The Origins of the Film Star System - Persona, Publicity and Economics in Early Cinema

Drawing on a wide range of archival sources, Andrew Shail traces the emergence of film stardom in Europe and North America in the early 20th century. Modifying and supplementing Richard deCordova-s account of the birth of the US star system, Shail describes the complex set of economic circumstances that led film studios and actors to consent to the adoption of a star system. He then explores the film industry-s turn, from 1908, to making character-based series films. He details how these characters both prefigured and precipitated the star system, demonstrating that series characters and the -firmament- of film stars are functionally equivalent, and shows how openly fictional characters still provide the model for -real- film stars.