Transitory Star

The release of Star Wars in 1977 marked the start of what would become a colossal global franchise. Star Wars remains the second highest-grossing film in the United States, and Geo...

This chapter is the mirror image of the previous one. It looks at narratives about has-been female stars in the context of the studio system’s demise during the 1950s and 1960s. Th...

A superb new study of Jerry Lee Lewis that’s as intense and fast paced as the life of “The Killer” himself, from the height of fame to the bumpy road that followed. “The ...

This chapter looks at female star narratives of the 1920s and 1930s, from The Extra Girl (1923) and Souls for Sale (1923) to Alice in Movieland (1940) and Star Dust (1940), discuss...

A revealing biography of Kanye West explores the artist—and the man. Kanye West is a star. His music has jumped from sensation to staple in the rap industry, while his persona...

The first in-depth study of the career of Shakespearean ‘star’ actor and theatrical impresario, Richard Burbage. This book draws on new archival research to offer the fir...

During the past decade, convincing evidence has been accumulated concerning the effect of active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity on the internal and external environment of their ho...

The beautiful Austrian-born Romy Schneider was one of Europe’s most popular film stars and a cult figure from the moment she played ‘Sissi’ (Empress Elisabeth of Austria) in the hu...