Till the first star shook in the air -- Life begins -- Teach me, and set my feet on the way -- The river of stars is rolling -- No one has ever known her alive -- Once in a lifetime -- At once they circled her round -- Reward unlimited -- Gold digging -- Seeds of freedom -- One way passage -- The world changes -- We fight it round by round -- Ah wilderness -- Set my feet on the way.
Summary:
"In 1934, Variety magazine published an article about the film industry's trend away from the helpless female characters of the silent era, saying, "That's what people like now-women who are down to earth-an Aline MacMahon, who knows what it's about." New Movie Magazine included MacMahon on its list of ten best new stars of 1933, alongside Katharine Hepburn, Paul Muni, and Dick Powell, and the Los Angeles Times named her one of the three best actresses in the country. Critics and fans universally praised her performances, describing them as "natural," "honest," and "intelligent." MacMahon brought a new style of acting to Hollywood, a style she had learned as a member of New York's American Laboratory Theater, where actors studied Konstantin Stanislavsky's dramatic approach that came to be known as the Method. In Aline MacMahon, John Stangeland offers an insightful account of this influential actress and provides an in-depth look at the art and politics of golden age Hollywood. As a child, McMahon raked in adult earnings performing at local events and even had a weekly gig at Wanamaker's Manhattan department store entertaining children while their parents shopped. Hollywood director Mervyn LeRoy saw her on Broadway, convinced her to come to Los Angeles, and directed her in Five Star Final, a hit with Edward G. Robinson for which she received rave reviews. Her naturalism, in which she played characters rather than emoting for the camera, provided a striking contrast to the traditional declarative style ubiquitous in Hollywood. MacMahon appeared in countless films during the 1930s and 40s, including the early noir Heat Lightning, the western Silver Dollar, and the smash hit Golddiggers of 1933. Hollywood praised her versatility but struggled to find vehicles for her, and it became commonplace for reviewers to state that the hugely talented actress provided the only bright spot in an otherwise pedestrian film. She became typecast in comedic roles as a long-suffering, middle-aged wife or secretary with an acerbic wit. Although she shone in these performances-and managed to earn a high salary during the Depression-she longed to stretch herself creatively in more imaginative, diverse dramatic roles. Also contributing to her casting woes were her own contradictory feelings about the film industry. She loved acting in movies, saying that "the tiniest emotion can be caught on camera," but she found Hollywood to be juvenile and vulgar. She insisted that her studio contract guarantee her several months off every year so she could travel and live away from Los Angeles. Her interest in leftist politics kept her under FBI covert surveillance for many years, even though she was never a Communist Party member and had proved her patriotism supporting the war effort in World War II. In 1950, film, radio, and television producers received a booklet titled Red Channels, which listed the names of one hundred and fifty-one actors, writers, and directors denounced as communists or sympathizers, including Aline MacMahon. Blacklisted, she barely worked on stage or screen during the 1950s. MacMahon, who introduced the Method style to Hollywood audiences, has not received the credit she deserves. Fans and critics loved the smart, natural women she portrayed, but Hollywood's studio bosses wouldn't take a chance on casting this unusual woman in leading roles. This is the only biography of the groundbreaking actress who took on Hollywood on her own terms and helped pave the way for a revolution in cinema"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.