Introduction -- Early domestic film stardom. Benshi as stars -- Performative virtuosity and honorific stature -- The Japanese embrace of American stars. The proliferation of American film stars -- American stars reshaping Japanese culture -- Forming new domestic film stardom. Restructuring the star system -- Replacing the onnagata -- Establishing Japanese actresses -- Film stars and modern girls. Modern girls and Clara Bow -- The respectable modern girl -- Conclusion
Summary
The film star is not simply an actor but a historical phenomenon that derives from the production of an actor's attractiveness, the circulation of his or her name and likeness, and the support of media consumers. This book analyzes the establishment and transformation of the transnational film star system and the formations of historically important film stars--Japanese and non-Japanese--and casts new light on Japanese modernity as it unfolded between the 1910
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 367-391) and index
