Introduction. What we talk about when we talk about the Method -- Methodists and Method-ists : primordial ideas of methodness -- Acting a foil : John Wayne, Marlon Brando, and the Othering of methodness -- James Dean's story : posthumous reception and methodness memorialized -- History in hysteria : John Garfield and the limits of methodness -- Illogical tomatoes to inscrutable feats : methodness to the present -- Conclusion. Almost an American legend.
Summary:
"From James Dean to Jared Leto, only one acting style has entered the lexicon of the casual moviegoer: "Method acting." In this manuscript, Justin Rawlins offers the first reception-based analysis of acting, investigating how the concept of "the Method" entered popular film discourse and became part of the establishment of a "serious actor" brand--one reserved for white, male actors and yet associated with rebellion and marginalization. Drawing on extensive archival research, Rawlins traces the construction of mainstream understandings of Method acting, using well-known actors and Hollywood figures (e.g., Marlon Brando, Hedda Hopper, and James Dean) while also bringing forgotten names to the fore"-- Provided by publisher.
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