Despite the recent explosion of scholarly interest in “star studies,” Brazilian film has received comparatively little attention. As this volume demonstrates, however, the richness of Brazilian stardom extends well beyond the ubiquitous Carmen Miranda. Among the studies assembled here are fascinating explorations of figures such as Eliane Lage (the star attraction of São Paulo’s Vera Cruz studios), cult horror movie auteur Coffin Joe, and Lázaro Ramos, the most visible Afro-Brazilian actor today. At the same time, contributors interrogate the inner workings of the star system in Brazil, from the pioneering efforts of silent-era actresses to the recent advent of the non-professional movie star.

Despite the recent explosion of scholarly interest in “star studies,” Brazilian film has received comparatively little attention. As this volume demonstrates, however, the richness of Brazilian stardom extends well beyond the ubiquitous Carmen Miranda. Among the studies assembled here are fascinating explorations of figures such as Eliane Lage (the star attraction of São Paulo’s Vera Cruz studios), cult horror movie auteur Coffin Joe, and Lázaro Ramos, the most visible Afro-Brazilian actor today. At the same time, contributors interrogate the inner workings of the star system in Brazil, from the pioneering efforts of silent-era actresses to the recent advent of the non-professional movie star.

Introduction
Lisa Shaw and Tim Bergfelder

Chapter 1. Consuming visions: female stars, the melindrosa and desires for a Brazilian film industry
Maite Conde

Chapter 2. A star system created by fans: Pernambucan cinema in the 1920s
Luciana Corrêa de Araújo

Chapter 3. A star in the spotlight: Carmen Santos and Brazilian cinema of the 1920s
Ana Pessoa

Chapter 4. Carmen Miranda: from national star to global brand
Ana Rita Mendonça and Lisa Shaw

Chapter 5. Cinelândia magazine and the creation of home-grown movie stars in the 1950s
Lisa Shaw

Chapter 6. Oscarito and Grande Otelo: ‘the terrible twosome’
Jõao Luiz Vieira and Leonardo Macario

Chapter 7. Eliane Lage: a falling star in the skies of the Tropics
Ana Carolina de Moura Delfim Maciel

Chapter 8. Radio stars on screen: critiques of stardom in Moacyr Fenelon’s Tudo azul (1952)
Luís Alberto Rocha Melo

Chapter 9. Jece Valadão, the ‘charming crook’: a star image between tradition and modernity
Rafael de Luna Freire

Chapter 10. José Mojica Marins versus Coffin Joe: auteurism and stardom in Brazilian cinema
Laura Canepa

Chapter 11. As loiras: Brazil’s screen blondes
Stephanie Dennison

Chapter 12. A star is born: the rising profile of the non-professional actor in recent Brazilian cinema
Charlotte Gleghorn

Chapter 13. The black body reframed: Lázaro Ramos and the performance of interracial love
Ben Hoff

Chapter 14. Seu Jorge as a cross-media star: from local authenticity to global appeal
Katia Augusta Maciel

Chapter 15. Latin lover or Latin(o) loser? Rodrigo Santoro and the Hollywood stereotype
Daniel O’Brien

Notes on Contributors
Bibliography
Index