Take my Moneybox ”
The Symbolic Powers of the First Child Movie Stars in Early French Cinema (1906‐1916)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13144295 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ebubekir Düzcan (0000-0002-6222-1154, Utrecht University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 28-54 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociology Lens (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2832-5796 • E-ISSN: 2832-580X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/johs.12452 |
| OpenAlex | W4392583551 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 17 |
This paper analyzes why child film star series produced by major French production companies (Pathé, Gaumont, Eclectic, and Éclair) in the early 1900s (Bébé, Bout‐de‐Zan, Willy, and the Maria Fromet series) were received with such interest by global audiences. This period, prior to World War I, was a brief era when French cinema held significant hegemony worldwide, before Hollywood's dominance began. There are ideas suggesting that child film stars emerged with American cinema. Contrary to this, however, French producers competed fiercely in the 10 years following 1906, producing series featuring child film stars. Substantial budgets were allocated for the marketing of these series, ultimately gaining a considerable fan base not only in Europe but also in America. When examining these film stars from the early 20th century within their historical context, they emerge as the first international child stars with international fame and financial success, unlike child musicians, vaudeville artists, and theater actors from the 18th and 19th centuries. Inspired by the field analysis of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, this article aims to establish a connection between the struggles within the field and the symbolic needs of the audience as reflected in the content of child star films. The films were viewed at the Eye Film Museum archive
Art · Astronomy · Literature · Movie theater · Physics · Sociology · Stars · Cinema and Media Studies · French Historical and Cultural Studies · Italian Fascism and Post-war Society
The Cinema of Attractions Early Film, Its Spectator and the Avant-Garde
The Dynamogenic Factors in Pacemaking and Competition
Centuries of childhood
Culture and Power
Between the Contrasts of Children's Bodies
The Rules of Art
The Cultural Significance of the Child Star
An Invitation of Reflexive Sociology
Constructing (Film) Art
Children, Childhood and Social Capital
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |