Acting Hollywood Style

by Foster Hirsch

A fresh exploration of the art of screen acting as it has developed in Hollywood films for close to seven decades. Noted theater and film critic Hirsch has gathered rare photographs that show actors, from Rudolph Valentino to Meryl Streep, who embody aspects of the Hollywood Style--a unique blend of personality, acting ability, and sheer "star power". 262 photographs, 50 in full color. Index; bibliography.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Seth Kenlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Professor Hirsch provides insight and critique for the stuff we all love (or not) on screen. He really knows his cinema, and successfully voices what many of us feel when seeing things on screen without really knowing why we do. If you're interested in filmmaking, you'll want to read this, just so you understand the tricks of the trade, historically anyway. But it's all applicable even now, given that the actors we use are still, after all, humans acting for humans.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great pictures, and smart captions, but after a fairly good first chapter, the text stops being compelling. If you know about the actors discussed, the book isn't very illuminating; it might be more compelling to those seeking an introduction to the major Hollywood stars and their styles.