Directed by Dorothy Arzner (Women Artists in Film)
The subject of close scrutiny by feminist film theorists for the past two decades, Arzner is arguably the most important woman film director in Hollywood history. From The Wild Party, starring Clara Bow in her first sound film, to Dance, Girl, Dance, with Lucille Ball, Arzner earned a reputation as a ``star-maker.'' Mayne (The Woman at the Keyhole) here reviews Arzner's 16-year directing career, offering a feminist reading of her films that emphasizes their preoccupation with communities of women and the ``performance'' of gender, as well as their questioning of heterosexuality. Mayne also delves into Arzner's biography for evidence of how her identity as a lesbian affected her work, and her research into Arzner's personal life reveals a moving picture of her ``unspeakable'' yet long and devoted partnership with choreographer Marion Morgan. Mayne's prose is revitalized whenever she turns to Arzner's life in and out of Hollywood, her reception by the press or her relationships with key artists such as George Cukor. Chapters on individual films are less convincing: the detailed plot summaries are tedious, and Mayne's repetition of a few underdeveloped points provoke the unfortunate suspicion that Arzner's material isn't rich enough to withstand such scrutiny. Photos not seen by PW.Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.