For the boxer nicknamed "Matinee Idol", see Bobby Czyz

Bobby Czyz

Robert Edward "Bobby" Czyz is a retired American boxer. A New Jersey native of mostly Polish and Italian descent, he is both a former world light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion.Czyz was born in Orange, New Jersey...

Matinée idol is a term used mainly to describe film or theatre stars who are adored to the point of adulation by their fans.

The term almost exclusively refers to male actors. Invariably the adulation was fixated on the actor's looks rather than performance. It differs from "sex symbol

Sex symbol

A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...

" (and is also faintly derogatory) in that it suggests the star's popularity came from the afternoon Matinée performances rather than the "big picture" evenings and, hence, a less discriminating audience.

Now a somewhat old-fashioned term, the phenomenon reached its height during the period from the 1930s to around the 1960s, a period extending from the beginning of the "talkies" to the development of pop culture. As a concept it was supplanted by the more music-led term, "teen idol

Teen idol

A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...

".

Television and film

The Matinee Idol

The Matinee Idol

The Matinee Idol is a 1928 silent romantic comedy film directed by Frank Capra, and starring Bessie Love and Johnnie Walker. A Broadway star falls in love with a woman who does not know his real identity....

is also the title of a 1928 Frank Capra

Frank Capra

Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...

 film, a 1933 UK film and a Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...

 song, which is supposed to have been written about River Phoenix

River Phoenix

River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...

, as well as countless articles and biographies concerning film and theatre actors.

Sports

• Professional boxer Bobby Czyz
  Bobby Czyz
  Robert Edward "Bobby" Czyz is a retired American boxer. A New Jersey native of mostly Polish and Italian descent, he is both a former world light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion.Czyz was born in Orange, New Jersey...
  
  , who fought and lost to Evander Holyfield
  Evander Holyfield
  Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
  
  , Mustafa Hamsho
  Mustafa Hamsho
  Mustafa Hamsho , born in 10 October 1953 in Latakia, Syria, was a Assyrian/Syriac boxer who never won a world title, but fought some big names in his career. Though he was not a winner in all of those fights, he did some things to make every one of his fights interesting and controversial in some...
  
  , and Virgil Hill, was nicknamed "The Matinee Idol".
• During the November 15, 2009, Sunday Night Football
  Sunday Night Football
  Sunday Night Football is a weekly American football game held throughout most of the season by the National Football League. Sunday night games have been played regularly since 1987 and have thus far aired on three different television outlets:...
  
   game between the New England Patriots
  New England Patriots
  The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
  
   and the Indianapolis Colts
  Indianapolis Colts
  The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
  
  , Bob Costas
  Bob Costas
  Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
  
   used the term to describe New England Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady
  Tom Brady
  Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
  
  . The Colts went on to win by a score of 35-34.

Professional Boxer Oscar Golden Boy Dela Hoya is also anothere fighter Known Matinee Idol