Molly Haskell

From Reverence to Rape: the Treatment of Women in the Movies
Second Edition.

Controversial and genuinely original, "From Reverence to Rape" takes a tough look at sex and sexism in the movies and, in so doing, tells us as much about our culture and ourselves as it does about our films. For the treatment of women in the movies is more than a question of art or entertainment. If films have flattered and amused us, reflecting our most cherished beliefs, they have also distorted truth and reinforced delusions, perpetuating stereotypes and molding values. "From Reverence to Rape" is, then, both a portrait of our past and an interpretation of our present. In the force of its argument, it is perhaps also a signpost for the future.

Selected Works

Frankly, My Dear: Gone with the Wind Revisited
Part of the Yale University Press American Icon series. An examination of how and why the book and movie have such a hold on the imagination. The character of Scarlett, bold, outrageous and yet forgivable, is unlike any heroine before or since.
Non-Fiction
"From Reverence to Rape: the Treatment of Women in the Movies"
Both historical survey and polemic, this book addresses the ways in which Hollywood, and cinema in general, has stereotyped women, but also points to the numerous examples of women subverting and challenging these stereotypes.
"Love and Other Infectious Diseases: a Memoir"
"A work of considerable depth and subtlety" (the New York Times) : In 1984 Haskell's husband, Andrew Sarris, came down with a mysterious and near-fatal illness. During his six-month hospitalization, she confronts not only the daily fear of his death but the realization of her own immense dependency.
"Holding My Own in No Man's Land: Women and Men and Film and Feminists"
Essays and interviews, ranging from interviews with Hollywood legends such as Gloria Swanson and John Wayne, to celebrations of the comic verve of Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett, to ruminations on literary figures such as Truman Capote and his Holly Golightly and Jane Austen's Emma.
Selected Articles
It Used to Be So Easy. I Remember When...
A piece about movie theatres and how they've changed through the years.
A 'Law and Order' Addict Tells All
Molly's personal take on the hit tv show.
"High-Wire Artist"
A book review of “Burt Lancaster: An American Life,” by Kate Buford.
"Battle of the Sexes"
A unique view of the confrontations between men and women, the darker side of men, and how both sexes react to these differences.
"He Drives Me Crazy"
Celebrated New York Times humor piece about Molly's husband's driving, men's driving in general, and the misconceptions about women drivers.