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Ann Dvorak book cover
Ann Dvorak
Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel
2013
First Published
4.38
Average Rating
384
Number of Pages

Possessing a unique beauty and refined acting skills, Ann Dvorak (1911-1979) found success in Hollywood at a time when many actors were still struggling to adapt to the era of talkies. Seemingly destined for A-list fame, critics touted her as "Hollywood's New Cinderella" after film mogul Howard Hughes cast her as Cesca in the gangster film Scarface (1932). Dvorak's journey to superstardom was derailed when she walked out on her contractual obligations to Warner Bros. for an extended honeymoon. Later, she initiated a legal dispute over her contract, an action that was unprecedented at a time when studios exercised complete control over actors' careers. As the first full-length biography of an often-overlooked actress, Ann Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel explores the life and career of one of the first individuals who dared to challenge the studio system that ruled Tinseltown. The actress reached her pinnacle during the early 1930s, when the film industry was relatively uncensored and free to produce movies with more daring storylines. She played several female leads in films including The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (1932), and Three on a Match (1932), and Heat Lightning (1934), but after her walk-out, Warner Bros retaliated by casting her in less significant roles. Following the casting conflicts and illness, Dvorak filed a lawsuit against the Warner Bros. studio, setting a precedent for other stars who eventually rebelled against the established Hollywood system. In this insightful memoir, Christina Rice explores the spirited rebellion of a talented actress whose promising career fell victim to the studio empire.

Avg Rating
4.38
Number of Ratings
73
5 STARS
49%
4 STARS
42%
3 STARS
5%
2 STARS
3%
1 STARS
0%
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Author

Christina Rice
Christina Rice
Author · 13 books
Christina Rice is a writer, librarian, and archivist who was born and bred in the greater Los Angeles region. While majoring in film at Cal State Fullerton in the 1990s, she began collecting memorabilia relating to actress Ann Dvorak which eventually lead her to document Dvorak's life, launch www.anndvorak.com, and ultimately write Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel (University Press of Kentucky, 2013). After obtaining an MLIS from San Jose State University in 2004, she began a career as a librarian with the Los Angeles Public Library the following year. Since 2009, she has overseen the library’s historic photo collection. In addition to authoring books on Ann Dvorak and Jane Russell, she has also written numerous issues of the My Little Pony comic book series (IDW Publishing) and was a contributor to the Eisen-nominated anthologies Femme Magnifique (Black Crown, 2018) and Where We Live (Image Comics, 2018). She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, writer Joshua Hale Fialkov, their daughter, and two adorable dogs.
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