List of Illustrations
List of Tables and Charts
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Looking at Stars
1. Stardom as a System
2. Making the System
3. Controlling the System
4. Rethinking the System
Conclusion: Stars and Hollywood History
Filmography
Bibliography
Index of Names

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 "cinema of attractions" to the Internet universe, Paul McDonald explores the ways in which Hollywood has made and sold its stars. Through focusing on particular historical periods, case studies of Mary Pickford, Bette Davis, James Cagney, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Will Smith illustrate the key conditions influencing the star system in silent cinema, the studio era and the New Hollywood.