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Title details for Stuntwomen by Mollie Gregory - Available

Stuntwomen

The Untold Hollywood Story

by Mollie Gregory
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"Gives voice to the women who have risked their lives for a few (perilous) moments on the big screen. A fascinating look at a risky profession." —The Washington Post
They've traded punches in knockdown brawls, crashed biplanes through barns, and raced to the rescue in fast cars. They add suspense and drama to the story, portraying the swimmer stalked by the menacing shark, the heroine dangling twenty feet below a soaring hot air balloon, or the woman leaping nine feet over a wall to escape a dog attack. Only an expert can make such feats of daring look easy, and stuntwomen with the skills to perform—and survive—great moments of action in movies have been hitting their mark in Hollywood since the beginning of film.
Here, Mollie Gregory presents the first history of stuntwomen in the film industry from the silent era to the twenty-first century. In the early years of motion pictures, women were highly involved in all aspects of film production, but they were marginalized as movies became popular, and more important, profitable. Capable stuntwomen were replaced by men in wigs, and very few worked between the 1930s and 1960s. As late as the 1990s, men wore wigs and women's clothes to double as actresses, and were even "painted down" for some performances, while men and women of color were regularly denied stunt work.
For decades, stuntwomen have faced institutional discrimination, unequal pay, and sexual harassment even as they jumped from speeding trains and raced horse-drawn carriages away from burning buildings. Featuring sixty-five interviews, Stuntwomen showcases the absorbing stories and uncommon courage of women who make their living planning and performing action-packed sequences that keep viewers' hearts racing.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Screen Classics

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 29, 2021

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780813166230
      • File size: 5375 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780813166230
      • File size: 5934 KB

    • Open EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780813166230
      • File size: 5375 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      September 15, 2015

      Gregory, a documentary filmmaker and former president of Women in Film, sheds light on a previously untold area of women's history: the highlights and dark side of the film industry, with a variety of historical background and 65 interviews of stuntwomen. Interwoven throughout are accounts of those who began working in the 1930s to stories of modern-day workers. Gregory paints a vivid portrait of discrimination, unequal pay, and sexual harassment, beginning with a historical analysis of the early days of the movie business that works its way up to current relations. The bravery of these backstage stars is highlighted through tales of unsafe stunt environments and documentation of what one had to do to earn a place in the business. Relating stories of adventure, excitement, and frustration, Gregory successfully explicates more than gender discrimination and evokes conversations surrounding feminism and race. VERDICT History buffs, gender activists, and film aficionados will enjoy this daring work as well as Gregory's Women Who Run the Show.--Marian Mays, Butte-Silver Bow P.L., MT

      Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook
  • Open EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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