Acting Male: Masculinities in the Films of James Stewart, Jack Nicholson, and Clint Eastwood

Bingham (English, Indiana Univ.) closely examines the star images of three male film icons, tracing the evolution of their personas and recording their portrayals of masculinity over the course of their careers. Stewart evolved from the boy next door to a darker, even tormented figure in the 1950s; Nicholson's rebel was co-opted into Hollywood superstardom; and Eastwood delved more deeply into the complexities of his macho image. Besides his own thought-provoking analyses, Bingham discusses (and occasionally disparages) the theories of other writers on film. This often perceptive study is recommended for cinema collections.