James Mason

Having made his name as a star of British Cinema in the 1930s, James Mason went on to become one of Hollywood’s most successful leading men in the post-war era. Sarah Thomas charts his transition from British film actor to star, to international film star and celebrity, to character actor. Whilst focussing predominantly on Mason’s acting, Thomas also explores his image and the role of publicity in building his public persona, his working conditions, and his extra-cinematic work as a writer, journalist and critic, particularly as a commentator on stars and stardom. Thomas provides detailed analyses of Mason’s performances in a number of his classic films (British and Hollywood), as well as his work with directors such as Leslie Arliss, Carol Reed, Max Ophuls, George Cukor, Nicolas Ray and Stanley Kubrick. As a major English film star of the 1930-80s, James Mason makes for a fascinating case study of a working actor, one with a very distinctive star persona and a unique acting style.