ABSTRACT

In the late 1910s and 1920s, a number of British national newspapers were involved in competitions to find potential stars for the British cinema. These ‘star search’ contests were aimed predominantly at young women. Often run in collaboration with British film producers, the competitions reflected, and sought to capitalise on, a moment of optimism about the prospects of the British production sector on the world market. But, as the language used to promote the contests made clear, the winners were also expected to embody a specifically British version of femininity, which would allow them to compete successfully with their Hollywood rivals. Focussing on the publicity surrounding one early scheme, the ‘Screen Beauty’ competition promoted by Pathé and the Express newspapers in 1920, this article examines the role of the British popular press in contributing to a gendered image of film stardom in the years immediately after the First World War.

摘要

在 1910 年代后期和 1920 年代，一些英国国家报纸参与了为英国电影寻找潜在明星的竞赛。这些“明星搜索”比赛主要针对年轻女性。这些比赛通常与英国电影制片人合作，反映并试图利用这一时刻对英国制片部门在世界市场上的前景感到乐观。但是，正如用于宣传比赛的语言所表明的那样，获胜者还应该体现出一种特殊的英国版本的女性气质，这将使她们能够成功地与好莱坞的竞争对手竞争。专注于早期计划的宣传，由百代和快车发起的“屏幕美容”比赛在 1920 年的报纸上，这篇文章探讨了英国大众媒体在第一次世界大战后的几年中对电影明星的性别形象的贡献。