Hitch Your Antenna to the Stars: Early Television and Broadcast Stardom

"In this cultural and industrial history of early television, Susan Murray examines how and why the broadcasting industry gave birth to the idea of TV stars. Combining a sweeping view of the rise of the medium with profiles of Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Jackie Gleason, Lucille Ball, and other early television greats, Murray illuminates the central role played by television stars in the growth and development of American broadcasting."--BOOK JACKET.

Susan Murray is Assistant Professor of Culture and Communication at New York University.

Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter one: Radio and the Saliency of a Broadcast Star System Chapter two: "A Marriage of Spectacle and Intimacy": Modeling the Ideal Television Performer Chapter three: Lessons from Uncle Miltie: Ethnic Masculinity and the Vaudeo Star Chapter four: "TV is a Killer!" The Collapse of the Vaudeo Star and Television's Talent Crisis Chapter five: Our Man Godfrey: Product Pitching and the Meaning of Authenticity Chapter six: For the Love of Lucy: Packaging the Sitcom Star Epilogue