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Archibald Leach, Margarita Cansino and Lucille Le Sueur easily could have toiled in obscurity with other wannabe actors. Instead, a major studio contract and a push through the Star Machine transformed everything. After name changes, makeovers and massive press campaigns, they emerged as Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth and Joan Crawford, and all well on their way to becoming legends of the silver screen.

The Star Machine is Jeanine Basinger's examination of old Hollywood -- the golden age of cinema beyond the glitz and glamour -- and the movie studios' "star system." Picture a Jetsons-like contraption into which actors are dropped, transformed and then spit out in the mold the studio demanded, with little or no say in their own lives. Considering every actor an "investment," studios exclusively contracted them for years at a time, dictating their appearance, acting roles, careers and, ultimately, their private lives. As Basinger explains with expertise and best friend-like compassion toward every actor, some simply followed the system (Betty Grable), some unhappily defected (Deanna Durbin), some fell apart (Tyrone Power), some successfully battled (Loretta Young) and some fought, like Errol Flynn, to the death.

Basinger -- a certified movie fanatic and author of nine other books on film -- doles out heaps of information in this lengthy read. Her knowledge of stars and studios is extensive and her information is incredibly easy and enjoyable to digest. Her inclusion of personal anecdotes, from her movie theater usher days to her encounters with celebs, personalizes the book. And occasional comparisons to the current movie era remind us that Hollywood still maintains some machine-like qualities, such as in the way Irene Dunne and Meryl Streep made the jump from serious acting to comedy. Despite the tabloid idea that stars are just regular people, The Star Machine asserts that, as in its golden era, the movie world is still a carefully plotted, designed and crafted place where image is everything and millions of dollars are at stake with every new release.