Scandals of Classic Hollywood
Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema

Scandals of Classic Hollywood is about movie star scandals, obviously, but also shows the development of Hollywood and how public and private forces place tremendous pressure on the stars of film. I think it's extraordinary than anyone in the business can be normal at all considering what they go th......more

I received an advanced uncorrected proof of this book from the publisher. The title intrigued me and I was expecting a juicy tell-all in the manner of "Hollywood Babylon." This book, however, was written by a woman who got a Ph.D. in "the history of the gossip industry" (?). So the book, while lavis......more

Scandal is incidental to this book. It's really a sociological examination - albeit a lively one - of how the Hollywood press and publicity departments of the early-to-mid 20th century operated within the larger culture. The book avoids grand pronouncements, but this reader couldn't help but draw on......more

In my other life, I am a film scholar in the making. I am (slowly!) writing a postgraduate thesis on stardom and classical Hollywood. I was familiar with Anne Helen Petersen from her column Scandals of Classic Hollywood on the Hairpin and her blog Celebrity Gossip Academic Style (which now appears t......more

I have been a huge fan of Anne Helen Petersen's column "Scandals of Classic Hollywood" for The Hairpin. It was funny, juicy, and beautifully illustrated by images of the stars. When I heard about her book deal, I was extremely excited. Unlike many blog-to-books, SCANDALS OF CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD is 100%......more