To students of Movie Stars, Stardom and Modern Fame –
Thanks for your interest and welcome to the class! When you have a chance, please look at the syllabus, which can be found at CineJourneys at the Course Hub. There you’ll find all the information you’ll need pertaining to session topics, readings and more. Here is a video from CineJourneys (also available on the Course Hub) that will guide you through the process of accessing the course and course materials:
- The course consists of ten lectures, each 90 -120 minutes. That sounds long, but there are plenty of film clips and lots of names, historical developments and ideas – the time goes quite quickly.
- There’s no coursework – you’re not in college anymore! – but there are readings available to you via a Dropbox link in the course section on CineJourneys. The readings are not required nor will there be a quiz, but I’ve noted which ones are recommended and which ones are useful/interesting for additional information. How much or how little you delve into the readings is up to you.
- The exception is my 2013 book, Gods Like Us: On Movie Stardom and Modern Fame, which is not in Dropbox but can be found at your local library or purchased on Amazon or (preferably) bookshop.org. Again, this is in no way required, but it does offer additional information that can broaden your understanding of the history and themes we’ll be discussing.
- Another useful book on the subject is David Thomson’s New Biographical Dictionary of Film; good for dipping into and arguing with.
IMPORTANT: Prior to the first lecture, you should try to watch three films, two shorts and one feature, that are available on YouTube via the Course Hub and that will be helpful to following the discussion. They are “The New York Hat” (1910), with Mary Pickford; “The Pawnshop” (1916), with Charlie Chaplin: and “Show People” (1928), with Marion Davies. (The title links will take you directly to YouTube; links are also available in the syllabus.)
In the case of “Show People,” consider what it is saying to audiences (in 1928 and now) about what stardom gives and takes away, and think, too, about how truthful it’s being. The movie is one of the first to take audiences behind the camera and tell them the real star, of celebrity and fame. But is it just another concocted Hollywood fiction, and if so, what’s the message it imparts? And why do we, as audiences, seem to need the real story however concocted, in the first place?
Since these are some of the ideas we’ll be chewing over in the class, this is a good place to start nibbling.
I truly hope you get as much enjoyment and insight from this course as I enjoyed teaching it. If you have any questions about anything pertaining to the class, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I can be reached by email at ty@cinejourneys.com
Best,
TB
P.S. – Keep an eye on the CineJourneys homepage for occasional scheduled live conversations as an ongoing addendum to Movie Stars, Stardom and Modern Fame.