‘A star is born’: Michèle Morgan’s rapid rise to stardom in popular magazines (1937–1939)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyses Michèle Morgan’s rapid rise to stardom between 1937 and 1939 through the prism of her media coverage and her reception in popular magazines and their readers’ letters. From a perspective combining cultural history with star and gender studies, the article is based on an analysis of three specialised film magazines (Cinémonde, Ciné-Miroir, Pour Vous) while exploring the interest shown by the women’s press and its readership (Confidences, Marie-Claire, Midinette, Nouveauté) in the young ‘star’ in the making. After observing Morgan’s revelation and rise as a new type of star, the construction and meanings of her persona, particularly in relation to her ‘sacrificial’ performances and her ‘statuesque’ physique, the article discusses the generational, gender and class implications of the multiple controversies and appropriations surrounding her.