, so although I didn't really learn anything new from reading this book, it did spark a renewed interest in the movies and stars of the years prior to the drastic changes that took place in the 1960's
For those who are not familiar with this era, this would be a great book to start with. You might find it interesting to compare those days to the times we live in now. Actresses were still required to “reduce” and race is still an issue for those looking for mainstream roles. While major strides have been taken in the right direction over the years, there are still old Hollywood standards that remain alive and well.
Over all this one is 3 stars.
“we love to think of stardom as both pleasure and pain; its participants reap its riches but must also pay for their transgressions.”
do you ever just want to curl up and cry because the world is awful and hollywood sucks? yeah that’s me after reading this, thanks anne helen
do you ever just want to curl up and cry because the world is awful and hollywood sucks? yeah that’s me after reading this, thanks anne helen
An interesting read, perfect for those, like myself, who feel that they don’t know enough about old Hollywood (and love some light analysis with their gossip). It gives some insight into how the old studios worked, with some hints at how things haven’t largely changed only on the surface. It was a good starting place, but if you already know the basics, it might not be anything new.
Also, fun to know where Anne Helen Petersen got her start in celebrity analysis. Definitely check her out if that sounds like your kind of thing.
Also, fun to know where Anne Helen Petersen got her start in celebrity analysis. Definitely check her out if that sounds like your kind of thing.
informative
fast-paced
Once again, Anne Helen Petersen has written a book that I wish I'd written myself, and one I can only hope to emulate.
Having devoured and adored her exploration on unruly women in modern popular culture, this book takes us way back to Classic Hollywood, starting with the original stars of the silent movies to the thriving young men that changed the outlook of the film industry with one well-placed stare. Covering everyone from Pickford to Brando, Petersen examines some of Hollywood's most explosive scandals- some that we would consider tame compared to the work of today. Even as a film student- and an aspiring academic writer in the star study area- I didn't know of a number of the stars involved, but I feel as though this book has given me a frank education in the tumultuous world of Hollywood.
There are tabs all over the book, but the most are in the chapter about Judy Garland, a fascinating figure who deserves whole books dedicated to her star persona, it is just that complex. Petersen writes frankly and with a careful bridge between scholarly and popular-culture-esque to create a book that both educates and makes you feel as though you're reading Photoplay in the 1950s.
A brilliant book about some of the most prolific Hollywood stars. I can't wait to see what else Petersen writes.
Having devoured and adored her exploration on unruly women in modern popular culture, this book takes us way back to Classic Hollywood, starting with the original stars of the silent movies to the thriving young men that changed the outlook of the film industry with one well-placed stare. Covering everyone from Pickford to Brando, Petersen examines some of Hollywood's most explosive scandals- some that we would consider tame compared to the work of today. Even as a film student- and an aspiring academic writer in the star study area- I didn't know of a number of the stars involved, but I feel as though this book has given me a frank education in the tumultuous world of Hollywood.
There are tabs all over the book, but the most are in the chapter about Judy Garland, a fascinating figure who deserves whole books dedicated to her star persona, it is just that complex. Petersen writes frankly and with a careful bridge between scholarly and popular-culture-esque to create a book that both educates and makes you feel as though you're reading Photoplay in the 1950s.
A brilliant book about some of the most prolific Hollywood stars. I can't wait to see what else Petersen writes.
SO GOOD. I first fell in love with Anne Helen Petersen's writing when I stumbled upon her Scandals of Classic Hollywood columns at The Hairpin, and I've been hooked ever since. While this book does lack some of her normal off-the-cuff humor and the extra pictures that an internet based article contains, it has so much of the great celebrity know-how and insight that she brings to her work. Learning about how the Hollywood system molded and twisted celebrity to fit their needs is eye-opening and stomach-turning. You won't be able to look at some of these people the same way knowing how much their lives were toyed with, and how little say they had in their own choices. But it's fascinating how Petersen compares these classic stars with those of today, and gives more depth to how we ourselves interact with celebrities from both time periods. In a way, it's our own curiosity about these stars that enables the corrupt system in the first place. We want to know what they're really like, and if they falter in the portrayals that we believe them to live, then we tear them down.
This is a great book for anyone who would like some straightforward, sourced information about the era and a further understanding in how celebrity culture has and continues to work. And if you like this book, definitely check out Petersen's columns at The Hairpin or her work at Buzzfeed; you won't be disappointed.
This is a great book for anyone who would like some straightforward, sourced information about the era and a further understanding in how celebrity culture has and continues to work. And if you like this book, definitely check out Petersen's columns at The Hairpin or her work at Buzzfeed; you won't be disappointed.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Nothing too scandalous. I felt like I was reading a textbook for a history and film class.