Film stars have often been used by both totalitarian regimes and democratic governments to promote the official "party line." Fascist Italy was no exception, but until now, there has not been a serious study of this phenomenon for that country. This book (by a professor of film and televisions studies at the U. of Warwick) fills the explanatory and analytical gap. Interestingly, Mussolini himself promoted Italian stardom, realizing its potential for successful propaganda. Here, Gundle describes the careers of several important film stars of Fascist Italy, and analyzes them in the context of their intersection with the political sphere. This, inevitably for such a monolithic society, spills over into a discussion of the broader commercial culture--and their relationship with the public after the war. The discussion is divided into three parts: the discussion of the fascist government's policies in regard to film and propaganda; a section on the careers of specific actors and actresses; and the analysis of the aftermath. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)