For more than a century, Hollywood has relied on star power as the most reliable way to draw an audience. From the days of silent movies when Mary Pickford commanded $10,000 a week to today when actors like Tom Hanks are guaranteed $20 million (or more) a picture, film studios have recognized the crucial role stars play at the box office.

Media historian Brian Rose traces the history of movie stardom. He looks back at how originally film actors weren’t even identified by name, how Mary Pickford became “America’s Sweetheart” and the first real film star, and how Hollywood manufactured stars like Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and Lana Turner during its Golden Age. He also examines how the star system changed once television came on the scene and how actors like Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and Denzel Washington ushered in a new definition of stardom during the last few decades.

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