Photoplay
Photoplay was one of the leading Hollywood fan magazines of the 1920s and 1930s. First published in 1911, the magazine offered readers a glimpse into Hollywood and the personal lives of their favorite movie stars. The magazine also published reviews of films, and starting in 1920, it awarded an annual “Medal of Honor” to the film that received the most votes from its readers. Photoplay framed itself as an insider with privileged knowledge of the industry that was still a fan at heart. The cover of each magazine features a painted portrait of a film star, and the interior pages would include articles, photographs, interviews and even pieces “authored” by stars. The magazine’s popularity declined by the 1950s as the studio system declined; however, it continued to be published until 1980.
mediahistoryproject.org/fanmagazine
Photoplay is featured in Edition: Out of Print
