Child stars have never had it easy. In this engaging study, Kahan (English, University of La Verne) follows the rise and fall of William Henry West Betty (1791-1874) who became famous as a
teenager for playing adult parts on stages throughout Britain and Ireland. Carefully managed by his father, Betty became a super star, with people battering down theater doors when performances
were sold out. He may have been one of the first actors to spawn an industry of souvenirs. Lionized by royalty, adored by fans, Betty had a good five-year run. As is true of many child actors
today, he spent his later years trying to regain early fame, even pushing his son into acting. This account of the Betty phenomenon is both a biography and a sympathetic investigation into why
the populace can go overboard in idolizing infant prodigies. Betty helped the public forget the threat of Napoleon as, in the twentieth century, Shirley Temple diverted America from the
Depression and growing threat of war. Unlike many child actors, Betty at least remained wealthy but, as Kahan makes clear, money didn't make up for the loss of celebrity as a child, nor for the
loss of childhood in becoming a celebrity. Distributed by Associated University Presses. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
