Conclusions

The volume closes with a reflection on the interdisciplinary significance of my research. The promotion of the Divo and the Duce’s charismatic male personae challenged the newly expanded suffrage and the inherently American ideals of democracy. Their near-parallel popularity constituted one of the first American examples of the convergence of film stardom, publicity practices, and the production of a political image, and it showcased the appeal, and risk, of charismatic leadership in the entertainment and political cultures of modern democracies. As such my book seeks to provide a prologue to the work of scholars who have regarded the 1930s as the moment when politics and showmanship first merged, as well as a prelude to present-day critiques of the full-fledged merging of political and celebrity culture that has brought glaring challenges to the ostensibly cherished belief in popular sovereignty and democratic freedom.