During the heyday of Hollywood's studio system, stars were carefully cultivated and promoted, but at the price of their independence. This familiar narrative of Hollywood stardom receives a long-overdue shakeup in Emily Carman's new book. Far from passive victims of coercive seven-year contracts, a number of classic Hollywood's best-known actresses worked on a freelance basis within the restrictive studio system. In leveraging their stardom to play an active role in shaping their careers, female stars including Irene Dunne, Janet Gaynor, Miriam Hopkins, Carole Lombard, and Barbara Stanwyck...

This illuminating collection shows how legal frameworks have shaped the culture and commerce of Hollywood film. Key experts in the field explore how legal instruments, processes and institutions have influenced the conditions in which films are made and sold, and how the film industry has left its own impression on the American legal system.