Once Hollywood became the focal point of film industry, major studios discovered that it was necessary to develop new ways of attracting audiences. They soon realized that certain actors and actresses were able to command the attention of viewers regardless of what the film was about. This led to the coining of the star system, which was and still is a film studio's use of stars' popularity to promote its movies.
This type of promotional technique led to the association of actors and actresses with certain genres of film that they often starred in. The studios had tremendous control over what types of film were being produced since the audience mainly paid to see the stars rather than analyze the plot. Hence, the studios could produce more B movies and make a significant profit from them as long as a big name celebrity was in the film.
An example of the star system in effect is the acting career of Judy Garland. As a vocally talented actress, Garland was often casted in musical films. Viewers who enjoyed musical numbers would flock to see her films such as The Wizard of Oz, Summerstock, and The Harvey Girls. The clip below is from The Wizard of Oz, where Judy Garland sings the number "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhzbzwPNgXA
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