Stardom refers to a high level of fame and popularity achieved in a particular field, such as acting. Stars are often used to market and promote films and products due to their established fame and audiences. While stars were originally just seen as talented performers, the concept of the movie star emerged in the early 20th century as the film industry began intentionally cultivating and promoting recognizable performers to draw audiences. The first movie star is considered to be French actor Max Linder, who rose to fame in the 1900s for his comedy roles and film marketing presented him as a star attraction.

1. Stardom
Stardom, a position taken up by the level of fame and love of which celebrity holds. Whether that be
an athlete, a musician, or for this documents case, an actor/actress. Most often associated with the
success, popularity, wealth, and glamour of someone.
In most cases, a star is used by a brand or/and company as a marketing device when promoting a
film or product. By targeting the audience of the said star, the money then rolls in.
By star, we see them more than a person or even an image for their characteristics, but a complex set
of cultural processes.
Celebrity: Achieved recognition by their association with a specific field. Admired for their talents,
success and public persona, a celebrity’s fame level is fuelled by the public’s interest.
Star: Has achieved a high level of success and recognition in their field. Primarily based on their
talent, skills and achievements rather than their personal being. Fame isn’t dependent on their solely
dependent on their public image. Held up as role models.
The ‘machine’ of culture. How we identify with these stars and are able to relate to them through
cultural orientations and competences.
“For the profit to be realised, there must be at least a promise of pleasure; enjoyment of the star has
to be paid for.” Cook, P. (1985). The Cinema Book. United Kingdom: British Film Institution. (Page 50).
Although stardom has been around since near enough the start, it wasn’t until the 70s where film
studies touched the subject of stars and stardom.
A star is a piece of raw material that is transformed into an image or product as needed by the
studios and/or individual.
“Films are only of significance in so far as they have stars in them.” Dyer, R. (2019). Stars. United
Kingdom: British Film Institution. (Page 1)
Molly Haskell’s ‘Reverence to Rape’ is a great example of showcasing the woman stereotype back
then. For a male perspective, ‘Big Bad Wolves’ made in 1978 by Joan Mellen.
What distinguishes a star from other performers other than their acting, in this case, is their image
being an additional value to them and who owns them. Attracting financial backing for a film and is
also lures exhibitors and audiences telling them what type of film the advertised title is.
A star’s trademark is value. Richard Dyers theory of a star being constructed to make money, turning
them into an image rather than a regular person.
The stardom paradox: A star must be ordinary, but also extraordinary. That way, we can relate to
their real, humankind nature who have had similar experiences to anyone whilst we can also look up
to them, admire them for their talents calling them our role models and heroes as such.
Debates arise when it comes to the relationship between the narrative and the spectator. Everyone
has their own perspective on situations causing a clash on how we take in the way a person is
portrayed on screen or even in person.
When researching these stars, we tend to overlook who they are for what they are. Stars provide an
accessible way to analyse the political economy, the organisation of the narrative it produces and the

2. relationship between the two. But due to our own fascination with these people, sometimes we
want to ignore the darker information of which we are aware of certain stars.
In the years before sound was introduced to film, performers were barely seen as actors never mind
stars. Originally US filmmaker’s tret actors as an economical source of talent never considering the
opportunity of differentiating or marketing these people.
Before the star system breached with actors getting their credits, performers were only known by
what/who they played. The “Biograph Girl.” “Little Mary.” “Vitagraph girl.”
Only recently coming to light, in 2019 it began to circle that French actor and director Max Linder
may be our first ever movie star.
Born on the 16th
of December, 1883, Gabriel Leuvielle grew up with a passion for performing.
Completely defying his parents’ disapproval and the attempts made to prevent their son from having
his dream, Leuvielle continued to pursue his dream committing completely in 1899.
Quickly gaining recognition for his talents, the boy was awarded for his ability to perform in both
comedy and tragedy. Continuing to push his limits, by 1901 Leuvielle was a contract player with the
Bordeaux Theatre of Arts.
Aiming higher and higher, with rejections here and there Leuvielle never let that get him down
getting right where he needed to be by 1905, working at pioneering company in the French film
industry, Pathe Freres. Here, the young actors career launches as the founder of this company sees
the boy’s talents in which promises were made and fulfilled to make the boy a star.
Working small roles at first, after two years the main slapstick star had left the company giving
Leuvielle his chance to prove himself to the world. From here, “Max Linder”, the actor’s silent
comedy persona was born. But unfortunately, the films made at this time all flopped bringing the
actor downhill. Until 1909, his luck had returned with newer projects becoming successful and
audiences began responding positively to “Max”.
So, it is said, by the end of 1910, Max Linder had become the worlds very first movie star.
Leading up to his death in 1925, Leuvielle faced many bumps and challenges as World War One
happened affecting the actor’s mental health badly, drug abuse, pushing his career and
experimentations, goals and failures to have America love Max Linder as much as Europe did, getting
married and having a daughter with some very serious accusations throughout the relationship.
With all of that, the actor’s life had come to an end after seeing the French title ‘Quo Vadis’, inspired
by the actions of which a couple kill themselves together due to the complications of being together,
this is exactly what the actor and his wife had gone on to do on the first on November the year as
mentioned.
Inspiring many comedy actors and even shaping Charlier Chaplin, it is also thanks to Max Linder we
even have music in film.
With this, not many people know of Gabriel Leuvielle with as stated he is only just being talked about
again. But it was where Andrew Shail, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University had uncovered the
first ever film-star marketing product. A poster for a Pathe Frere film featuring Max Linder that is said
to be the earliest surviving European evidence of publicity for a film performer.
Before it came about that Max Linder may be our first ever star, Florence Lawrence had that title.
Originally known as the “Biograph girl”, in 1910 Florence was the “first” actor to have their name

3. headlined to market a film. As it was believed that actors were nothing more than an actor, Carl
Laemmle’s knew better and had a fake story printed about the actress. Making her name widespread
from a lie, this was the “first” example of a star’s potential in the marketing system.
Random fun fact, Florence Lawrence invented signalling and break lights in a car in 1914 with her
mother inventing the electrical windscreen wiper in 1917.
Stardom does affect everyone differently, although it wasn’t stardom that really affected Gabriel
Leuvielle, but there are far too many cases where stars were negatively impacted by working in the
film industry. It does happen everywhere, but again this is a focus on the film industry alone.
Famous names including Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, Rock Hudson alongside
many many more. More recent names being the Olsen twins, nearly, if all, young Disney stars, Corey
Feldman and Jonathon Brandis. Again, just to name a few.
Over in MGM, Mayer, the executive head had told Mickey Rooney his life, wasn’t his life whilst
working for him. “MGM has made your life.”
Their stardom affected their lifestyles, sexuality, freewill with most, if all, turning to drugs,
alcoholism, and in some cases, death.
But stardom doesn’t affect everyone negatively, Jane Fonda has used hers to connect with the public
politically. Using her star glamour to maintain her connection with the business world, whilst
continuing to earn credibility for her progressive views whilst living in an ordinary house, in an
ordinary neighbourhood levelling out her stardom with her regular life.
In Stars, by Richard Dyer, it mentions of how we as the audience tend to favourite the stars who are
of the same sex as us. In that way it is not so much a sexual attraction we have to these stars but a
deeper, more familiar connection. Of course, there is the argument when it comes to our sexual
preferences. Curious I asked the question without explaining why to someone opposite me at this
current time, which in return she answered her favourite star to be rapper NF adding on that he
speaks to the younger audiences, sharing his experiences with drugs, depression, and anger. Going
against the mentioned assumption/theory.
The reason the book suggests this include:
 Emotional affinity.
 Self-identification.
 Imitation.
 Projection.
There are definitely cases where this is true, but clearly not for everyone.
Ideology: “The systematic body of concepts.”
“Every man and every woman is a star.” – Aleister Crowley.
Crowley, A. (1904). The Book of Law.
As much as the star system and Hollywood has changed and evolved over the years, we do still have
our stars putting them into a tier list of grade A celebrities to grade F. An A-list celebrity would be
someone the film industry would consider extremely bankable and is beloved by the public, for
example Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman.

4. B-list: Someone who is still loved and favourited by the public, but don’t require the highest of
salaries and don’t attract the largest of audiences. A few to name would be Cillian Murphy, Sarah
Paulson, James Earl Jones and Edward Norton.
C-list: An actor you can recognise but won’t know the name of right away. “That guy (or sometimes
that girl), the easy-to-remember but hard-to-name character actor”. – Entertainment Weekly, (2000)
D-list: Known, but not exactly known for the effort they had put into their work. Sylvester Stallone,
Charlie Sheen, David Hasselhoff, and Lyndsey Lohan.
To celebrate our favourite stars, we have the Hollywood walk of fame. Created in 1958 by the
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to create a landmark promoting tourism in Hollywood. The first
stars were added in 1960, with now over 2,600 stars being honoured with a star. The very first star
was awarded to American actress, Joanne Woodward with most recently, Home Alone actor,
Macaulay Culkin only recently being added to the walk of fame on the first of December.