Raquel Welch, Rita Hayworth; legendary Latin leading ladies.  From the early days to the modern era, ‘Femme Fatale: Cinema’s Most Unforgetable Lethal Ladies’ is a lavish book that traces the history of alluring women.

This new book from Limelight Editions surveys the history of the femme fatale in world cinema, with more than 300 photographs testifying to the power of these mysterious women.

In Femme Fatale, Dominique Mainon and James Ursini offer keen insight into film’s most dangerous and captivating females, celebrating their power, beauty, and irresistible allure.The book details the femme fatale from the earliest days of film to her modern rebirth, exploring how this enduring character type recurs again and again—with subtle and fascinating variations—in different eras, genres, and countries.

It begins with the silent period and vamps like Theda Bara, Pola Negri, Clara Bow, and Bebe Daniels; then moves on to the pre-Code sound period of American films, which featured actresses like Jean Harlow, Marlene Dietrich, and Greta Garbo.

The story continues with the noir 1940s, when the femme fatale became truly lethal, and includes actresses like Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, and Barbara Stanwyck. In the 1950s and 1960s, the international femme fatale took the fore with actresses such as Brigitte Bardot, Maria Felix, Elizabeth Taylor, and Anita Ekberg. Finally, the authors turn to the modern era with an array of enticing women including Pam Grier, Salma Hayek, Li Gong, Angelina Jolie, and Sharon Stone.

Femme Fatale: Cinema’s Most Unforgettable Lethal Ladiesby  Dominique Mainon and James Ursini  
$24.95 / ISBN: 978-0-87910-369-9 / Paperback Original
Hundreds of color and B&W photos throughout
Limelight Editions, an imprint of Hal Leonard Corporation
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