501 Movie Stars

by Steven Jay Schneider (Editor)

Presents brief biographies of notable movie stars, from John Barrymore and Mary Pickford to George Clooney and Jodie Foster, and lists their most important films.

Genres: Film, Media Tie In, Nonfiction, Biography

640 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Steven Jay Schneider is a film critic, scholar, and producer with M.A. degrees in Philosophy from Harvard University and in Cinema Studies from New York University. He is the author and editor of numerous books on world cinema, most notably in the horror genre. They include Eurohorror, The Cinema of Wes Craven: An Auteur on Elm Street, Designing Fear: An Aesthetics of Cinematic Horror, Killing in Style: Artistic Murder in the Movies, Understanding Film Genres, and Traditions in World Cinema. He is also a consultant for film, television, and home video/DVD production companies, a curator for world horror film programs, and a staff member in development for Paramount Pictures. Among his recent titles are 501 Movie Stars and 501 Movie Directors, both available in North America from Barron's. Two additional titles from Barron's are scheduled for publication in Spring 09. They are 101 Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die and 101 Sci-Fi Movies You Must See Before You Die.

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a real pointless stupid book and in case you're thinking well how come you bought it if you're so smart Mr Smart Reviewer well I bought it for my dear mother because she likes this kind of crap but after a couple of years I inherited it and here it is. It's gotta go to Oxfam.

This book includes people who are only kind of stars if you squint your eyes and tilt your head to the left. God bless Kathy Bates and all who sail in her but she's not a star, and Joe Dallesandro may have been hugely amusing in those trashy Warhol pix in the 70s but I think you would have zero name recognition there. Again, Judy Davis (see Husbands and Wives) is a delightfully prickly screen presence in a few notable movies, but a star? Mais non.

So actually, this is 201 Movie Stars and 300 Other Actors I, Steven Jay Schneider, and my willing helpers, happen to like. E.g on Page 499 we encounter Divine (born Glen Milstead) - I mean, guys, you're pulling my plonker.



But heck, with list books like this you can always get some fun out of them. It's fascinating to check out the ups and downs of some actors you once thought would light up the screen but didn't - Jennifer Jason Leigh, Halle Berry - and some who became unaccountably huge - the ineluctable modality of Julia Roberts and the apparent acceptability of Ben Stiller have that nails-on-a-blackboard thing going for me. But you pays your money and you takes your choice. I choose Alicia Silverstone in Clueless and Jean-Pierre Leaud in Baisers Voles. I don't expect you agree.




One that got away.

[Anton Klink · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good refresher for the movie buff and a nice overview of some of the greatest movie actors of the past 100 years, but some of the omissions are quite glaring and some inclusions more than questionable. I realize that this will always be the case with such compilatuions (top 100 this, best 500 that etc), but I really think the authors could have done an even better job.

[Stephanie Harney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an old book that I stashed away and never got to reading until now (2022), so the bios only go as far as actors born in the 1970’s and list the actors’ works up until the early 2000’s (hence not a comprehensive list up through current times) but I learned a lot from the 1-page mini-bios and made easy references for movies I’d like to see that I’ve never seen. Learned some interesting actors’ life stories that I hadn’t heard before as well. I found myself googling on multiple occasions to learn more. Fun experience.

[Jeff Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy what a ride this book was ! A virtual who's who of great actors that takes you through a varied and exciting ride through the history of Cinema. From Silent pioneers like Charlie Chaplin, Theda Bara, Mary Pickford & Douglas Fairbanks to greats of Golden Hollywood like Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Bette Davis & Greta Garbo to 50s icons like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando & James Dean to countercultural greats like Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Julie Christie & Dennis Hopper to current superstars like Robert DeNiro, Johnny Depp, Drew Barrymore & Natalie Portman there is no lack of Hollywood greats. Plus plenty of coverage of performers from plenty of international film scenes. Certainly there are quibbles. Why didn't Jean Harlow warrant one of the larger sections given to the more iconic performers ? Wasn't the praise lavished on Meryl Streep a little over the top to the point of deifying her ? Plus there were lots of notable omissions and the book seemed rushed towards the end as if the author had overstuffed the book so much in the beginning that he began leaving off newer performers left and right. Still quibbles aside the book is a great read. Nice layout, clear enjoyable format, fantastic photos (one of the most notable stunners IMO was one of a young beautiful Tallulah Bankhead with a facial expression so sensual it could've set the page on fire !) & great facts make this a good reference for anyone who wants to learn more about our cinematic greats.

[Sweet Sacrifice Forbidden Moonlight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stay in USA for lean about English. My host family, she knew I like Johnny Depp. She try to make motivation for me.She borrow some book about Johnny Depp for I prove my English. And I like this book, like Johnny Depp.Ha ha

[Bagger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but sweet summaries about actors lives, starts with years of birth and works up. Not a deep read, but fun for any one who doesn't know to much about hollywood and the stars of past and present glory