The most intriguing aspect of the studio system is how it emphasized key stars to promote studio films, also known as the star system. In the Classic Hollywood film era, instead of film genres being recognizable because of specific directors and producers like they are today, genres were based around stars. Stars were the best representations of what certain studios did. Stars reflected the genre favored by their respective studios by maintaining a consistent set of character traits that catered to their genre.
The star system impacted what kind of film a studio made by forcing the studio to create a film with the genre associated with the casted star. Contemporarily, a genre is picked for a movie and then subsequently a star is chosen for the leading role. However, during the studio system, it was quite opposite; a star was chosen and then a genre was picked based on that particular star’s genre correlation.
For example, Judy Garland was utilized as a functioning asset of the studio system. Garland was a contracted MGM star linked to the musical genre. She had a consistent set of character traits that included innocence and femininity. Whenever Garland was casted in a film, people automatically expected a musical. No matter what the plot line, Garland would be a part of several song sequences before the movies end. MGM casted Judy Garland in Meet me in St. Louis, Thoroughbreds don’t Cry, and The Wizard of Oz. Maintaining consistency with the studio system, MGM made musicals revolving around Garland instead of vise versa. Musical lovers would come running upon hearing news of a new Garland film.
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