IRB Media Summary of Anne Helen Petersen's Scandals of Classic Hollywood

Annotation

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The moving image first began to circulate in the late nineteenth century, and audiences were fascinated with the technological marvel they saw before them. The stars were the main attraction, and it was difficult to film anything other than a full-length shot.#2 The 1920s were a period of scandal for Hollywood, but it did not sink the industry. Instead, it gave rise to better management techniques. The pattern of scandal and containment has persisted for the past century.#3 Mary Pickford was the biggest star in the world by the end of the 1910s. She was sweet, joyous, and sometimes heartbreaking in her tender pathos. But her off-screen life was far from perfect. She was entrapped in an abusive marriage to fellow silent actor Owen Moore.#4 Douglas Fairbanks was a Hollywood actor who was known for his energy and enthusiasm. He was the boy everyone loved to love, both on-screen and off. His image was rooted in authenticity, but that sense of realness was actually manipulation.