On Tue, 2 Aug 1994, Gene Stavis wrote: James Cagney made dozens of > films in his first two or three years at Warner Brothers. Today a star is > lucky to get a film every other year. And stars can be created almost out of > thin air today. No training, no B-pictures, no experience with a variety of > roles and directors. A star has one hit and becomes a corporation with a > virtual fiefdom of representatives and hangers-on - a creature who can > dictate script approval, director approval, advertising, etc. Well....Cagney wasn't quite a star when he was *that* busy -- even WB kept real stars at a premium once they'd proven their earning power. And remember that the system of actors getting script approval, etc. began as early as the late '40s when many stars -- Cagney prominent among them -- formed their own production companies. As for instant stars: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis produced their third film for themselves in 1950, and I can't name too many actors who can say as much today (if any).... Shawn Levy | "August, | you're just an erotic hallucination, | just so much feverishly produced kazoo music, [log in to unmask] | are you serious?"