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The Hollywood Star System
Fathom
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| Seminar Introduction |
 When a young Theodosia Goodman left her home in Cincinnati to make her name in Hollywood, she would leave behind much more than Ohio. After publicists changed her name to Theda Bara, developed an almost entirely fictitious bio and cast her as a vamp, the actress assumed the role of an Arab siren and quickly became a Hollywood star. In this seminar, Vicki Botnick examines the role of the Hollywood "star system," describing how stars, such as Theda Bara (right), found such great success on the screen and with the public. Examining the careers of various stars from the 1910s to the 1940s, such as Clara Bow and Lana Turner, this seminar explores how the major motion picture studios, publicity departments and the ticket-buying public all contribute to the creation of the Hollywood movie star--both on and off the screen.
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| Learning Objectives |
- Describe the key factors that led to the emergence of the star system in film's early days throughout the 1910s.
- List three ways that filming techniques are used as star-making devices.
- Describe the various techniques used by publicity departments from the 1910s to the 1940s in order to boost a star's image in the eyes of the public.
- List four Hollywood stars that emerged between 1910 and 1940, and describe the changes that were made to their images to generate audience appeal.
- Explain some of the drawbacks an actor or actress, such as Clara Bow or Meg Ryan, faces once achieving star status.
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| Sessions |
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| Credits |
This seminar was written by Vicki Botnick in December 2001. Copyright American Film Institute.
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| Technical Requirements |
To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them.
Browser: Netscape versions 4.x up to 4.76, or Internet Explorer versions 4.x or later. Your browser must be JavaScript-enabled and must be set to accept cookies.
Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56Kbps with a throughput of 34Kbps or more. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar.
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