ABSTRACT
This verse, part of a tribute from a reader of Pictures and the Picturegoer in 1925, suggests both Ivor Novello’s appeal and his status as the pre-eminent British film star of the 1920s. Its tone of teasing rivalry with Hollywood, with a domestic star favoured over Rudolph Valentino, is also characteristic of much fan magazine correspondence of the time, which often saw admirers of British performers arguing for their greater attractiveness, authenticity and general superiority over those from America. However, beyond these pages, which were hardly a reliable record of audience tastes and preferences, there was much concern in the wider industry around questions of stardom in this period.
