Looks at the development and changing organization of the star system in the American film industry. Tracing the popularity of star performers from the early "c

Moving pictures existed for over a decade before anything resembling a star system appeared. Then American cinema went from being devoid of stars to being depen

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

Through the intensive examination of films, magazines, advertising and critical texts, Dyer analyses the historical, ideological and aesthetic significance of s

ONE OF THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER'S 100 GREATEST FILM BOOKS OF ALL TIME • From one of our most distinguished film scholars, comes a rich, penetrating, amusing boo