Danish silent film actress Asta Nielsen became a brand name in movie houses around the globe in the early 1900s. Known simply as "The Asta," she exhibited both a subtle eroticism and a naturalistic style in her performances, which propelled her into international stardom. Nielsen's worldwide fame was made possible by film distributors adept at contracting long runs for films in cinemas around the world. This volume examines the role of these newly developed film distribution strategies and the resulting emergence of the international film star.