The Divo and the Duce: Promoting Film Stardom and Political Leadership in 1920s America PDF
Preview The Divo and the Duce: Promoting Film Stardom and Political Leadership in 1920s America
THE DIVO AND THE DUCE PROMOTING FILM STARDOM AND POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN 1920S AMERICA GIORGIO BERTELLINI Luminos is the Open Access monograph publishing program from UC Press. Luminos provides a framework for preserving and reinvigorating monograph publishing for the future and increases the reach and visibility of important scholarly work. Titles published in the UC Press Luminos model are published with the same high standards for selection, peer review, production, and marketing as those in our traditional program. www.luminosoa.org The publisher and the University of California Press Foundation gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Constance and William Withey Endowment Fund in History and Music. The Divo and the Duce CINEMA CULTURES IN CONTACT Richard Abel, Giorgio Bertellini, and Matthew Solomon, Series Editors 1. The Divo and the Duce: Promoting Film Stardom and Political Leadership in 1920s America, by Giorgio Bertellini The Divo and the Duce Promoting Film Stardom and Political Leadership in 1920s America Giorgio Bertellini UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Oakland, California © 2019 by Giorgio Bertellini Suggested citation: Bertellini, G. The Divo and the Duce: Promoting Film Stardom and Political Leadership in 1920s America. Oakland: University of California Press, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/luminos.62 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY license. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses. Cover illustrations: (Above) Valentino, posing before his bust-in-progress and unidentified sculptress. Rudolph Valentino, no. 194, Core Collection Biography Photos, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Courtesy of AMPAS. (Below) Mussolini, posing before his bust-in-progress and American sculptor Jo Davidson, ca. 1927. Archivio Centrale dello Stato, Partito Nazionale Fascista, Ufficio Propaganda (Fotografie Istituto Luce), b.1, 90. Courtesy of ACS. Author photo by Mary Lou Chlipala. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Bertellini, Giorgio, 1967– author. Title: The Divo and the Duce : promoting film stardom and political leadership in 1920s America / Giorgio Bertellini. Description: Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2019] | Series: Cinema cultures in contact ; 1 | Includes bibliographical references and index. | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY license. To view a copy of the license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/ licenses | Identifiers: LCCN 2018033486 (print) | LCCN 2018036816 (ebook) | ISBN 9780520972179 (ebook) | ISBN 9780520301368 (pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Publicity—United States—History—20th century. | Valentino, Rudolph, 1895–1926. | Mussolini, Benito, 1883–1945. | Mass media and publicity. | Communication in politics. | Celebrities in mass media. | Motion picture industry—United States—History— 20th century. Classification: LCC HM1226 (ebook) | LCC HM1226 .B48 2019 (print) | DDC 305.5/2--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018033486 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Leila contents List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: “Nothing Like Going to an Authority!” 1 part one. Power and Persuasion 1. Popular Sovereignty, Public Opinion, and the Presidency 17 2. Cultural Nationalism and Democracy’s Opinion Leaders 37 3. Wartime Film Stardom and Global Leadership 56 part two. The Divo, or the Governance of Romance 4. The Divo, New-Style Heavy 83 5. The Ballyhooed Art of Governing Romance 114 6. Stunts and Plebiscites 145 part Three. The Duce, or the Romance of Undemocratic Governing 7. Promoting a Romantic Biography 165 8. National Leader, International Actor 198 Conclusions 227 Archival Sources 235 Abbreviations 237 Notes 239 Selected Primary Sources 297 Index 303
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