About this item
Highlights
- Drawing on historical documents and newspaper reports, this book provides a fascinating portrait of a diverse group of character actresses who left their stamp on Hollywood from the early sound era through the 1960s.
- About the Author: Axel Nissen is a professor of American literature in the Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages at the University of Oslo in Norway.
- 288 Pages
- Performing Arts, Film
Description
About the Book
"Drawing on historical documents and newspaper reports, this book provides a fascinating group portrait of a diverse group of character actresses who left their stamp on Hollywood from the early sound era through the 1960s. The lives of 35 actresses are explored in detail. Some are familiar. Others are nearly forgotten"--Book Synopsis
Drawing on historical documents and newspaper reports, this book provides a fascinating portrait of a diverse group of character actresses who left their stamp on Hollywood from the early sound era through the 1960s. The lives of 35 actresses are explored in detail. Some are familiar: Margaret Hamilton starred in dozens of films before and after her signature role as the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz; Una Merkel nearly died when her mother committed suicide in 1945. Others are nearly forgotten: Maude Eburne owed her career to a spectacular fall on the Broadway stage in 1914; Greta Meyer, who played the quintessential German maid, came to Hollywood after years in New York's Yiddish theater--though she wasn't Jewish.
Review Quotes
"a must for film buffs...a lot of insight and fascinating info about each of these classic movie actresses"-jlneibaur-writer; "exhaustively researched...after reading this book you'll enjoy the performances all the more, thanks to Nissen's incredible insights"-Pop Culture Classics.
About the Author
Axel Nissen is a professor of American literature in the Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages at the University of Oslo in Norway.