From these humble beginnings the movies soon became a national art form. Two innovations stimulated the transition: feature films and the star system. The growth of motion pictures from single relers lasting fifteen minutes to features lasting ninety minutes and longer made it possible to tell complex and compelling stories that competed with the stage for the patronage of the more affluent middle-class. The creation of motion picture stars such as Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks created film fandom which enthusiastically endorsed the high salaries paid to these personalities by buying tickets that escalated in price.