Actors Under Contract

One of the major aspects of Classic Hollywood was the concept of having actors under contract.  This meant that certain actors would be contracted to certain studios, and therefore star in the movies of that particular studio. While many actors would be contracted to one studio, this function was also flexible in the fact that studios would sometimes lend out their actors to other studios in order to keep a tight hold on the movie-making market.  However, for the most part, these actors would be delegated to a particular studio.  For instance, as we learned in lecture, Metro Goldwyn Mayer had so many stars under its contracts that its slogan was "More stars than there are in the Heavens".  I felt this aspect of Classic Hollywood was especially important because the stars involved were crucial to the popularity of movies at the time.  Movies were many times even called by the lead actor's name, for example "Cary Grants", rather than the title.  

"More stars than there are in the Heavens" - MGM's contracted stars

The different stars contracted to each studio affected the types of films that studio made.  Many times stars were "typecast" into certain roles.  This almost predetermined what kind of movies each studio could make with their different actors.  To examine stars' involvement in the studio system, we can look at MGM in particular.  MGM had many big name actors such as Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, and Fred Astaire.  Many of MGM's stars, including those previously listed, were known for their ability to sing and/or dance.  For this reason, MGM made a lot of musicals during the time of Classic Hollywood.  If Judy Garland were in a movie, she was guaranteed to sing.  If Gene Kelly were in a movie, he would surely dance.  

Judy Garland in MGM's "Meet me in St. Louis"

Gene Kelly in MGM's "Singin' in the Rain"

Those are a few examples of the musicals made by MGM during the time of Classic Hollywood.  These actors and their skills had a massive impact on the studio system and the audience's reception of movies at the time.