Incorporating the Star: The Intersection of Business and Aesthetic Strategies in Early American Film

Catherine E. Kerr

Business History Review, 1990, vol. 64, issue 3, 383-410

Abstract: Scholars generally have studied the emergence of American film stars in one of two ways: as an aesthetic, cultural phenomenon or as part of the larger story of corporate consolidation in the film industry. This article combines these approaches, arguing that the early film star played two overlapping roles. Within the new long feature films, stars served as focal points for continuity across complex narratives; within the new vertically integrated film corporations, they became focal points for the coordination of production, distribution, and promotion. The article concludes by suggesting that the interconnections between aesthetic practice and industrial organization bear further examination.

Date: 1990
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