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 adult male actors.

Matinée idols often tend to play romantic and dramatic leading or secondary leading roles and are usually known for having good looks. The term can be taken as faintly pejorative 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. Matinée idols often become the subject of parody during the height of their popularity, an example being Stan Laurel spoofing Rudolph Valentino in his film Mud and Sand.

Now a somewhat old-fashioned term, the phenomenon reached its height from the 1920s to around the 1960s. "Teen idol" is a similar term which more often refers to youthful musicians rather than film actors. The term differs from "sex symbol," which refers to a star's sexual attractiveness in and outside of film more so than their romantic performances on the screen. A sex symbol, however, may also be a matinée idol.

Matinee Idol is a 1933 British crime film directed by George King and starring Camilla Horn, Miles Mander and Marguerite Allan. The screenplay concerns a young actress who is suspected of murder.

Plot summary

A young actress is suspected of murder when a matinee idol she had prevented seducing her sister is found dead.

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