This study addresses a problem in the design of cultural products by examining the effects of one key design component on one aspect of economic success. Specifically, it illustrates an approach that asseses the contributions of movies stars to the revenues of the films in which they appear. A review of the literature suggests that this issue has received only scant and inadequate treatment in the past. Accordingly, the present study draws on a large sample of over sixteen hundred films to estimate the comparative box-office bankability, financial clout, or audience-attracting star power of over a hundred actors and actresses.

This study addresses a problem in the design of cultural products by examining the effects of one key design component on one aspect of economic success. Specifically, it illustrates an approach that asseses the contributions of movies stars to the revenues of the films in which they appear. A review of the literature suggests that this issue has received only scant and inadequate treatment in the past. Accordingly, the present study draws on a large sample of over sixteen hundred films to estimate the comparative box-office bankability, financial clout, or audience-attracting star power of over a hundred actors and actresses.