1. Key sources: Gabler, N. (1988). An empire of their own: How the Jews invented Hollywood. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. Mordden, E. (1988). The Hollywood studios: House style in the golden age of the movies. New York: Simon & Schuster. Schatz, T. (1996). The genius of the system: Hollywood filmmaking in the studio era. New York: Henry Holt. The U.S. Hollywood Studio System (1920s-1950s) *The greatest movie-producing system the world has ever known. COM 329, Contemporary Film

2. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 1.Vertical Integration by the 5 Majors: Production Distribution Exhibition The major provision of the Paramount Case was that the studio(s) had to divest... What did they choose to sell off, do you think?

3. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 2.An Oligopoly: A relatively limited number of studios--only 11 total, including five Majors (MGM, Paramount, RKO, Warner Brothers, Twentieth-Century Fox), three Minors (the “Little Three”; Universal, United Artists, Columbia), and some Independents (e.g., Disney, Goldwyn, & Selznick)

4. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 3. Moguls: The studios were led by an amazingly homogenous collection of moguls—all but one (Darryl F. Zanuck of 20 th -Century Fox) were Jewish, from East Europe/Russia, had lived in the American East and had been successful at another business first; some of these businesses were film- related (e.g., the Warner Brothers’ nickelodeons) and some not (Sam Goldwyn as glove salesman, Louis B. Mayer as junk dealer). Harry Cohn, Columbia William Fox, Fox Films (later, 20 th Century Fox) Jack Warner, Warner Bros. Carl Laemmle Sr. & Jr., Universal Adolph Zukor, Paramount Louis B. Mayer, MGM Sam Goldwyn, Independent

5. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 3. In An Empire of Their Own, Neal Gabler writes about the unique common background that drove the moguls to success—all came from families who had suffered great prejudice and hardship.

6. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 4.Large physical plants: soundstages backlots other facilities that ensured the independence of the studio (e.g., fire stations, medical centers, sleeping bungalows, restaurants)

7. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 5. Stables of crew and contract performers (both stars and bit players)

8. Studio System—Contract Players Wallace (Wally) Ford (1898-1966; 160 film & TV listings) Shadow of a Doubt (Hitchcock) Freaks The Mummy’s Tomb Beast of the City Harvey A Patch of Blue

9. Can you name these performers? It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946, D: Frank Capra

10. Donna Reed (“Mary Bailey”)—50 films & TV series/appearances The Getaway (1941) The Human Comedy (1943) The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) They Were Expendable (1945) From Here to Eternity (1953) The Caddy (1953) The Donna Reed Show (TV, 1958-1966)

11. Jimmy Stewart (“George Bailey”)—100 films & TV series/appearances The Murder Man (1935) After the Thin Man (1936) You Can’t Take it With You (1938) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) The Philadelphia Story (1940) Rear Window (1954) Vertigo (1958) How the West Was Won (1962)

12. Thomas Mitchell (“Uncle Billy”)—103 films & TV appearances Craig’s Wife (1936) Lost Horizon (1937) Stagecoach (1939) Gone with the Wind (1939) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)All 1939!! All 5 are Classics!! The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) Only Angels Have Wings (1939) High Noon (1952)

13. Beulah Bondi (“Ma Bailey”)—85 films & TV appearances Street Scene (1931) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Our Town (1940) Penny Serenade (1941) Back to Bataan (1945) The Snake Pit (1948) A Summer Place (1959)

14. How about this actor?

15. Henry Travers (“Clarence the Angel”)—52 films Reunion in Vienna (1933) The Invisible Man (1933) Death Takes a Holiday (1934) Dark Victory (1939) (7 films that year) High Sierra (1941)Look at the variety of genres! Ball of Fire (1941)(Horror, Dark comedy, Melodrama, Mrs. Miniver (1942) Western, Screwball comedy, War Shadow of a Doubt (1943) drama, Hitchcock thriller, Comedy, The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) plus the Fantasy of IAWL)

16. Anyone here?

17. Anyone here? “Bert & Ernie”?

18. Ward Bond (“Bert the Cop” of “Bert & Ernie”)—272 films & TV series/appearances Salute (1929) It Happened One Night (1934) Gone With the Wind (1939) The Maltese Falcon (1941) Fort Apache (1948) and 21 other John Ford-directed films! Wagon Train (TV, 1957-1961)

19. Frank Faylen (“Ernie Bishop” the cab driver, of “Bert & Ernie)—215 films & TV series/appearances Romance in the Air (1936) Gone with the Wind (1939) The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Sergeant York (1941) The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (TV, 1959-1963) Funny Girl (1968) MOST of his film appearances are “uncredited”—but he’s memorable!!

20. And how about this actor? He’s a member of an acting dynasty.

21. Lionel Barrymore (“Mr. Potter”)—214 films The Paris Hat (1908) and 131 other silent films Dinner at Eight (1933)—one of 7 films that year The Little Colonel (1935) Camille (1936) You Can’t Take it With You (1938) Variety!! Young Dr. Kildare (1938)—and 14 sequels Duel in the Sun (1946) Lone Star (1952) John Drew Ethel

22. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 6.The star system the "grooming" of stars under contract

23. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 6.The star system the "grooming" of stars under contract

24. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 6.The star system the "grooming" of stars under contract

25. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 6.The star system the "grooming" of stars under contract

26. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 6.The star system the "grooming" of stars under contract

27. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 6.The star system the "grooming" of stars under contract

28. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 6.The star system the "grooming" of stars under contract star vehicles

29. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 7.Studios as family or "protectorates" studio head as patriarch (e.g., Louis B. Mayer)

30. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? MGM 1943

31. What distinguished the Hollywood Studio System? 8.The development of genres Genre as a “contract” between filmmakers and audience; a very commercial model Most studios specialized in certain genres

32. MGM--Musicals

33. MGM--Comedies

34. Paramount—Sophisticated Romantic Comedies Design for Living

35. Paramount—Films Noir Double Indemnity Sunset Boulevard

36. RKO--Musicals

37. RKO—Screwball Comedies

38. 20 th Century Fox— Social Issue Films

39. 20 th Century Fox— Action/Adventure Films

40. Warner Bros.— Weepies/Women’s Films

41. Warner Bros.— Gangster & Films Noir

42. Columbia— Screwball Comedies

43. United Artists— Quality Films

44. Universal—Horror

45. What contributed to the weakening and ultimate demise of the Hollywood Studio System? 1.The 1948 Paramount decision (antitrust action that eliminated vertical integration)

46. What contributed to the weakening and ultimate demise of the Hollywood Studio System? 2.The blacklist: HUAC, Army- McCarthy hearings, Hollywood Ten, etc. Joseph N. Welch, head counsel for U.S. Army—”Have you no sense of decency, sir?” Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, others, protest Senator Joseph McCarthy Ring Lardner, Jr., one of the Hollywood Ten

47. What contributed to the weakening and ultimate demise of the Hollywood Studio System? 3.The automobile and the growth of suburbia

48. What contributed to the weakening and ultimate demise of the Hollywood Studio System? 4.The failure of gimmicks (e.g., William Castle) and changes in technology (e.g., widescreen, Cinerama) to keep audiences coming to the theaters

49. What contributed to the weakening and ultimate demise of the Hollywood Studio System? 5. 1941 Revenue Act—introduction of a steep progressive income tax resulted in many artists creating their own production companies, and then using these companies to negotiate and formulate deals

50. What contributed to the weakening and ultimate demise of the Hollywood Studio System? 6.Television

51. What followed is “contemporary film”? The Williams and Hammond textbook is guided by the assumption that “contemporary film” begins around 1960 with the demise of the Studio System and the apparent change in the look and themes of American film, and the development of new genres.

52. END