Leading Men (1)

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Leading Men: Photographs from the Kobal Collection

The dawning of the silver screen presented the world with a galaxy of male heart-throbs who moved, loved, and dominated for all to see. Later, with the advent of the talkies these stars gained voices and climbed down from the heavens to become the prototypes for more worldly male roles: the soldier hero, the debonaire playboy, the urbane gangster, the disreputable gallant, and the boy next door. Each of the greats-- Valentino, Gable, Bogart, Brando, and others-- defined his period with a charisma that transcends time and appeals as much to men as it does to women.

Leading Men brings together some three hundred of these magnificent studio pictures-- portraits, stills, and brilliantly staged off-screen shots-- encompassing the exotic matinee idols of the silent era as well as today's international superstars. These leading men range from Douglas Fairbanks to Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant to Mel Gibson, and James Dean to Sean Penn.

The photographs in this book have been selected from a collection of literally thousands, and are superbly reproduced in duotone, many from the original negatives. They are accompanied by a compelling text that encapsulates the screen persona and career of each star. In addition, each era is introduced with a short piece that places its leading men within the context of their time and looks at how perceptions of the male hero have changed over the years.

Printed in Italy 11/85.