Jeanine Basinger’s The Star Machine discusses the methods that studios used to make actors or actresses “stars” in the heyday of the Hollywood studio system. Basigner first discusses the way the machine was supposed to work, then examines how it sometimes failed to do so, and finally traces its effect through into modern filmmaking.
I had this book recommended to me by a friend, and wasn’t surprised to find it informative. I was surprised to find it so entertaining at the same time. Basinger has an easy, conversational style that was pleasant to read. Her tone is frank without being overly chummy, and she isn’t afraid to interject an opinion here and there while making it clear that it’s just that; her opinion.
She has also clearly done a pile of homework to compile this book. It includes several semi-biographies, including Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, Lana Turner, Charles Boyer, and many others. In a book of this type, some of the pleasure comes from encountering films one already knows and loves, and some comes from the descriptions of films you have yet to see but that sound intriguing.
This is not to suggest, however, that The Star Machine is a laundry list of films that support the author’s point. Instead, she carefully traces the development of a star persona through a given star’s career, citing outside influences, studio attempts to find an actor’s type, and clashes between the star and their home studio. In doing so, she also illustrates the type of life led by movie stars of the 1940s and 50s. Basinger also shows how the “star machine” influenced the final product – the films we can still see today.
One nice thing about the book is that it reads well cover to cover, but would also work taken in chapters out of context. She isn’t repetitive, per se, but is careful to lightly remind you of pertinent facts that may have come up in previous chapters, if need be. Basigner also chooses her topics well, and I was just as interested reading about stars I knew almost nothing about (Irene Dunne) as those I was fond of (Frederick March).
Basinger has also written a book called Silent Stars, and if The Star Machine is anything to go by, I should certainly add it to my “to read” list. It’s clear that Basigner loves film, and it shows in her writing. At the same time, she’s willing to be candid about occasionally painful topics without veering into melodrama.
Overall, The Star Machine was fun, educational, and a solid read. Highly recommended.
The Exploding Macguffin 