What Dreams Were Made Of

Movie Stars of the 1940s

Add to my list

Edited by Sean Griffin

Type

Stories

Subject

On Films > Per period

Keywords

1940s, actors, stars

Publishing date

2011

Publisher

Rutgers University Press

Collection

Star Decades: American Culture/American Cinema

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 268 pages
6 ½ x 9 ¾ inches (16.5 x 25 cm)

ISBN

978-0-8135-4964-4

User Ratings

(0 vote)

X

Average rating:

0	rating	= We can do without
0	rating	= Good book
0	rating	= Excellent book
0	rating	= Unique / a reference

Your rating: -

Book Presentation:
Humphrey Bogart. Abbott and Costello. Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. John Wayne. Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable. Images of these film icons conjure up a unique moment in cinema and history, one of optimism and concern, patriotism and cynicism. What Dreams Were Made Of examines the performers who helped define American cinema in the 1940s, a decade of rapid and repeated upheaval for Hollywood and the United States. Through insightful discussions of key films as well as studio publicity and fan magazines, the essays in this collection analyze how these actors and actresses helped lift spirits during World War II, whether in service comedies, combat films, or escapist musicals. The contributors, all major writers on the stars and movies of this period, also explore how cultural shifts after the war forced many stars to adjust to new outlooks and attitudes, particularly in film noir. Together, they represented the hopes and fears of a nation during turbulent times, enacting on the silver screen the dreams of millions of moviegoers.

About the Author:
Sean Griffin is an associate professor of the division of cinema-television at Southern Methodist University. He has written numerous books including Tinker Belles and Evil Queens, Queer Images, and America on Film, and he has edited a number of anthologies.

See the publisher website: Rutgers University Press