Recycled Stars

About “Recycled Stars”

The popularity of television in postwar suburban America significantly weakened the traditional Hollywood studio system. However, some aging Hollywood stars used television to renew their careers. In Recycled Stars, Mary R. Desjardins explores how female film stars and their images were reused, owned, and controlled across television, print, and new media. She argues that female stardom reflects the emotions and tensions these figures create in their audiences. The book examines how stars like Gloria Swanson, Loretta Young, Ida Lupino, and Lucille Ball found new opportunities in early television. It also looks at Maureen O'Hara's 1957 legal battle against the magazine Confidential and how experimental filmmakers, video artists, and fans reinterpreted iconic star images. The book highlights the resilience of female stars as they adapted to new media and tried to maintain relevance.