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.