Moxie : The Daring Women of Classic Hollywood

A celebration of the fearless, fabulous actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age — illustrated with stunning photographs from a world-class collection.  

Lauren Bacall, Louise Brooks, Claudette Colbert, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Lillian Gish, Gloria Grahame, Katharine Hepburn, Veronica Lake, Carole Lombard, Myrna Loy, Ida Lupino, Barbara Stanwyck, Anna May Wong — and more!

To make it in Hollywood, it takes more than beauty, brains, and talent — it takes moxie. This was especially true for women in the heyday of the studio system, a period from the 1920s to the 1950s when a small number of companies dominated the production and distribution of films in America. It was an industry controlled by male studio executives, in which directors and producers called the shots and contract players had little say in which roles they would play. Still, a trailblazing group of actresses forged successful careers out of sheer conviction, perseverance, and professional know-how. These spirited women captivated audiences, shaped the film industry, and remain enduring icons of classic cinema.

This gorgeous volume profiles some 14 leading ladies who had moxie to spare. It is illustrated with more than 200 film stills, publicity photos, and lobby cards from the collection of Ira M. Resnick — many published here for the first time. Together these captivating images reveal how the stars of the Golden Age used pose and performance, fashion and glamour to shape their images both onscreen and off. Moxie will dazzle and seduce all devotees of classic Hollywood.