Female stars of British cinema : : the women in question / / Melanie Williams.

• VerfasserIn: Williams, Melanie, 1974-
• Place / Publishing House: Edinburgh : : Edinburgh University Press,, [2017]; Ã2017
• Year of Publication: 2017
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (249 pages) :; illustrations

Although stardom and celebrity have sometimes been seen as antithetical to traditional British notions of restraint and modesty, female stars have nenetheless always been an important attraction for audiences of British cinema, offering specifically British takes on ideas of glamour, acting prowess and femininity. This book will explore in detail the history of British female stardom from the 1940's to the present day through an examination of careers and star personae, from Anna Neagle, who enjoyed record-breaking popularity in the immediate post-war years, to key contemporary figures such as Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren. This is a major new study of stardom in British cinema and the first to focus on female stars.

Table of Contents

Introduction: questions of female stardom in British cinema -- 'A girl appears in camiknickers': Jean Kent's austerity stardom -- 'Blonde glamour machine': Diana Dors in the 1950s and beyond -- British new waif: Rita Tushingham and sixties female stardom -- 'A constant threat': Glenda Jackson and the challenges of seventies stardom -- 'From schoolgirl to stardom': the discovery and development of Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Lloyd in the 1980s and 1990s -- National treasure: Judi Dench and older female stardom in the 2000s -- Conclusion: the unbearable whiteness of being (a female British star).