Lana Turner as Star (Discussion)

1. Group 1: Dyer contends that "Turner illustrates three of the ways that stars function cinematically (that is, within the total signifying practice of the cinema industry situated within society as a whole)".
   • What does Dyer mean by "signifying practice"?
   • List those three ways that stars function.
2. Group 2: What, according to Dyer, is the relationship between glamor and ordinariness?
   • How does the photograph of Ava Gardener and Turner "embracing" illustrate this contrast?
   • How is it expressed in The Bad and the Beautiful?
3. Group 3: In general terms, what does haute couture (pronounce "oht koo-toor") connote? How is this specifically embodied in Turner's image—as Dyer argues regarding the Imitation of Life scene in which she meets David Edwards (Dan O'Herlihy)?
4. Group 4: How was Turner’s sexy-ordinary contradiction "crystallized" in four "moments" in her early career?
5. All Groups: What characterizes Turner’s acting style? How is it disrupted by emotions presented as more "authentic" in Imitation of Life and The B & the B?
   • How does Dyer make the case for the "hysterics in the car" scene as "authentic"? (View video clip.)
6. All Groups: What role does the father play in The B & the B, according to Dyer? How does this relate to the off-screen representation of Turner and her father?

External links

• Lana Turner illustrations, including Dyer figures.
• The Bad and the Beautiful video clip.

Bibliography

1. Richard Dyer, "Four Films of Lana Turner," Movie 25: 30-52.
   • Article illustrations.