Debra Paget, For Example

Debra Paget, For Example is a 2016 film documenting the career and life of Debra Paget, an iconic actress from the Hollywood Golden Age. The film, created by prominent director Mark Rappaport, is a distinctive mix of documentary, autobiography, and video essay, offering an intriguing examination of fame, personal history, and cinema's golden era.

The film navigates Paget's personal life and pathway to stardom in the 1950s, becoming a window into the times and the entirety of film history. It brings forth forgotten elements of Hollywood's yesteryears while examining Paget's career journey from a teenage actress to becoming one of Hollywood’s noted starlets.

Debra Paget, For Example, doesn't take the traditional documentary format. Instead, Rappaport uses a variety of archival materials, including film clips, movie posters, still images, and promotional materials from Paget's films to construct a narrative. The narration is led by actress Caroline Simonds, who speaks in the first person as if she were Paget, reflecting on her life and career. This innovative storytelling style takes viewers into a more intimate and personal journey, allowing the audience to experience Paget's life from her perspective.

Paget began her career as a child actor in the late 1940s, initially playing supporting roles before landing leading roles into the 1950s. Her notable works include films like "Love Me Tender" where she played opposite Elvis Presley, and "The Ten Commandments" directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Despite her initial influence, Paget’s star quickly faded in the early 1960s, and she withdrew from Hollywood.

Rappaport’s film explores the rise and fall of Paget’s career, addressing the incongruity between her public image as a celebrity and her private identity. It provides insightful commentary on the fleeting nature of fame and the individuals caught in its wake.

Unlike many biographical pieces, Debra Paget, For Example, doesn't gloss over the darker aspects of the Hollywood machine. It acknowledges the Hollywood studios' tight control over their stars, dictating their appearances and public personas. The film's journey into Debra Paget's life offers a stark illustration of this mid-century Hollywood system scenarios, highlighting both its glamour and grit.

The film also explores how Paget, like many actresses of her time, was marketed as an exotic beauty and often typecast in various ethnic roles that underline the stereotyping in Golden Age Hollywood. Debra Paget, For Example gives fitting relevance to the retrograde racial depictions and provides a critical analysis of the cultural context of that era.

Much attention is also paid to Paget’s renowned on-screen dance from "The Indian Tomb," vividly remembered for her unforgettable snake dance. Rappaport explains how the eroticism in Paget’s dances both entranced and enraged audiences of the time.

Mark Rappaport's film also delves into Paget’s personal life, including her brief marriage to director Budd Boetticher and her later involvement with Howard Hughes, the infamous millionaire aviator, and film tycoon.

Overall, Debra Paget, For Example, is not merely a revisit of Paget's biography but a comprehensive examination of the actress's life as an example of the broader Hollywood system. It blends film critique with a biographical account, unafraid to unpack the fantasy and facade of fame, scrutinizing the unpredictable nature of stardom and the personal cost it often exacts.

The unique approach to narration and use of archival footage make Debra Paget, For Example, a compelling watch not only for fans of Debra Paget but for all lovers of classic cinema and those interested in understanding the intricacies of Hollywood's golden era from a new perspective.