Cinematic Representations of Women in Modern Celebrity Culture, 1900-1950

The purpose of this edited volume is to explore the contributions of women to European, Mexican, American and Indian film industries during the years 1900 to 1950, an important period that signified the rise and consolidation of media technologies. Their pioneering work as film stars, writers, directors, designers and producers as well as their endeavors to bridge the gap between the avant-garde and mass culture are significant aspects of this collection. This intersection will be carefully nuanced through their cinematographic production, performances and artistic creations. Other distinctive features pertain to the interconnection of gender roles and moral values with ways of looking, which paves the way for realigning social and aesthetic conventions of femininity. Based on this thematic and diverse sociocultural context, this study has an international scope, their main audiences being scholars and graduate students that pursue to advance interdisciplinary research in the field of feminist theory, film, gender, media and avant-garde studies. Likewise, historians, art and literature specialists will find the content appealing to the degree that intermedial and cross-cultural approaches are presented.

About the Author

María Cristina C. Mabrey is a retired Full Professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures which includes foreign languages and Comparative Literature, and also affiliate faculty in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, at the University of South Carolina.

Leticia Pérez Alonso is Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Modern Foreign Languages and Speech Communication at Jackson State University, and a past Fulbright and DAAD scholar.