What is it about?
This essay explores the various ways that Mae West, along with the studios that employed her and members of the press who wrote about her, worked to create a unique star persona that left a lasting impression on Hollywood. The essay examines details from many of the films that West wrote and starred in, along with promotional materials, reviews, and articles published in periodicals at the height of West's popularity.
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Why is it important?
This article uses Mae West as a case study to explore some of the ways that stars were constructed and sold to audiences during the classical Hollywood era. The details of this case illuminate significant aspects of a particular period in cinema history and offer ways of thinking about other stars from various time periods.
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This page is a summary of: A star is made, not born: the production and reproduction of Mae West as a screen icon, Celebrity Studies, June 2023, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/19392397.2023.2216315.
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