Analyzing the Twinkletoes, My Best Girl, and Metropolis...

The St Andrean film poster for Twinkletoes (Charles Brabin, USA, 1926), My Best Girl (Sam Taylor, USA, 1927), and Metropolis (Fritz Lang, Germany, 1927) signifies the rise of the star system and film production companies. Furthermore, it touches on the broadening of the local theatrical audience, the decline of the internationality of film, the popularity of female sexualization, the continued interest in spectacle, and the growing interest in the modern and futuristic. Additionally, the poster mentions the beginnings of a shift from focus on spectacle to narrative. Firstly, one of the most notable of the features of the poster is the names of starring actresses. Unlike previous posters, the prominence of â€Å"Co[l]leen Moore† and â€Å"[M]ary Pickford† indicate the emergence of the star system, which gains momentum in the 1930s, soon after the release of these films. The poster also specifies that this is Pickford’s â€Å"only appearance this year† in an attempt to entice her fans, otherwise unable to see her theatrically. Moreover, the name of the production company for Twinkletoes is also foregrounded. Although the Universum Film AG logo and the local distributor for Metropolis are less stressed, they are still present. Together, these two instances reveal the growing importance of production and distribution companies in the industry. Secondly, by combining three distinct genres, the romantic comedy, the romantic drama, and sci-fi, the poster broadens its local audience,