Each month, in addition to our concurrent film reviews, Visual Film Diary hosts a featured theme in which we delve into specific tales from film history, including profiles of the actors who helped establish the idea of celebrity during and after the Hollywood studio system. For last month's theme, Evil Women, click the link in the top left hand corner.
In June we chronicled the lives of five women of the Silent Film era who helped define the idea of a vamp- Theda Bara, Valeska Suratt, Louise Glaum, Musidora, and Pola Negri. This month we will be focusing on five men who, during this same period, became kings of the new Hollywood scene. Some of these men are still worshipped for their contributions to cinema today; others have fallen into relative obscurity, or have at least lost the magnitude of their celebrity. Some lived long and fruitful lives; others faced tragic demises that became the stuff of legend. Some were great comedy stars; others created and defined the melodrama. Some became unequivocally adored and lusted after; others retained an image of neutered innocence. Regardless of their personal quirks, each of these men helped to define the idea of modern celebrity and left marks on film history that are still visible today.
Join us this month for our July theme: The Silent Type.
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