Research Silent Stars: Race, Fandom and the 1920s Seminar

Abstract:
This presentation concentrates on the images of three stars of silent film: Pola Negri, Vilma Bánky and Jetta Goudal. All of these actresses hailed from Europe and rose to Hollywood stardom in the mid-1920s. Although of different national backgrounds – Polish, Hungarian and Dutch, respectively – their star personae were highly dependent on the notions of ethnicity. By examining fan magazines and feature films, this paper illuminates contemporary understandings of Europeanness. What did it mean to be a continental, female star in American during the Jazz Age? This talk also discusses the opportunities and challenges of researching fan magazines in the digital era.