Comebacks: The Return of the Aging Film Star - Paperback

by Gloria Monti (Editor), Martin Shingler (Editor), Barry Keith Grant (Editor)

Back Jacket

While the term "comeback" film is commonplace for cinephiles, the social and cultural significance of these films--specifically in relation to stardom and performance--remains misunderstood. In this collection, scholars aim to investigate the nature and consequences of the late-career revival projects of sixteen international film stars from 1957 to 2019, including renowned actors Joan Crawford, John Travolta, Bette Davis, Amitabh Bachchan, Sessue Hayakawa, Wesley Snipes, and Linda Hamilton. The contributors combine close textual analysis with the critical reception of aging star performances to unpack the unique circumstances of each actor's comeback trajectory. Through their work, we come to understand the consequences of aging and how post-peak stars navigate limited opportunities in a sexist, ageist film industry to deliver some of the most astounding performances of their careers.

Author Biography

Gloria Monti is associate professor of film studies in the Department of Cinema and Television Arts at California State University, Fullerton, where she has been the recipient of the Faculty Recognition Program Award for Scholarly and Creative Activity (2013) and for Outstanding Teaching (2016). Her research is focused on Italian, American, and French cinema. Martin Shingler is a former senior lecturer in film and media at the University of Staffordshire and senior lecturer in film and radio at the University of Sunderland. He is the coauthor of On Air: Methods and Meanings of Radio and Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility and the author of Star Studies: A Critical Guide; When Warners Brought Broadway to Hollywood, 1923-1939; and Diana Dors: Film Star and Actor.