Gods Like Us: On Movie Stardom and Modern Fame

In this fascinating cultural study, film critic Burr explores the rise of stars in the early film industry. Burr argues “that every successful star creates a persona and within that persona is an idea[;] the films are merely variations on the idea.” Early stars were Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis, and Clark Gable, but Brando broke the mold, and now, Burr argues, “his DNA... courses through our young actors and movie stars.” Burr chronicles the star system—silents, talkies, movie factories, postwar studios—while citing factors such as television (“evoked not glamour, but ordinariness”), music (Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Madonna), MTV, HBO, and YouTube (“teenagers have at their disposal the fundamental moviemaking facilities of a Hollywood studio in the 1930s”). In this solid analysis of celebrity, he offers insight on the career arcs of Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise (“not an actor but a huge global superstar”), Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner, and Jodie Foster. Agent: Sarah Burnes, The Gernert Company. (Sept.)