The Origins of the Film Star System
Persona, Publicity and Economics in Early Cinema
by Andrew Shail
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Book Presentation:
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.
About the Author:
Andrew Shail is a film historian with 20 years' experience as a university researcher and lecturer. He was co-editor of Early Popular Visual Culture for 12 years.
Press Reviews:
"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." ―Nineteenth Century Theatre and Film
"The 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
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