Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era

This is a nice buy. Lots of pictures and information. And the book itself looks good. Happy to have this in my library as I'm a classic hollywood movies fan. I bought an used book from Amazon at very low price. The seller is Dealster, and they are really like a star in this field. They priced it right and the condition of their old books are 'like new' always. I have bought so many used books from them. Many thanks Amazon and dealster.

I have just finished reading the book. Very intresting and good except the letters are very small, so hard to read.

clear, concise, and informative. loved it and it's companion 'leading ladies'i highly recommend this book to any old movie lover

This is definitely a collector’s book, compiled by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) that brings into life some of the most unforgettable leading men during studio era. They thrilled audiences, and the studios capitalized on their looks, and appeal during the golden age of Hollywood. The movie-fans got to see their favorite lead actors and relate personally with them. These men flirted, fought, loved, suffered, sang and danced in movies, and the viewers found joy and forgot their own insecurities in life.Each of these men were unique in style; John Gilbert, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, and Frank Sinatra. All of them wanted to perform well and please the audience. But there were glitches in the early careers of some stars. Some studios had second thoughts about them. A Hollywood executive lamented about employing Fred Astaire: “Can’t act, slightly bald, also dances.” At Warner Brothers Studios, Darryl Zanuck complained about Clark Gable as “his ears are too big, and he looks like an ape.” Now this is all in history, and Hollywood made the best of these men and they became very productive for the film industry.A brief summary of the book is as follows; the work of each actor in this book is narrated with a brief introduction to their movies, behind the scenes stories and a very short bio of about 50 leading men. Some of they are fascinating to read. New demystifying biographies say how strenuously icons like Cary Grant worked to fashion his glistening image as vigilant as any glamour girl. Few stars blazed as brightly or fell as precipitously as John Barrymore. He with his brother Lionel, and his sister Ethel Barrymore constituted “The Royal Family of Broadway” with John clearly the King. He commanded the box office. His role in the movie “Dinner at Eight” was clean reflection of his personal life. Humphrey Bogart was successful before he broke into movies and later became the leader of the Rat Pack, a group of drinking buddies who got together at Mike Romanoff’s Restaurant in Hollywood. Frank Sinatra was just a member and became its leader when Bogie passed away. Charlie Chaplin was well known for his political controversy. He often criticized the government, law-enforcement, and big business. He was disliked during WWII by largely conservative groups. After he returned from England in 1952, he was denied re-entry to the United States, and he retired in Switzerland. Even in 1972, a decision by the Academy to honor him was considered controversial.There are numerous pictures in this book, but all are in black and white. My favorite pictures are; a rare picture of Barrymore brothers with sister Ethel Barrymore; a 1920s picture of Douglas Fairbanks with his son; a 1957 picture of Henry Fonda with daughter Jane and Peter; a 1959 picture of Doris Day and Rock Hudson; a 1920s picture of Rudolph Valentino and a memorable 1926 picture from the film “Son of Sheik.” This is certainly an interesting book to read, and recommended to readers interested in Hollywood history and classic films.

TCM Publication, Leading Men is an outstanding overview of 50 of the greatest leading men of the movies' golden age, 1930s thru the 1950s. ( Note: Some of these leading men made some good films in the 1960s but the book concentrates on the golden age of Hollywood.) The book includes some great silent film stars like Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and John Gilbert to name just a few. The book includes a brief biography of each star and some neat Behind the Scenes information.Highly recommended.

If you like the classic movies - you should get this book.The criteria of selecting the 50 leading men is maybe a little bit subjective. Many great stars are missing or should be included in the book. But again, this is a subjective selection. WARNING: You may need magnifying glass to read some portions of the book. Some of the fonts are very small and thin. One way or another, you will enjoy reading this book and viewing the great pictures in it.