From Mae to Madonna

Entertainers were the first group of successful women to capture the public eye, taking to the stage in vaudeville and film and redefining their place in society. June Sochen introduces the women who danced on Broadway, fell on bananas in silent films, and wisecracked in smokey clubs.

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Entertainers were the first group of successful women to capture the public eye, taking to the stage in vaudeville and film and redefining their place in society. June Sochen introduces the women who danced on Broadway, fell on bananas in silent films, and wisecracked in smokey clubs, as well as the modern icons of today's films and music. Sochen considers such women as Mae West, Bette Davis, Shirley Temple, Pam Grier, Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore, to discover what show business did for them and what they did for the world of entertainment. In examining how they worked within or transformed particular genres and how their personal and public lives affected their careers, this text casts the spotlight on a series of remarkable women and their dramatic effect on America's popular culture.