Cecil B. DeMille, David Selznick, , —these legendary men and women built an empire called . In Movie Crazy, meet another group of powerful players who shaped the Àlm industry—movie fans. MGM, for example, struggled to Ànd a screen name for an actress named Lucille LeSueur. A fan—one of thousands that responded to a contest sponsored by the studio—suggested Joan Crawford. Using fan club journals, fan letters, and studio production records, Samantha Barbas reveals how the passion, enthusiasm, and sometimes possessive advocacy of fans transformed early cinema, the modern mass media, and American popular culture.

Barbas sheds new light on the development of the cult of celebrity in America, and demonstrates that while fans were avid consumers of the Àlm industry, they did not mindlessly accept the images presented to them by the studios. Rather, by writing letters, making visits to Hollywood, and organizing fan clubs, they sought to actively inÁuence the ways in which studios created movie stars and packaged them to the public. Far from being passive viewers, fans reacted to movies and stars with excitement, anger, confusion, joy, and even boredom— they were often complex, and never predictable. MOVIE CRAZY To m y p ar e n t s MOVIE CRAZY

Fans, Stars, and the Cult of Celebrity

Samantha Barbas Movie Crazy: Fans, Stars, and the Cult of Celebrity ©SAMANTHA BARBAS,2001 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2001 978-0-312-23962-6 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

First published 2001 by PALGRAVE 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.10010 and Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Companies and representatives throughout the world

PALGRAVE is the new global publishing imprint of St. Martin’s Press LLC Scholarly and Reference Division and Palgrave Publishers Ltd (formerly Macmillan Press Ltd). ISBN 978-1-4039-6045-0 ISBN 978-1-137-10319-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-137-10319-2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Barbas, Samantha. Movie crazy : fans, stars, and the cult of celebrity / Samantha Barbas. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Motion picture audiences. 2. Fans (Persons) I. Title.

PN1995.9.A8 B37 2001 302.23’43--dc21 2001021889

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Design by planettheo.com

First edition: November 2001 10987654321 CONTENTS

Acknowledgments...... ix Introduction...... 1

CHAPTER ONE FromReeltoReal...... 9

CHAPTER TWO TheCultofPersonality...... 35

CHAPTER THREE TheChanceofaLifetime...... 59

CHAPTER FOUR TheInsideScoop...... 85

CHAPTER FIVE TheMovieStarFanClub...... 109

CHAPTER SIX TheViewfromHollywood...... 135

CHAPTER SEVEN TheFandomMenace...... 159

Conclusion...... 185

Notes...... 189 Bibliography...... 211 Index...... 217 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am deeply grateful for the many kind and brilliant souls who have helped this project to fruition. Professor Paula Fass, my dissertation advisor at the University of California at Berkeley,generously shared her time, enthusiasm, and extensive historical knowledge, and to her I am greatly indebted. Professors Michael Rogin and Kerwin Klein, members of my dissertation committee, offered insightful comments while Profes- sor Ruth Rosen gave me a crash course in women’s history, as well as an invaluable peek into the world of book publishing. I am thankful also to Professor K. Scott Wong of Williams College, and for the unfailingly helpful and cheerful advice of Professor Jim Kettner, who assisted me in numerous ways throughout my graduate school career. In I relied on the expert assistance of Ned Comstock at the Cinema Television Library at the University of Southern California and the extraordinarily resourceful librarians at the Acad- emy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. In Austin, Steve Wilson of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas answered questions and guided me through the institute’s extensive collection. Deborah Gershenowitz, my editor at Palgrave, has helped me see American history,and my own work, with much clearer vision. I owe special thanks to the friends and colleagues who have sustained me with wisdom, compassion, and encouragement. Much love and gratitude to my friends and fellow faculty in the Interdiscipli- nary Studies Program at State University, especially to Paul Fotsch. Marco Louisse graciously hosted me in Los Angeles, and David Goldweber has been a perfect friend and traveling companion. Above all, I thank my parents, Louis and Mie Barbas, for escapes to Seattle, Hawaiian days, and a lifetime of love and learning.