Under early editors, Julian Johnson and James R. Quirk, in style and reach it became a pacesetter for fan magazines.

[2] The magazine was renowned for its artwork portraits of film stars, by such artists as Earl Christy and Charles Sheldon, on the cover.

The magazine was edited by Quirk until 1932; later editors include Kathryn Dougherty, Ruth Waterbury, and Adele Whiteley Fletcher.

From 1944 to 1968, Photoplay awarded a Gold Medal for film of the year based on polling done by George Gallup's Audience Research Inc. through the 1950s, and then voted on by the magazine's readers.

[4] Bing Crosby and Greer Garson were frequently named the most popular film stars during the 1940s and later winners of the title included James Stewart, Jane Wyman, Alan Ladd, Marilyn Monroe, Rock Hudson, and Kim Novak.

[10] In a sign of changing times, the cover photo featured not movie stars but two television actresses, Victoria Principal and Charlene Tilton.

[10] The president of Macfadden, Peter J. Callahan, said the decision to cease publication was made "very reluctantly", but also added the bald observation that "the day of the traditional movie magazine is over".