Fame Amid the Ruins

Stephen Gundle is Professor of Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick. He is the author of several books and many articles about modern and contemporary Italy. His most recent volumes are Death and the Dolce Vita: The Dark Side of Rome in the 1950s (Canongate, 2011) and Mussolini’s Dream Factory: Film Stardom in Fascist Italy (Berghahn, 2013).

“This elegantly produced [and exceptionally attractive] book, complete with a lavish choice of illustrations all supplied by the author, confirms Stephen Gundle’s status as the leading historian of Italian cinema in the English-speaking world.” • Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television“This book will be of great interest to scholars of Italian cinema. Its clear and direct prose makes it particularly suitable for students.”  • European History Quarterly“Fame amid the Ruins is a comprehensive study with an impressive scope and great relevance for questions of history, politics, and intellectual life in postwar Italy. In clear and direct prose, it encompasses a variety of important topics and approaches, including individual biographies, stars’ roles within the wider industry, performance, and film style.” • Louis Bayman, University of Southampton“Stephen Gundle admirably devotes close and sustained attention to the stardom phenomenon by providing profiles of stars rarely examined and, most importantly, by looking at the sum of their impact on Italian culture. This is a tour de force for its range and argumentative depth.” • Giorgio Bertellini, author of The Divo and The Duce: Promoting Film Stardom and Political Leadership in 1920s America

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgementsIntroductionPART I: ITALIAN CINEMA AND SOCIETY, 1945-52Chapter 1. Postwar Cinema and the Challenges of DemocracyChapter 2. The Film Industry from Fascism to the Cold WarChapter 3. The Transformation of the Star SystemChapter 4. The Public, Film-Going and the StarsPART II: STARDOM, ANTI-FASCISM AND NEOREALISMChapter 5. Massimo Girotti: Proletarian ApolloChapter 6. Clara Calamai: The Suspension of GlamourChapter 7. Aldo Fabrizi: Nostalgia and Popular CultureChapter 8. Anna Magnani: Authenticity and the Star PersonaChapter 9. Andrea Checchi: Shadows of DefeatPART III: POPULAR IDOLS FOR NEW TIMESChapter 10. Totò: Jester of the RepublicChapter 11. Silvana Mangano: Beauty and StardomChapter 12. Amedeo Nazzari: The Hero DomesticatedChapter 13. Silvana Pampanini:  Dream Girl of the MassesChapter 14. Raf Vallone: The Physiognomy of FamePART IV: RECONFIGURATIONS OF STARDOMChapter 17. The Non-Professional Actor and Low Definition StardomChapter 18. Co-productions and the International StardomConclusionBibliography