Stardom research project

Stardom research project

Work in pairs

Choose a star:

·      Steve McQueen

·      Audrey Hepburn

·      Judy Garland

·      John Wayne

·      Elizabeth Taylor

·      James Dean

·      Marlon Brando

·      Cary Grant

·      Humphrey Bogart

·      Paul Newman

·      James Stewart

·      Gregory Peck

·      Bette Davis

Lesson 1,

Do some research about their star persona. Questions to consider:

1.     What kinds of roles did they play?

“naive young innocent” persona

He is the major American motion-picture star known for his portrayals of diffident but morally resolute characters.

2.     Who did they work with? Are they associated with any studio/director etc?

He became part of the University Players at Falmouth, Massachusetts, joining such future film actors as Henry Fonda and Margaret Sullavan.

3.     What awards did they win?

You Can’t Take It with You (1938) and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), which brought him his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a shy, idealistic young senator fighting corruption in Congress. He won an Oscar the following year for another film classic, The Philadelphia Story (1940). His first film upon returning to Hollywood was Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), for which Stewart received his third Oscar nomination.  In 1985 Stewart was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour.

4.     What are their most memorable performances?

As he approached age 40, it was clear that Stewart could no longer maintain the “naive young innocent” persona he had established in his prewar films.

5.     What notable information do you know about their real lives?

He graduated from Princeton University with a degree in architecture.