Birkbeck Cinema, 26th May 2018: 1:00 – 5:00
Free entrance, book your tickets here.
A consideration of the work of James Mason, which will include a 35mm screening of The Reckless Moment(Max Ophüls, 1949).
Sarah Thomas (University of Liverpool) and Adrian Garvey (Queen Mary University of London) will discuss the actor’s rise to fame as a Gainsborough brute, his uneasy transition to Hollywood, and his long career as a distinguished character actor. Covering performance, stardom, gender, genre and industry, we will examine the homme fatal persona and the struggles for independence Mason faced, which are exemplified in Ophüls’ fusion of melodrama and film noir.
We will also mark the publication of Sarah’s study of the actor, a new volume in the BFI Film Stars series.