Dynamic Dames

50 Leading Ladies Who Made History

Contributors

By Sloan De Forest

Foreword by Julie Newmar

By Turner Classic Movies

Formats and Prices

Price

$12.99

Price

$16.99 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. ebook $12.99 $16.99 CAD
  2. Hardcover $23.00 $30.00 CAD

Celebrate 50 of the most empowering and unforgettable female characters ever to grace the screen, as well as the artists who brought them to vibrant life!

From Scarlett O’Hara to Thelma and Louise to Wonder Woman, strong women have not only lit up the screen, they’ve inspired and fired our imaginations. Some dynamic women are naughty and some are nice, but all of them buck the narrow confines of their expected gender role — whether by taking small steps or revolutionary strides.

Through engaging profiles and more than 100 photographs, Dynamic Dames looks at fifty of the most inspiring female roles in film from the 1920s to today. The characters are discussed along with the exciting off-screen personalities and achievements of the actresses and, on occasion, female writers and directors, who brought them to life.

Among the stars profiled in their most revolutionary roles are Bette Davis, Mae West, Barbara Stanwyck, Josephine Baker, Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood, Barbra Streisand, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Joan Crawford, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, Dorothy Dandridge, Katharine Hepburn, Pam Grier, Jane Fonda, Gal Gadot, Emma Watson, Zhang Ziyi, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Lawrence, and many more.

  • "Sometimes a book comes into your life that you didn't know you needed until you start reading. And when you do things start to fall into place. That's Dynamic Dames for me. Film historian and author Sloan De Forest delivers with this captivating feminist manifesto.... The writing is engaging and the narrative voice is whip smart and clever."
    -Raquel Stecher, Out of the Past Blog
  • "This gift-worthy volume selects famous leading ladies from the 1920s "pre-code" films, where rebellious behaviors were on display from Clara Bow and Josephine Baker, until the present day... The result is a very satisfying and notably diverse group of talented professionals that have created some of the most memorable moments in film."
    - Booklist, starred review

On Sale
Jul 2, 2019
Page Count
248 pages
Publisher
Running Press
ISBN-13
9780762465507

Sloan De Forest

About the Author

Sloan De Forest is an actress, film historian, and the author of Turner Classic Movies: Must-See Sci-fi and Dynamic Dames. She lives in Hollywood, CA.

Turner Classic Movies is the definitive resource for the greatest movies of all time. We entertain and enlighten to show how the entire spectrum of classic movies, movie history, and movie-making touches us all and influences how we think and live today.

Learn more about this author

Turner Classic Movies

About the Author

Kirk Douglas (1916-2020) distinguished himself as an actor, producer, philanthropist, and author. His numerous recognitions for achievements both on and off screen include an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and France’s Legion of Honor. Over a career spanning seventy years, he starred in some eighty films.

Anne Buydens Douglas built her career in the film industry as a publicist. She met Kirk Douglas during the making of Act of Love (1953) and they married soon after. Anne would become his closest advisor and eventually take the reins as president of their independent production company, Bryna Productions.Turner Classic Movies is the definitive resource for the greatest movies of all time. We entertain and enlighten to show how the entire spectrum of classic movies, movie history, and movie-making touches us all and influences how we think and live today.

Learn more about this author