Description
Book SynopsisDrawing 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.
Trade ReviewThe Origins of the Film Star System includes an impressive bibliography and reproductions of rarely seen publicity photographs and posters … Shail's book stands as a monumental achievement, demonstrating the dynamism of historiography while arguing for the necessity of looking beyond American modes and machinations of the early star system. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *
Shail has provided a fresh account of the emergence of the star system, impressively systematic in its argumentation, that could easily become the new standard for the next thirty years. -- Charlie Keil, University of Toronto, Canada
Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: A New Run at the Story Chapter 1: Europe Chapter 2: North America Chapter 3: What Happened Next? Chapter 4: Causality Part II: Another Run at the Story Chapter 5: The Series Character Chapter 6: The Series Character and the Star System Chapter 7: The Ontology of Film Stardom Conclusion Works Cited
