Mean...Moody...Magnificent!

Mean...Moody...Magnificent!
Author :
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages : 391
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780813181097
ISBN-13 : 0813181097
Rating : 4/5 (97 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Mean...Moody...Magnificent! by : Christina Rice

Download or read book Mean...Moody...Magnificent! written by Christina Rice and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2021-06-15 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the early 1950s, Jane Russell (1921–2011) should have been forgotten. Her career was launched on what is arguably the most notorious advertising campaign in cinema history, which invited filmgoers to see Howard Hughes's The Outlaw (1943) and to "tussle with Russell." Throughout the 1940s, she was nicknamed the "motionless picture actress" and had only three films in theaters. With such a slow, inauspicious start, most aspiring actresses would have given up or faded away. Instead, Russell carved out a place for herself in Hollywood and became a memorable and enduring star. Christina Rice offers the first biography of the actress and activist perhaps most well-known for her role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Despite the fact that her movie career was stalled for nearly a decade, Russell's filmography is respectable. She worked with some of Hollywood's most talented directors—including Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh, Nicholas Ray, and Josef von Sternberg—and held her own alongside costars such as Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum, Clark Gable, Vincent Price, and Bob Hope. She also learned how to fight back against Howard Hughes, her boss for more than thirty-five years, and his marketing campaigns that exploited her physical appearance. Beyond the screen, Rice reveals Russell as a complex and confident woman. She explores the star's years as a spokeswoman for Playtex as well as her deep faith and work as a Christian vocalist. Rice also discusses Russell's leadership and patronage of the WAIF foundation, which for many years served as the fundraising arm of the International Social Service (ISS) agency. WAIF raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, successfully lobbied Congress to change laws, and resulted in the adoption of tens of thousands of orphaned children. For Russell, the work she did to help unite families overshadowed any of her onscreen achievements. On the surface, Jane Russell seemed to live a charmed life, but Rice illuminates her darker moments and her personal struggles, including her empowered reactions to the controversies surrounding her films and her feelings about being portrayed as a sex symbol. This stunning first biography offers a fresh perspective on a star whose legacy endures not simply because she forged a notable film career, but also because she effectively used her celebrity to benefit others.

Mean...Moody...Magnificent!

Mean...Moody...Magnificent!
Author :
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages : 392
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780813181103
ISBN-13 : 0813181100
Rating : 4/5 (03 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Mean...Moody...Magnificent! by : Christina Rice

Download or read book Mean...Moody...Magnificent! written by Christina Rice and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2021-06-15 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By the early 1950s, Jane Russell (1921--2011) should have been forgotten. Her career was launched on what is arguably the most notorious advertising campaign in cinema history, which invited filmgoers to see Howard Hughes's The Outlaw (1943) and to "tussle with Russell." Throughout the 1940s, she was nicknamed the "motionless picture actress" and had only three films in theaters. With such a slow, inauspicious start, most aspiring actresses would have given up or faded away. Instead, Russell carved out a place for herself in Hollywood and became a memorable and enduring star. Christina Rice offers the first biography of the actress and activist perhaps most well-known for her role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Despite the fact that her movie career was stalled for nearly a decade, Russell's filmography is respectable. She worked with some of Hollywood's most talented directors -- including Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh, Nicholas Ray, and Josef von Sternberg -- and held her own alongside costars such as Marilyn Monroe, Robert Mitchum, Clark Gable, Vincent Price, and Bob Hope. She also learned how to fight back against Howard Hughes, her boss for more than thirty-five years, and his marketing campaigns that exploited her physical appearance. Beyond the screen, Rice reveals Russell as a complex and confident woman. She explores the star's years as a spokeswoman for Playtex as well as her deep faith and work as a Christian vocalist. Rice also discusses Russell's leadership and patronage of the WAIF foundation, which for many years served as the fundraising arm of the International Social Service (ISS) agency. WAIF raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, successfully lobbied Congress to change laws, and resulted in the adoption of tens of thousands of orphaned children. For Russell, the work she did to help unite families overshadowed any of her onscreen achievements. On the surface, Jane Russell seemed to live a charmed life, but Rice illuminates her darker moments and her personal struggles, including her empowered reactions to the controversies surrounding her films and her feelings about being portrayed as a sex symbol. This stunning first biography offers a fresh perspective on a star whose legacy endures not simply because she forged a notable film career, but also because she effectively used her celebrity to benefit others.

Ann Dvorak

Ann Dvorak
Author :
Publisher : University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages : 344
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780813144399
ISBN-13 : 0813144396
Rating : 4/5 (99 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Ann Dvorak by : Christina Rice

Download or read book Ann Dvorak written by Christina Rice and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2013-11-14 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The forgotten screen legend who made Hollywood history by challenging the all-powerful studio system is revealed in this first full-length biography. Seemingly destined for A-list fame, Ann Dvorak was touted as “Hollywood’s New Cinderella” after film mogul Howard Hughes cast her in the 1932 gangster film Scarface. But Dvorak’s journey to superstardom was derailed when she walked out on her contractual obligations to Warner Bros. for an extended honeymoon. Ann Dvorak: Hollywood’s Forgotten Rebel explores the life and career of one of the first individuals who dared to challenge the studio system. Dvorak reached her pinnacle during the early 1930s, when the film industry was relatively uncensored and free to produce movies with more daring storylines. She played several female leads in films including The Strange Love of Molly Louvain, Three on a Match, and Heat Lightning, but after her walk-out, Warner Bros retaliated by casting her in less significant roles. Following the casting conflicts and illness, Dvorak filed a lawsuit against the Warner Bros. studio, setting a precedent for other stars who eventually followed suit. In this insightful memoir, Christina Rice explores the spirited rebellion of a talented actress whose promising career fell victim to the studio empire.

Jane Russell

Jane Russell
Author :
Publisher : Franklin Watts
Total Pages : 341
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0531097994
ISBN-13 : 9780531097991
Rating : 4/5 (94 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Jane Russell by : Jane Russell

Download or read book Jane Russell written by Jane Russell and published by Franklin Watts. This book was released on 1985-01-01 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The candid story of Hollywood's popular sex symbol reveals the "girl next door" underneath--marrying her high school sweetheart, founding an international adoption agency--as well as the real truth behind her relationship with Howard Hughes

Film Noir Portraits

Film Noir Portraits
Author :
Publisher : Reel Art Press
Total Pages : 256
Release :
ISBN-10 : 1909526819
ISBN-13 : 9781909526815
Rating : 4/5 (19 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Film Noir Portraits by : Tony Nourmand

Download or read book Film Noir Portraits written by Tony Nourmand and published by Reel Art Press. This book was released on 2021-04-17 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The very best portrait photography of the film-noir era, with previously unpublished images from beloved gems such as The Night of the Hunterand Sweet Smell of Success With its singular focus on the very best portrait photography of the 1940s and 1950s Hollywood film noir era, every page of this coffee-table volume is rich in brooding atmosphere. The portraits gathered here, of actors such as Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Gene Tierney, Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Jack Palance, Joan Crawford and Richard Widmark, were taken by premier studio photographers such as Robert Coburn, Ernest Bachrach and A.L. "Whitey" Schafer. Their remarkable ability to exaggerate the play of shadow and light to dramatic effect is the reason that their work still has the same ability to arrest the viewer as it did in the 1940s. The photographs remain some of the most innovative and striking portraits in the history of cinema. Carefully curated, the photographs are taken from the collection of MPTV, one of the world's most exclusive archives of entertainment photography. The book includes many previously unseen images, including hitherto unpublished outtakes from The Night of the Hunter(1955) and Sweet Smell of Success(1957); and classic moments from films such as Gilda(1946), Double Indemnity(1944), The Lady from Shanghai(1947) and celebrated B-noirs such as Gun Crazy(1950) and The Hitch-Hiker(1953). Reel Art Press' exquisite print quality serves to emphasize the timeless power of the black-and-white studio portraiture.

Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women

Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women
Author :
Publisher : University of Pennsylvania Press
Total Pages : 212
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0812214110
ISBN-13 : 9780812214116
Rating : 4/5 (10 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women by : Jayne Ann Krentz

Download or read book Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women written by Jayne Ann Krentz and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 1992-09 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essays by Sandra Brown, Jayne Ann Krentz, Mary Jo Putney, and other romance writers refute the myths and biases related to the romance genre and its readers.

Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places

Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places
Author :
Publisher : Moody Publishers
Total Pages : 239
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780802493477
ISBN-13 : 0802493475
Rating : 4/5 (77 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places by : Kate McCord

Download or read book Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places written by Kate McCord and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2015-08-14 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Perhaps that’s the greatest reason why He calls us to dangerous places: so that we will know His astonishing, sacrificial, life-restoring love.” Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places is about what is lost and what is gained when we follow God at any cost. Soon after 9/11, Kate McCord left the corporate world and followed God to Afghanistan—sometimes into the reach of death. Alive but not unscathed, she has suffered the loss of many things: comfort, safety, even dear friends and fellow sojourners. But Kate realizes that those who go are not the only ones who suffer. Those who love those who go also suffer. This book is for them, too. Weaving together Scripture, her story, and stories of both those who go and those who send, Kate considers why God calls us to dangerous places and what it means for all involved. It means dependence. It means loss. It means a firmer hold on hope. It can mean death, trauma, and heavy sorrow. But it can also mean joy unimaginable. Through suffering, we come closer to the heart of God. Written with the weight of glory in the shadow of loss, Why God Calls Us to Dangerous Places will inspire Christians to count the cost—and pay it.