Download or read book The Star System written by Paul McDonald and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2001-06-13 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.