A Star is Born (2)
While technically the star system kicked off from the early days of cinema but the real spurt came from the 1920s when cinema became a commercial industry and movie going, even if silent, became a major form of entertainment.
By definition, a star system was the way the film companies, read Hollywood, created and managed their actors. By doing so, they ensured that the stars in personal life followed a code of conduct. Though actors were not credited in the early films, it was not possible for the film companies to “hide” the very people whose faces the audience saw in films and for whom they paid, the film companies decided to exploit them to gain positive publicity for the films in which they had acted.
Louis B Mayer, co founder of Metro Golden Mayer has explained it very well in this detailed description of what made a star:
“A star is made, created; carefully and cold-bloodedly built up from nothing, from nobody. All I ever looked for was a face. If someone looked good to me, I’d have him tested. If a person looked good on film, if he photographed well, we could do the rest . . . We hired geniuses at make-up, hair dressing, surgeons to slice away a bulge here and there, rubbers to rub away the blubber, clothes designers, lighting experts, coaches for everything—fencing, dancing, walking, talking, sitting and spitting.”
(hollywoodlexicon.com)
By 1930, the star system in the industry almost became mandatory. Even names of actors were being changed to suit a filmy environment.
In India Yusuf Khan became Dilip Kumar. Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand became Dev Anand. A Yusuf Khan may have been acceptable but a dashing, debonair hero as Dharamdev Pishorimal would have been difficult to digest. Jatin Khanna would have been too much of a bank employee, but Rajesh Khanna was a film star.
With rising competition, new film makers, art/parallel film makers, stringent laws to break monopolistic situations, the actors went independent of their employers. In some cases, some actors were “sacked” for bad behaviour. The actors wanted to exercise their choice of roles, acting styles and free from all studio deals.
Many such cases caught the attention of film goers. Jane Greer eased herself from the contract with Howard Hawks’, so did Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davis who sued their employer studios to lift the gag orders ( something like what cricketer do today). Even Marilyn Monroe stepped out of 20th Century Fox after the success of The Seven Year Itch and re negotiated her terms before working for them again.
In India, Himashu Rai’s Bombay Talkies, which had roped in Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar and many talented technicians split up with the death of Himashu Rai and the declining fortunes. One part, Sasadhar Mukherjee and Ashok Kumar broke away and formed Filmistan Studios. Likewise, in Kolkata, New Theatres also gave way to the new order in time.
The star and studio system does not work any more. However, often a big production house signs up a newcomer, who is trained, mentored and taken care of for the contracted period. A good example is Ranveer Singh now the star of the generation.
Courtesy : Artpickles