Comebacks

An in-depth examination of sixteen renowned actors and their return to the spotlight later in life.

While the comeback film is a well-recognized phenomenon inspiring excitement (or dismay) for cinemagoers and has been consequential to furthering or ending the careers of aging actors, this book is the first to analyze the cultural significance of these films. In this collection of essays, scholars follow the late-career revival projects of international film stars from 1957 to 2019, including renowned actors Joan Crawford, John Travolta, Bette Davis, Amitabh Bachchan, Sessue Hayakawa, Wesley Snipes, and Linda Hamilton. Combining close textual analysis of film moments with the critical reception of each performance, the contributors examine cinematic aging in relation to gender and sexuality, camp and consumption, star continuity and discontinuity, and nostalgia and longing. Their work reveals the unique circumstances of each actor's comeback trajectory as they seek to understand the consequences of aging in a largely sexist and ageist film industry, while providing new ways of conceptualizing films featuring comeback stars.