1. A brief history of Hollywood, Chance, and Dreams
HOLLYWOOD AND FILM
A brief history of Hollywood, Chance, and Dreams

2. Edison’s “Black Maria” Studio
“America’s First Movie Studio” in West Orange, New Jersey
The first photographed image on movie film was Fred Ott’s Sneeze (late 1800’s)
Other films were of acrobats, music hall performances, and boxing matches
Black Maria is pronounced “Black Ma-RYE-ah”

3. Motion Picture: A New Invention
The first camera to capture moving pictures was called the kinetograph (1888).
The kinetograph led to the development of the kinetoscope, which was a coin operated viewing machine. This device worked for a single user at first and eventually projected images onto a screen)

4. Motion Picture: A New Invention
So the difference between the two is…
The kinetograph came first and was an invention that ‘captured’ motion (i.e. more than just a still photograph)
The kinetoscope came second and was a device that allowed you to view the captured motion (it evolved to eventually project the film on a screen).
Black Maria is pronounced “Black Ma-RYE-ah”

5. Otherwise known as “Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze”
Fred Ott’s Sneeze (1894)
Otherwise known as “Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze”
Produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company under the direction of William K. Dickson. Starring Fred Ott, filmed on 35mm film between January 2-7, It is now kept at the United States Library of Congress.

6. The Kinetograph and Kinetoscope
Kinetoscopes played fifty-foot sections of film

7. The First Films
The first films were crude movies. In the 1890’s, they were shown in penny arcades. These arcades later became known as Nickelodeons.
This slide contains two more clips from Edison’s Movie Studio: (1) a clip of a train arriving, (2) a man shaving with a dull razor, and (3) a clip panning the Eiffel Tower. These clips were important examples, as they demonstrate the ability to give the audience a unique experience. When the train arrives in the first clip, audiences reportedly screamed in fearful surprise. The second clip illustrates how film could be used to convey emotional response (unlike a still photograph), and the third clip demonstrates the power of film to take a viewer to a place previously possible only in person (in this case, the viewer experiences the other side of the world).
Click clips to play in full screen.

8. Nickelodeons A nickel bought an hour of short films
Nickelodeons were extremely popular in poorer neighborhoods
This type of entertainment appealed primarily to the new wave of immigrants
Edison initially dismissed the idea of projecting motion pictures, arguing that they were effectively shown through an eyepiece on the Kinetoscope. He quickly changed his mind, however, once imitation equipment quickly gained enormous popularity.
November 30, 1907

9. Early Entertainment Caste System
Saloons
Nickelodeon
Burlesque
Vaudeville
Ziegfeld Follies
“Theater”
Opera

10. A Few Definitions
Burlesque: A satire or comedy of live performance, performance art, and adult entertainment generally using/relying on sex/sexual innuendos.
Vaudeville: A combination of separate, unrelated acts, including musicians, dancers, comedians, trained animals, magicians, one acts, etc… (think of the NV variety show)
Ziegfeld Follies: A series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 until 1931 (later a radio show and a movie). Not as exclusive as the traditional Broadway theater productions or opera.

12. Burlesque
A satire or comedy of live performance, performance art, and adult entertainment generally using/relying on sex/sexual innuendos.
The two Burlesque clips are titled “Kiss Me” and “Pity the Blind.” They depict the sexual nature of Burlesque shows, as an addition to pieces that would also make their way to many vaudeville stages. Clips courtesy the United States Library of Congress.

13. Vaudeville
A combination of separate, unrelated acts, including musicians, dancers, comedians, trained animals, magicians, one acts, etc… (think of the NV variety show)
The vaudeville acts included in this slide contain (1) a baboon, kitten, dog, and donkey, and (2) Two sisters punching each other with boxing gloves. Clips courtesy the United States Library of Congress.

14. Ziegfeld Follies

15. Motion Pictures Get A Plot (and Editing)!
Edwin S. Porter
An early film pioneer who worked for Edison’s company (The Edison Manufacturing Co.)
He was instrumental in changing the use of moving pictures from simply just filming “things” to using it to tell a story. It’s a very basic idea but one Edison and others hadn’t considered up till this time.
The Life of An American Fireman (1903)
How is this film different from the clips we’ve viewed so far?
The Great Train Robbery (1903)
The archetypal “Western”
One reel long
Immensely popular at Nickelodeons, financially established film as a commercial industry.

17. New Jersey/New York: Hub of American Movie Industry
In the early days, New York and New Jersey were the center of the film industry.
The problem was, it was overshadowed by Broadway and Edison’s Trust had many patents that were rigorously defended by law.
Also, Broadway stars refused to “degrade” themselves in films

18. Film’s First Monopoly The Studio System
Formed in 1908, the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) attempted to monopolize the new invention and industry of film.
It was nicknamed “The Edison Trust”
Edison owned many of the patents necessary to make a motion picture, and had an exclusive deal with Kodak, the main distributor of raw film.
Despite many lawsuits, the only effective response to the MPPC was distance from it. Because distance made it difficult for Edison’s company to enforce the patents it held, independent filmmakers moved their operations from the East Coast to Southern California and Mexico. This was also a desirable location because of the year round climate, the sun, and the breathtaking views. Land was also sparsely populated and cheap.
The monopoly was challenged, and the Edison Trust defeated in court. This led to the establishment of
The Studio System

19. Founders of Dominant Film Companies
Paramount Pictures
Founded by Adolph Zukor in 1912
Instituted the practice of Block Booking
Universal Studios
Founded by Carl Lammle in 1912
Movie productions were of high quality, funded by Lammle himself
Studio was open to the public as a tourist attraction
MGM-Leow’s
Founded by Marcus Loew in 1924
Consolidated Metro Pictures (1916) and Goldwyn Pictures (1917) with Loew’s Inc.
Fox Film Corporation
Founded by William Fox in 1915
Bought the Movietone Sound System in an effort to record sound with film

20. The Independents'’ Vision
They wanted to increase audiences
Their Solution?
Use well-publicized stars
Show feature-length films
Provide luxurious theaters

21. The Rise of Cinema
The popularity of film skyrocketed between the years 1909 and This was due to:
More Theaters
Longer Movies
More Serious Subjects
Greater Revenue
The Loews Theatre chain hired nationally-known theater architect John Eberson, who designed this 1928 theater in a Spanish-influenced style called Churrigueresque.

23. D.W. Griffith Moves West
A Hollywood pioneer, who filmed The Birth of A Nation – the first feature length American film
Emphasized action and drama with westerns and crime movies
The Birth of A Nation was 12 reels long… and very controversial!
The Birth of A Nation was incredibly popular, broke box office records, and was controversial because of its benign depiction of slavery and its portrayal of the KKK as heroic reconstructionists. It was said that the studio “lost track of the money it made” because of its enormous gross. He was a pioneer of film technique because he invented the use of the “cross-cut.” In other words, Griffith cut between scenes of two things happening simultaneously in order to create suspense.

24. Hollywood, California
Hollywood was initially an agricultural community
The area is named for the California Holly there
It was a small, untouched settlement, connected to Los Angeles by a trolley car track (Hollywood Boulevard) and an aqueduct
D.W. Griffith came to Hollywood, and it was discovered as a film location
The iconic Hollywood sign was created in 1923 as an advertising gimmick. It initially read “Hollywoodland,” and was advertising a new housing development. The temporary structure was illuminated with 4000 light bulbs, and was only expected to last for about a year and a half. The Hollywood chamber of commerce later replaced some of the broken letters with wood (they chose not to replace the bulbs because of the electric bill), but they inevitably deteriorated to read “HuLLYWO D.” Now, they’re made of Australian Steel.

25. So, Why Hollywood?
Moving the California and far away from Edison’s base helped ease legal issues and provided more opportunity to get into the film business.
Provided a much better natural setting than New York/New Jersey.
Open land
Spectacular locations to film
Much better climate than East Coast
Labor and land was much cheaper than in the built up areas in and around New York City.

26. A Conservative, Agricultural Town
Town ordinances prohibited the sale of alcohol, and allowed cattle drives through the center of town (as long as the herd was under 200)
At one point, The Hollywood Hotel had a sign on it’s door that read “No Dogs Allowed, No Actors Allowed”
The industry took advantage of the area and the workers, for instance…
Directors were known to spill oil over intersections for a shots in their films. As soon as the shooting was done, they would leave but the mess remained.
One director even released a lion in a crowd of extras in order to film their reaction.

27. The Rise of the Studio System
By the mid-1920’s, MGM, Paramount, Universal and Fox had an overwhelming share of the film industry
Each of these four studios produced a new major feature every week (that’s an amazing pace compared to the studios today)
They also produced 4 out of every 5 movies made
Their dominance was worldwide: 80% of foreign screens showed their films

28. Casting Call

29. Charlie Chaplin ( )
Charlie Chaplin is still one of the most famous film actors of all time
Chaplin was born in England; his parents were stage entertainers
His first stage experience was when he was a child. His mother, struck with laryngitis, was booed off of the stage. Charlie stepped out in front of the rowdy crowd alone and began to sing.

30. Keystone Studios Chaplin founded Keystone Studios.
Chaplin invented “The Tramp,” the character he would become famous for…
baggy pants
tight coat
derby hat
large shoes
small mustache
The character was retired after Modern Times, the “last silent film”
Chaplin refused to make any talking pictures with “The Tramp.” His film style was rather rigid; the camera was in a fixed position, and there were many crude cuts between scenes. The comedic value of Chaplin’s films comes largely from slapstick humor.

31. Chaplin Look-alike Contest
Legend has it, Charlie Chaplin entered a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest in 1915 as a joke. He came in third.

32. Charlie Chaplin
Watch these two clips from two of Chaplin’s films (The Circus from 1928 and Modern Times from 1936).
Describe Chaplin’s comedy? What makes him funny? Does it hold up in 2017?

33. Hollywood’s Financial Importance
The film industry soon became America’s 5th largest industry
Movie studios grossed over $700 million each year
This all changed with the invention of SOUND
Hollywood tried to resist because in the mid-1920’s, it was enjoying a commercial and artistic peak.

34. The Invention of Sound
In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the first sound recording device – the phonograph
Sound recording was a mechanical process; there was no electricity involved
It was incredibly difficult to amplify sound
It was nearly impossible to sync sound with motion pictures

35. Sound Wave Complications
Sound disrupted the current filmmaking process
Sound was expensive
Implementation of sound required expensive speakers
Additionally, all silent films could be shown in any country easily through simple card translations.

36. The Warner Brothers’ Gamble
The small studio tried to make it big, and took a risk investing in sound.

37. Warner Brothers’ Risk Recorded sound to avoid paying live performers
Produced music on discs that are synchronized with the movie reel
In 1926, the studio released Don Juan with musical accompaniment.

38. Warner Bros’ Problem
There was no true difference between musical accompaniment recorded on tape or performed
Radio, which posed a growing threat, contained dialogue
Film needed the combination of dialogue and music.
This gamble paid off with the release of The Jazz Singer on October 26, 1927.
The first film to include spoken dialogue
88 minutes long
Finally placed WB among the top film companies

39. The Jazz Singer

40. The Effects Of The Jazz Singer
By summer 1928, 300 theaters were set-up to show the first crude talkies
By late 1929, everyone but Garbo and Chaplin had either talked on screen or had to quit the business
Hollywood began to go through a technical and economic revolution
Sound intensified appeal of movies
Sound enabled Hollywood to ward off the competition from radio
Without sound, the industry may not have weathered the Depression

41. Hollywood and the Depression
There were many changes for Hollywood:
Many actors and musicians became unemployed
By 1932, half of the major studios were financially threatened
One half of the nation’s theaters were shut down
Studios slashed salaries and production costs
In desperation, the film studies started to focus on…

42. In desperation to sell tickets to keep from going bankrupt, producers begin to ignore the censorship codes
Violence (and sex, more on that later) flourished in films
Sound gave gangsters voice
Gangsters became folk heroes by defying authority and achieving the “American Dream” (though the gangster never truly ‘won’ – he invariably would die, get arrested/thrown in jail, etc…
50 gangster movies made in 1931 alone

44. Movies: Uncensored
“What could I do? He's my boss and I have to earn my own living.”

46. Mae West
Delighted audiences with her attitude about sex – rebelled against the traditional female expectations and roles.
**YouTube: “A Tribute to Pre-code”
However, she (& many others) would become a victim of the new censorship codes...

47. The Legion of Decency Legion of Decency April 1934
Oh, the immense amount of good that the motion picture can effect! That is why the evil spirit, always so active in this world, wishes to pervert this instrument for some impious purpose; it is for public opinion to support wholeheartedly and effectively every legitimate effect to purify the films and keep them clean; to improve them and increase their usefulness.
-Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Vigilanti Cura (With Vigilant Care)
July 29, 1936
April 1934
Group of Catholic bishops
10 million Catholics boycott movies that “offend decency and Christian morality”
Trial boycott in Philadelphia made industry enforce the code

48. The Production Code Administration
Had the authority to insist on script changes or cuts in a film
Companies agreed to release a film only after it had received a Seal of Approval
Fines and the Legion guaranteed compliance
See Production Code details in your film packet

49. What’s Next For Hollywood?
Hollywood was forced to shift from sex and violence to a more wholesome demeanor
The new Hollywood image and attitude will mold and shape the film industry into what is called…
The Golden Era of Film

50. Another Innovation – Mid 1930s
Along with the introduction of sound in films, the shift from black and white to color helped the progression and popularity of movies. Color had been around for quite a while (in early films they would occasionally hand paint individual frames to get splashes of color into scenes). Filmmakers also experimented with tinting and eventually limited color process was used on a handful of films.

51. Another Innovation – Mid 1930s
The use of full color was generally considered to be achieved with the introduction of Technicolor. While The Wizard of Oz (1939) wasn’t officially the first ever full color movie, many people consider it as such (because it was an early forerunner with color as well as how popular it was – hence it was the first Technicolor movie many people saw). As you watch the clip from Wizard of Oz, appreciate how much of a change the color process makes as well as how well the actual use of color still holds up today.

52. Entering the Golden Era of Film
The establishment of the Production Code Administration (and the Hayes Code) as well as the use of sound and color in films paved the way for Hollywood’s Golden Era (generally considered the mid to late 1930’s to the late 1940’s)
Films you might have heard of include:
Casablanca
Citizen Kane
Gone With the Wind
It’s a Wonderful Life
Adventures of Robin Hood
The Mark of Zorro
Hunchback of Notre Dame