The Birth of Hollywood (1900 – 1930)

1. Film makers and producers moved to Hollywood because the mountains, plains and low land prices made Hollywood a good place to establish film studios.

2. Some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood are: – Charlie Chaplin (actor/director), born in London, United Kingdom – Greta Garbo (actress), born in Stockholm, Sweden – Erich Von Stroheim (director), born in Vienna, Austria – F.W Murnau (director), born in Bielefeld, Germany – The Great Dictator (film) – Metropolis (film)

3. Early Hollywood studios were like production lines as they used to constantly churn out films on a rapid rate, to try and make as much money as possible

4. The first ever ‘talking picture’ was ‘The Jazz Singer'(1927) by Alan Crosland.

5. The end of the silent era caused some actors to leave the industry entirely as their acting standards or the sound of their voices were not up to par with the new era of ‘talkies’, as films with dialogue in were known as.

6. The major historical event that happened during the birth of Hollywood is World War 1, which led to many different ways of film making, such as the impressionistic Germanic style and the Russian propaganda that was extremely intuitive and influential when it came to editing. Another key event during this time period was The Great Depression in 1929, which was a great economic crash for American society, which led to people losing their jobs and livelihoods. This would’ve impacted the films made and also the amount of money films made, as films would’ve been a form of escapism for the people of this time.

The Golden Age of Hollywood (1930 – 1947)

1. The big 5 studios were: – Metro Goldwyn Mayer, who filmed big blockbuster films with large budgets. – RKO, who filmed a wide variety of films, such as the original ‘King Kong’ and the highly innovative ‘Citizen Kane’, which is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. – 20th Century Fox, who filmed a lot of historical films and novel adaptations, such as ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and ‘All About Eve’. – Warner Bros., who filmed some big hits during the Golden Age of Hollywood, such as ‘Little Caesar’ and ‘The Public Enemy’. – Paramount, is the longest operating studio in Hollywood, and is responsible for making films such as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby’s ‘Hope’ series and ‘Going My Way’.

2. Vertical Integration is a business strategy to take ownership of two or more key stages of its operations to cut costs. Block-booking is a system of selling multiple films to a theater as a unit. Block booking was the prevailing practice in the Hollywood studio system from the turn of the 1930s until it was outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. 

3. The original studio system around which the industry had been organized for three decades finally expired in 1954, when Loew’s, the last holdout, severed all operational ties with MGM. The reason that it expired was mainly due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., as it outlawed these film companies owning cinemas and only showing their own company’s films, instead of films from all companies.

Classical Hollywood Style

1. Invisible storytelling is when the elements of film, editing, acting, costume design, are done so seamlessly and perfectly that the audience doesn’t notice them. This done so the film feels more immersive for the audience. Can also be described as illusionistic, as it is creating a story that the audience feels is actually happening before them and the events unfolding did actually happen.

2. Continuity editing is an editing system used to preserve the consistency of the events that are unfolding throughout the film.

The Birth of Hollywood (1900-1930)

1.) Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?
The mountains, plains, consistent climate and low land prices made Hollywood the ideal place to open film studios

2.) Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood.
Big stars – Charlie Chaplin (English) and Harold Lloyd (American)
Directors – D.W. Griffith (American) and King Vidor (American)
Films – The Gold Rush and The General

3.) In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line, or even the Premier League?
Stars, writers, directors and crew all worked under long-term contracts. Similar to football players, actors were the properties of the studio, with their contacts conditional based on their performance and whether a scandal came up.

4.) When and what was the first ‘talking picture’?
The first feature film that was originally a talking picture or ‘talkie’ was The Jazz Singer, which premiered on the 6th of October 1927.

5.) Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry?
After the era of talkies premiered, silent films became obsolete and some performers were inexperienced in acting with their voice in the new medium.

6.) What was happening in America at this time?
The First World War (1914-1918), Jim Crow laws (extreme racism), Wall Street Crash (1929) and the Great Depression, The Dust Bowl

Censorship:

The Hays Code was a set of industry guidelines that censored content that was applied to most motion pictures. It applied rigid moral guidelines and rules that were meant to make pictures “presentable” and “safe”.

Some of the rules included:

• Keeping Catholic and family values
• No sexually explicit content
• Good guys always win, bad guys always lose
• Nothing that promotes “bad values” or “perversion”
• No swearing and saying offensive things

The Hollywood Studio System (The Golden Age of Hollywood)

1.) What were the Big 5 studios and what type of movies was each studio famous for
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM): Gone With The Wind, Wizard of Oz
Paramount: Morocco, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
RKO: King Kong, Citizen Kane
20th Century Fox: Les Misérables, Rawhide
Warner Bros.: Casablanca, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

2.) Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was.
Vertical integration allows companies to reduce overhead costs and improve efficiencies in manufacturing and distribution by combining one company of two or more stages of production that are normally operated by separate companies.
Block-booking is a system of selling multiple films to a theatre as a unit, typically including unwanted or inferior films. This was outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948.

3.) Why and when did the original studio system collapse?
The studio system’s decline began in the late 1940s due to the rise of television which increased production costs, as well as societal shifts changing audience’s tastes.

4.) What was happening in America and around the world at this time?
Second World War (1939-45), end of the Great Depression (1939), beginning of the Cold War between Russia (Soviet Union) and America

5.) What genres were popular and why did people go to the movies in this period?
Westerns, slapstick comedies, musicals, dramas

Classical Hollywood Style:

1.) What is meant by the invisible style of storytelling?
Invisible storytelling is referring to when a film is shot and edited so well that the audience does not notice that it has been edited at all to create a completely immersive experience—the ideal style of classical Hollywood and perfected in Casablanca.

2.) What is continuity editing?
Continuity editing is when the story is told in a continuous way—where it is put together in a comprehensive and discernible way. It is also important to consider continuity of the story and to not forget certain details later on.

The Birth of Hollywood (1900-1930)

1. Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?

Los Angeles became the capital of the film industry in the United States, the vast amount of different terrains made it a good place to shoot.

2. Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the silent Era of Hollywood?

Big Stars–

Charlie Chaplin, Clara Bow, Fatty Arbuckle

Directors-

D.W Griffith, Buster Keaton, King Vidor

Pictures–

Gold Rush, The General, City Lights]#

3. In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the Premier League

In Hollywood, the stars were almost owned by the company’s that they worked for the company’s decided when they worked and for what studio, Actresses and actors didn’t have a large say in what they wanted to do.

4. When and what was the first “talking picture”?

The Jazz Singer which premiered on October 6, 1927.

5. Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry

This was due to their unsuitability of their voice or acting abilities with the new medium. A lot of film stars lacked vocal training that was needed.

6. What was happening in America ( and around the world ) at this time?

Wall Street Crash 1929 – This meant that a lot of people lost their jobs and savings

WW1 1914-1918 – This stropped production in Hollywood as many people went off for war and money would be low.

The Hollywood Studio System 1930-1947

1. what were the Big 5 studios & what type of movies was each studio famous for?

The top five studios were

1. Metro – Goldwyn – Mayer / celebrated for its lavish musicals including Wizard of Oz (1939)
2. Warner Bros. / They became famous due to there films which synchronised sound.
3. Paramount / Created European movies
4. Fox /
5. RK0 / well known for their musicals and well known actors

2. Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was?

Block booking– Block booking was a system where they would sell multiple films as a package deal or to sell a unit to a theatres.Studios would package unseen pictures with A- Class features meaning that they would be forced to buy numbers of studios low quality films just to get a A- class one.

Vertical Integration – This allowed film studios to control the production process, enabling them to dictate the creative aspects and reduce reliance on external suppliers.

3. Why and when did the original studio system collapse?

On may 4, 1948 finding that the studios had violated anti – trust laws.

4. What was happening in America at this time?

The great depression, Dust bowl and the start of WW2, as a result of these events film became more popular as a way of the working class to escape from the hardships of day to day life.

5. What genres were popular and why did people go to the movies in this period?

Comedies where popular due to the public needing laughter and escapism

Classical Hollywood Style

What is meant by the invisible style of storytelling?

Invisible style is when the story seems natural and not artificially created, the style tries to show the narrative of the story more than the style of editing. In invisible editing it is not clear that there is editing as it feels very natural to the story.

What is continuity editing?

A type of editing which makes the narrative clear by following rules, for example if a actor looked at a painting the next scene would be a shot of the painting. This makes it easy for the viewer to watch and understand the movie.

The Birth Of Hollywood (1900-1930)

1. Filmmakers and producers moved to Hollywood due to the useful filming locations and to escape Thomas Edison trying to monopolize the film industry.
2. Charlie Chaplin was both a big star and a director. Another famous film star was Harold Lloyd, and Thomas H. Ince was a silent film director. Famous pictures from the silent era includes The Cabinet Of Dr Caligiri and Nosferatu, both german, while Hollywood produced Ben-Hur and 7th Heaven
3. The early Hollywood studio system had one person do the writing, directing, filming and producer work on the film, until Thomas Ince changed that by splitting these aspects into different jobs. The early system also had the studio practically own the actors, which Charlie Chaplin combated.
4. The Jazz Singer from 1927 was the first talking picture (or Talkie)
5. The end of the silent era brought problems to certain directors and actors who had made careers in the silent era as now vocal performances became important and they couldn’t just use physical skills anymore. The new technology was also too complex for them to get used to quickly.
6. During the time of the silent era of film, America went through World War One, the Wall Street crash and The Great Depression.

Charlie Chaplin, famous silent director and actor (1889-1977)

Ben-Hur: A Tale Of The Christ (1925)

The Golden Age Of Hollywood (1930-1947)

The five big studios were:

– MGM, which did high budget films and literary adaptations

Gone With The Wind (1939)

– Paramount, which was known as the more European studio and got German directors over to make films

Shanghai Express (1932)

– Warner Brothers, which made low budget movies like gangster movies and musicals

The Public Enemy (1931)

– 20th Century Fox, famous for making westerns, musicals and dramas

The Grapes Of Wrath (1940)

-RKO, which made a variety of films from musicals to screwball comedies to creature features and even dramas such as Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane (1941)

2. Vertical integration is the combination of two or more stages of production in a business. Block booking is a system of selling multiple films to a theatre as a unit.

3. The original studio system collapsed in 1948 at the conclusion of the United States v. Paramount court case when the 5 big studios were found of violating trust laws.

4. At this time, America went through the Great Depression. America also went through the second world war in the 1940s.

5. At the time people enjoyed movies of the westerns, musicals, screwball comedies and film noir genres. More people than ever went to visit the cinema during this time to escape the great depression, which took a large toll on the mental health of the American population.

Classical Hollywood Style

1. The invisible style of storytelling is when the edits are practically invisible to the audience. This style tries to conceal artistic choices in order to present a natural story to the audience.
2. Continuity editing is the use of editing techniques to combine shots into one smooth, continuous narrative. Classical Hollywood often used continuity editing. This creates an illusion of a sequential, chronological story and is meant to get the audience immersed in the story presented by the film.

The Birth Of Hollywood-1900-1930:

1.Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?

They moved to Hollywood for a more consistent climate for year round film shooting/ they could take advantage of the year-round sunshine and diverse landscapes for filming.

2.Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood? (at least TWO of each)

Charlie Chaplin was one of the biggest stars of the silent era and D.W Griffith director, producer and screenwriter. He is regarded as one of cinema’s most influential filmmakers for his work in the silent era.

D.W Griffith-Director

Charlie Chaplin-Actor

3.In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the Premier League (football)?

Hollywood studio systems could be related to factories or production line or even the Premier League because everything had to work in specific way/system. they had writers, actors, directors, all working in long-term contacts.

4.When and what was the first “talking picture”?

October 6th, 1927, The Jazz Singer was the first talking picture. It is a Warner Brothers’ film that starred Al Jolson.

5.Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry?

Due to the unsuitability of their voice and/or acting abilities with the new medium.

6.What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time?

1914-1918: World War One. Great Depression, Wall Street Crash, 1929

The Golden Age Of Hollywood:

 What were the Big 5 studios & what type of movies was each studio famous for?

RKO, Paramount, Fox Film Corporation, Warner Brothers, MGM

Why and when did the original studio system collapse?

the major studios’ control over production, distribution, and exhibition constituted a monopoly and ordered the studios to divest their theatre chains.

What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time?

The Great Depression

Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was?

is a business strategy that a company uses by owning many parts of there own business

What genres were popular and why did people go to the movies in this period?

Westerns, musicals, screwball comedies, and film noir. The increased financial prosperity of the 1920s gave many Americans more disposable income to spend on entertaining themselves.

Classical Hollywood Style:

what is it meant by he invisible style of storytelling?

the classical Hollywood filmmaking technique that aims to conceal artistic choices and present a natural story to audiences. invisible storytelling also suggests that the audience shouldn’t notice when the cuts are happening.

what is continuity editing?

A system of cutting used to maintain continuous and clear narrative action by following a set of rules.

1.Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?

The mountains and the large untouched land made it ideal to establish studios

2.Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood? (at least TWO of each)

director – Charlie Chaplin April 16, 1889

director – Lois weber June 13, 1879

actor – Clara bow

actor – Harold Lloyd

3.In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the Premier League (football)?

the early system made actors worth very little and could be loaned over to other film companies similar to how footballers could be sent over to play for other teams. Actors were told what they were and were not able to do making them very dependent with their managers.

4.When and what was the first “talking picture”?

The Jazz Singer, which premiered on October 6, 1927. A major hit, it was made with Vitaphone, which was at the time the leading brand of sound-on-disc technology.

5.Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry?

When actors were able to use their voice, some actors didn’t match their characters persona which made the characters appear confusing.

6.What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time?

WW1 , GREAT DEPRESSION , wall street crash 1929. These all made holly wood more successful since they were realising up to 800 films a year, meanwhile we only release less than 400 in todays date

The Hollywood studio system

•1) What were the Big 5 studios & what type of movies was each studio famous for?

MGM – musicals, melodramas, literary adaptations (Wizard of Oz)

Fox – Musicals (The Grapes of Wrath)

RKO – musicals, comedies (Bringing up Baby)

warner bros – melodramas , gangster movies (The Public Enemy)

Paramout – comedies (Morroco)

•2) Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was?

block-booking – selling films to theaters in units

vertical integration – when a Media Company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution. For example, a 20th Century Fox owns the studios in Hollywood, they also own the cinemas, the TV channels and the DVD rental shops

•3) Why and when did the original studio system collapse?

In May 4. 1948 , the USA rules that Paramount and 8 other companies violated anti-trust laws since they were exercising an unfair monopoly by dictating what movie go into their own theaters.

•4) What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time?

The great depression and wars

•5) What genres were popular and why did people go to the movies in this period?

Westerns, comedy , musicals and animated cartoons were popular. During the great depression people could only afford to watch movies for entertainment.

classical Hollywood style

1. what is meant by the invisible style of story telling?

it is when in classical Hollywood they chose to hide the artistic choice from directors in order to present a more natural story to the audience.

2. what is continuity editing?

it is when they edit the scenes in a film together to make it feel seamless and that there isn’t a cut. In classical Hollywood they didn’t use jump cuts and made sure it wasn’t obvious to keep the natural feel.It emphasis dialogue reaction cause an effect.

1.Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?

The mountains, plains and low land prices made Hollywood a good place to establish film studios. They moved to Hollywood for a more consistent climate for year round film shooting and to escape fees imposed by Tomas Edison

2.Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood? (at least TWO of each)

Big stars – Greta Garbo(Swedish-American actress), Charlie Chaplin (English)

Directors- Charlie Chaplin (English) , D.W Griffith (American)

Picture – The birth of a Nation, The Big Parade

3.In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the Premier League (football)?

The Studio system operated like a factory, with stars, directors, writers and crew all working under long-term contracts. Everything is happening in one area instead of all over the place. The stars are the properties of the studios.

4.When and what was the first “talking picture”?

The Jazz Singer, which premiered on October 6, 1927

5.Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry?

Silent actors/ actresses who were reduced to smaller character/supporting or uncredited parts following the advert of sound, or who left the industry together, due to the unsuitability of their voice and/ or acting abilities with the new medium

6.What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time?

– Word war 1 started from July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918 : meaning things get expensive and many people lost there jobs – The Great Depression
– The wall Street Crash (1929)

Censorship

The Hays code is a set of guidelines, self-imposed by Hollywood studios, regulating the moral content of films produced from 1934 to 1968.

The Hays code forbade the use of profanity, obscenity and racial slurs and included detailed instruction outlining how certain topics should be shown on screen, especially proscribing graphic violence, criminality, substance use, promiscuity, miscegenation, and homosexuality.

The Hollywood Studio System

1930-1947 – The Golden Age of Hollywood

•1) What were the Big 5 studios & what type of movies was each studio famous for?

• Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)
  Movie Example – Die Another Day
• RKO
  Movie Example – King Kong
• 20th Century Fox
  Movie Example – Avatar
• Warner Bros
  Movie Example – Barbie
• Paramount Pictures
  Movie Example – Titanic

•2) Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was ?

Vertical Integration is a business strategy where a company expands its operation by acquiring or merging with other companies at different stages of production within the same industry

•3) Why and when did the original studio system collapse?

Challenges in the form of pay TV, antitrust legislation, low admissions and censorship had worn down the studios in the previous decade. The studio system was also challenged under the antitrust laws in a 1948 supreme court ruling which sought to separate production from distribution and exhibition and ended such practices.

•4) What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time?

Word war 1 started from July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918 : meaning things get expensive and many people lost there jobs – The Great Depression
– The wall Street Crash (1929)

•5) What genres were popular and why did people go to the movies in this period?

Genre films were big hits, especially westerns, gangster and crime movies and musicals.
While the country was consumed in a sullen attempt to rebuild society, Films offered an accessible escape for restless minds in tough times and the theatre offered a place of escapism through entertainment.

Classical Hollywood Style

What is it meant by the invisible style of storytelling?
Invisible style of a storytelling is when the editing and the different cuts of the film is ” invisible ” or unnoticeable to the audience. The style of editing is normally associated with classical Hollywood.

What is continuity editing?
A system of cutting used to dominate continuous and clear narrative action by following a set of rules. Continuity editing is an editing system used to maintain consistency of both time and space in the film. The benefit’s of the editing technique is the shot sequence flow seamlessly into each other and its easy to watch the film.

1. Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood? Hollywood is known for its consistent climate, therefore making it easier to schedule filming – also to escape fees from Tomas Edison (who owned many patents on the movie-making process).
2. Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood? Clara Bow (from New York), Buster Keaton (from Kansas), King Vidor (from Texas), Charlie Chaplin (from London), Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror(F.W. Murnau), The Last Laugh (F.W. Murnau).
3. In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the Premier League? The early Hollywood studio system was able to loan out their actors to other companies, just like how football clubs can loan out their players to other clubs.
4. When and what was the first “talking picture”? On October 6th, 1927 called “The Jazz Singer”.
5. Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry? Some actors didn’t have the right kind of voice for talkies, therefore making them disposable.
6. What was happening in America (and around the world) at this time? WW1 1914-1918, The Great Depression, The Wall street 1929, The Roaring 20s. All of these events contributed to the uprise in romance, mystery and comedy pictures, given that society sought out escapism from the real world.

Censorship

Hays Code

They were a set of guidelines introduced to the industry in 1934 and enforced until 1968. It prohibited studios from distributing films showing realistic violence, nudity, sex, prolonged kissing, and profanity.

The Hays Code was a way to maintain morality in Hollywood – especially for Americans. There were concerns about women, children, and lower-class citizens being susceptible to bad influences in film.

The Hollywood Studio System (1930-1947)

1. What were the 5 big studios and what movies was each famous for? Paramount Picture: Shanghai Express – 1932, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer): The Wizard of Oz – 1939, RKO: King Kong – 1933, 20th Century Fox: The Grapes of Wrath – 1940, Warner Bros: The Public Enemy – 1931.
2. Explain what vertical integration and block-booking was? Vertical integration is when a company takes ownership of two or more stages of its supply chain; in the film industry, this was when studios owned the cinemas which screened their films, having a direct link to the distribution of pictures. Block-booking was a system of selling multiple films as a unit, sequentially providing the cinemas a large portion of the revenues – which is actually giving the studios themselves the revenue, given that providers and distributors were vertically integrated.
3. Why and when did the original studio system collapse? By 1948, the original studio system had collapsed, losing their monopoly power within the industry, on May 4th 1948, the Supreme Court found that the studios had violated anti-trust laws.
4. What was happening in America (and around the world) at this time? The Great Depression, WW2, beginning of the Cold War.
5. What genres of movies were popular and why did people go to the movies in this time period? Gangster, Romance, Mystery, Comedy, Western, Musicals, cartoon animations. People went to the movies to escape the bleak reality of the world they were living in.

Classical Hollywood Style

1. What is meant by the invisible style of storytelling? Subtle cuts are made throughout the film to make the narrative draw the audience’s attention in, rather than the fact they’re watching a film. They become immersed. The focal point is character development and storyline.
2. What is continuity editing? When shots are ordered chronologically, creating a cohesive storyline whilst creating the illusion of a real world within the film – effectively making audience immersed into the storyline.

1. Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?

Typically film makers, producers and people interested in the business moved to Hollywood as it presented the most opportunities, and it also became known as the “capital of the film industry”. This city was chosen specifically for its consistent climate which allowed for more lenient filming and to avoid the costs of Edison’s patents.

2. Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the Silent Era of Hollywood? (at least TWO of each)

Firstly, the most famous and iconic star of this era was Charlie Chaplin, an English actor and director most known for his character of The Tramp. Another famous actress was Clara Bow who rose to fame in the 1920s and was known as the “It Girl”. For directors, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau and David Wark Griffith were highly regarded and known.

3.In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the Premier League (football)?

This is because they worked in similar ways: the studio system operated like a factory with stars, directors, writers, and crew all working under long-term contracts.

4.When and what was the first “talking picture”?

The first ever “talking picture” or “talkie” was The Jazz Singer which premiered on the 6th of October 1927. It was made with the Vitaphone which was at the time the leading brand of sound-on-disc technology.

5.Why did the end of the silent era cause problems for some performers working in the film industry?

The end of the silent era was catastrophic for many performers in the film industry at the time because when “talkies” began becoming popular many actors and actresses either didn’t understand the technology involved to productively work or directors/producers thought their voice didn’t fit the film.

6.What was happening in America(and around the world) at this time?

The first World War and the Wallstreet Crash, which was an economic disaster for Americans in the 1920’s and eventually also led to the Great Depression.

The Hollywood Studio System

Classical Hollywood Style

The invisible style of storytelling refers to the classical Hollywood filmmaking technique that aims to conceal artistic choices and present a natural story to the audience.

The birth of Hollywood 1900-1930

1. Why did film makers and producers move to Hollywood?

A lot of film makers moved to Hollywood as there was a lot of real estate being sold, perfect for movie sets and studios to be built.

2. Name some of the big stars, directors and pictures from the ‘Silent Era’.

directors: Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), Michael Curtiz (1886-1962)

stars: Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) John Wayne (1907-1979)

pictures: City Lights (1931), Battleship Potekim (1925)

3. In what ways were the early Hollywood studio system like a factory or production line or even the ‘Premier League’?

In the early 1900s, actors and actresses did not have much liberty at all. This meant that if they got into any trouble or public drama, directors and film producers would often fire them but also make sure that they will not be working in the film industry again meaning that their career was ruined. Actors would often also be sold and signed with different producers all the time depending on what genre and type of films were being created at the time.

4. When was the first “talking picture”?

The first “talking picture” (film where an actor/actress spoke audibly for the audience to hear) was ‘The Jazz Singer’. This film was originally presented as a “talkie” (although it only had limited sound sequences) and it premiered on October 6th 1927.

5. Why did the end of the Silent Era cause problems for some producers working in the film industry?

Some actors or actresses were just not good enough for the job anymore. For example, their voice would not sound good as it would be too high or even too low therefore not matching their face and their acting. In some cases, the actors would not understand the new technology evolving around them such as different cameras or microphones, further causing problems during filming.

6. What was happening in America (and around the world) as this time?

The film movements of ‘Classical Hollywood’ as well as French impressionism, German expressionism as well as the German montage began during this period. America then came to its economic demise as ‘The Great Depression’ hit, leading millions of people to lose their jobs and livelihoods, ultimately leading to them also losing their money due to the economic ‘Wall Street Crash’. This was a major stock market crash in the United States which began in 1929 with a sharp decline in prices on the ‘New York Stock Exchange’.

Censorship

The Hays code is a set of rules and guidelines self-imposed by Hollywood studios. These guidelines regulate the moral content of films produced and filmed from 1934 and 1968. The Hayes code prohibited obscenity, profanity and racial slurs from making any appearances in films. This included strict instructions outlining how certain topics should be shown on screen. This code also restricted homosexuality, criminality, miscegenation and even substance use.

The Hollywood Studio System

1. What were the big 5 studios and what kind of movies are they each known for?

MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) – this studio was founded in 1924 and it was popular for its over the top musicals with big budgets such as ‘Wizard of Oz’ (1939)

Warner Bros. – this studio got famous in the 1930s due to their films being some of the first ones with synchronised sound, they produced low budget mellow-dramas and they also branded themselves as “the studio of the working class”

Paramount – Paramount Pictures is the last major film studio to still be situated in Hollywood and it was well known for producing mostly European movies such as ‘Morocco’

20th Century Fox – this studio was founded in 1915 and it became famous because of John Ford who was a very well known and loved director for creating dramas such as ‘How green was my valley’

RKO – this studio was home to the very popular Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals, they also produced what is known as “one of the most influential films”, ‘Citizen Kane’

2. Explain what virtual integration and block-booking was.

Virtual integration and block-booking were two strategies used by major film studios to maintain the film industry. Virtual integration refers to how studios would produce, distribute and exhibit films through a combination of ownership and control. This allowed studios to control the production process and have complete creative freedom without needing to rely on external suppliers. Block-booking was a practice where theatres were forced to buy a bundle or a “block” of films from one specific studio instead of being able to select films from different studios. This left theatres with little to no choice as this way, the theatres would also display the films which were less popular or with a smaller budget.

3. Why and when did the original studio system collapse?

The biggest turn of events in the studio system history was when the US government’s Supreme Court ruled in the ‘Paramount Decision’ which forced film studios which also owned theatres to sell them to individually owned theatres and this violated the ‘anti-trust’ laws as they owned and profited from a lot of revenue, denying other people’s success. This court rule weakened studios’ distribution and exhibition control, therefore taking away some of the studio’s power.

4. What was happening in America and around the world at this time?

The ‘Wall Street Crash’ caused what we now know as the ‘Great Depression’ during this time as many lost their jobs and money and savings worth a lifetime.

5. What genres were popular and why did people go to cinemas in this period?

Film genres such as Musicals, Gangster films, Westerns and Romantic comedies were thriving. It was way cheaper and more accessible to go to the cinema during this time compared to going to the theatres for example. Therefore, many wanted to forget about everything going on in their lives and they would go to cinemas as a distraction. The film industry was doing better during this time than any other, producing around 800 films per year compared to today’s rate of 500.

Classical Hollywood style

In Casablanca, it was curtail that editing was seamless as it gave a sense of continuity by having no sharp or noticeable cuts. This was achieved by having the shots arranged in a certain way in order to make the storyline develop for the entertainment of the spectators. Films usually followed the ‘beginning, middle and end’ structure in order to create a strong and interesting narrative. Film makers had the task of creating the entire world of the film, often building sets instead of filming on location however this still gave the illusion that what was happening on screen was actually also happening in real life.