Movie crazy : fans, stars, and the cult of celebrity

While the impact that legendary actors and actresses have had on the development of the Hollywood film industry is well known, few have recognised the power of movie fans on shaping the industry. This books redresses that balance, and is the first study of Hollywood's golden era to examine the period from the viewpoint of the fans. Using fan club journals, fan letters, studio production records, and other previously unpublished archival sources, Samantha Barbas reveals how the passion, enthusiasm, and ongoing activism of film fans in Hollywood's golden era transformed early cinema, the modern mass media and American popular culture. "Cecil B. DeMille, David Selznick, Louella Parsons, Joan Crawford - these legendary men and women built an empire called Hollywood. In Movie Crazy, meet another group of powerful players who shaped the film industry - movie fans. MGM, for example, struggled to find a screen name for an actress named Lucille LeSueur. A fan - one of thousands that responded to a contest sponsored by the studio - suggested Joan Crawford. Using fan club journals, fan letters, and studio production records, Samantha Barbas reveals how the passion, enthusiasm, and sometimes possessive advocacy of fans transformed early cinema, the modern mass media, and American popular culture.". "Barbas sheds new light on the development of the cult of celebrity in America, and demonstrates that while fans were avid consumers of the film industry, they did not mindlessly accept the images presented to them by the studios. Rather, by writing letters, making visits to Hollywood, and organizing fan clubs, they sought to actively influence the ways in which studios created movie stars and packaged them to the public. Far from being passive viewers, fan reacted to movies and stars with excitement, anger, confusion, joy, and even boredom - they were often complex, and never predictable."--BOOK JACKET.

Cecil B. DeMille, David Selznick, Louella Parsons, Joan Crawford—these legendary men and women built an empire called Hollywood. In Movie Crazy, meet another group of powerful players who shaped the film industry—the fans. MGM, for example, struggled to find a screen name for an actress named Lucille LeSeur. A fan—one of thousands who responded to a contest sponsored by the studio—called her Joan Crawford. Using fan club journals, fan letters, and studio production records, Samantha Barbas reveals how the passion, enthusiasm, and sometimes possessive advocacy of fans transformed early cinema, the modern mass media, and American popular culture. Barbas sheds new light on the development of the cult of celebrity in America, and demonstrates that while fans were avid consumers of the film industry, they did not mindlessly accept the images presented to them by the studios. Fans reacted to movies and stars with excitement, anger, confusion, joy, or boredom. Far from a united force, fans were often complex, and never predictable.

Cover 1 Half-Title 3 Dedication 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction 9 Chapter One From Reel to Real 16 Chapter Two The Cult of Personality 41 Chapter Three The Chance of a Lifetime 64 Chapter Four The Inside Scoop 89 Chapter Five The Movie Star Fan Club 127 Chapter Six The View from Hollywood 153 Chapter Seven The Fandom Menace 177 Conclusion 203 Notes 207 Bibliography 228 Index 233 Front Matter....Pages N1-vi Introduction....Pages 1-7 From Reel to Real: The First Movie Fans....Pages 9-33 The Cult of Personality....Pages 35-57 The Chance of a Lifetime....Pages 59-83 The Inside Scoop....Pages 85-108 The Movie Star Fan Club....Pages 109-134 The View from Hollywood....Pages 135-158 The Fandom Menace....Pages 159-184 Conclusion....Pages 185-188 Back Matter....Pages 189-218