Star System

The Star System in the early era of movies was a way in which the "Big 5" (MGM, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., RKO) employed actors and actresses to work specifically for their studio. They contracted actors and actresses so that they could use their talent most efficiently. Movies were produced on a much quicker pace than in the current movie industry. They became the faces of specific studios so they were very important in keeping revenue up, and to compete with the other studios. Although they were contracted to a specific studio, talent was often "loaned" out to other studios. The star became associated with a specific genre of film and even a certain role that they repeatedly played. The type of talent that a studio employed often determined what kind of movie was to be made over any other deciding factor. In one specific example, John Wayne, whoever he was working for at the time, often had Western films constructed around his talent and fan base.