Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve... Feted, adored and desired, successful movie actresses are icons of modern culture. But what was it that made them true stars? Was it looks, talent, drive, personality - or just plain luck? What was the first captivating image or unforgettable line that etched them indelibly on our collective memory - and transformed the screen actress of the passing movie credit into the screen goddess of eternal legend?

In a sequence of elegant pen-portraits, George Tiffin takes a microscope to the movies and the moments that established 75 female icons of cinema. These penportraits are supplemented by quotes, notes and anecdotes, including script excerpts from key scenes.

From Oscar-winners to ingenues, and from grande dames to femmes fatales, A STAR IS BORN is a seductive celebration of the eternal feminine at the heart of the movie business - and an informal and engaging history of cinema itself.