To identify that the Hollywood iconic status given to previous decades of film stars and celebrities is now dead and unlikely to rise again
Authors
Tighe, Michelle
Issue Date
2008
Degree
BA (Hons) Arts
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
Between the years of 1907 and 1908, dramatic changes occurred in the American Motion picture production. New narrative forms of cinema such as dramatic films; comedy etc replaced and almost eclipsed the documentary form of production. According to Richard de Cordova (1990), Dramatic forms of cinema rose from 17% in 1907 to 66% in 1908 as the prime mode of production. By 1909 the ‘picture personalities’ started emerging and it is usually considered as the beginning of the ‘star system’. According to Amy Henderson (1992), centralization of the entertainment industry in New York between 1900 and 1929 facilitated this rise. At this time New York was the central hub of all genres of entertainment from Opera to film and radio. The Star personality-celebrities grew out of the cultural hub and ‘fuelled this energetic commercial culture, and in fact became that culture's icons, packaged and promoted by tangential industries that grew up around the entertainment industry.’ (Amy Henderson, 1992)