Making Stars Creating a star's image not only enhanced the popularity of the star, it also protected the studio's financial investment. Studios went through great measures in order to find a potential star, mould the new star's image, target the star's audience, and then market that star ultimately economically benefiting the studio. Once created these stars became icons of the studios themselves. Audiences during the depression did not go to the theater to see the latest "MGM film" they went to see "Judy and Mickey." Thus, studios placed enormous amounts of time, money, and energy into creating the star that the public desired and would pay to see. "A star was not born, but made. Hair was bleached or dyed, and, if necessary, to 'open' the eyes, eyebrows were removed and penciled in above the natural line. Studio-resident dentists, expert at creating million-dollar smiles, capped teeth or fitted them with braces. Cosmetic surgery was often advised to reshape the nose of a new recruit or tighten her sagging chin. A 'starlet' was taught how to walk, smile, laugh, and weep." -W. Robert La Vine Hollywood adapted many stars from stage and radio when it converted to the "talkies" in the late 1920's. Worried about the financial risks of the time the studios carefully tested and constructed their stars. After much cosmetic and personality altering the studio would then test its newest acquisition in the public realm. Studios set up test audiences and screenings and would place the rising star in numerous different roles in order to determine where the star's talents lay. After these many tests the studios then consulted fan mail, box-office statistics, reviews, etc. in order to determine whether or not the public would be willing to pay to see an actor in such a role or just to see the actor. "Even when everyone at the studio was satisfied, a feature was not considered finished until at least one test audience had announced its approval at one of Metro's most sacred rituals, the secret preview. On the designated night all those concerned would board a chartered Pacific Electric trolley car … and depart for someplace like Pomona or Santa Ana, a farming or working-class community supposedly untainted by the worldly attitudes of Hollywood. There, in a small theater much like the ones Frank Gumm had run, they would strain to hear the laughs and sighs of the first paying customers. If the test crowd's verdict was favorable, the picture would be left alone; if not, yet more changes would be made" -Gerald Clarke, Get Happy: The life of Judy Garland Once the star's niche was found the studios then worked hard to enhance and promote that image. Studios would often publicize the new star in such a way that the star's film persona blended with the star's "real" persona, and this attracted many audiences to the star's films in order to see the next chapter in the star's life. They found a star's formula (the combination of the star's image, acting traits, and certain plot lines that audiences favored) and utilized it at every level. Studios created biographies, interviews, posters; all in order to promote the image of their star to a public eager to buy it. | Selling Stars | Stardom or Serfdom? | Making Stars | | Star Promotion | Musical Stars | Last Updated December 17, 2000