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HOLLYWOOD. Stars & Studios. THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS. 1915-25: transition from Trust to STUDIO SYSTEM “Studio Era” typified by: Picture palaces Movie audience that included all classes Standardized production of feature-length films (1½ hrs) Concentration of production in Hollywood
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HOLLYWOOD Stars & Studios
THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS • 1915-25: transition from Trust to STUDIO SYSTEM • “Studio Era” typified by: • Picture palaces • Movie audience that included all classes • Standardized production of feature-length films (1½ hrs) • Concentration of production in Hollywood • OLIGOPOLY & VERTICAL INTEGRATION
OLIGOPOLY • A few large firms control an entire industry • Due to high cost of film production • Feature-length films were expensive • Salaries increased, esp. for stars • Production values increased • Sound added to costs of equipment & production
OLIGOPOLY • Costs of distribution, picture palaces & converting to sound • Small companies began to merge in order to compete • By late 1920s, 8 companies controlled 91% of box-office • These companies known as 8 Majors
VERTICAL INTEGRATION • Company controls product from production to retail sale • BIG 5 • MGM, PARAMOUNT, FOX, WARNER BROS., & RKO • Vertically integrated: production, distribution & exhibition
VERTICAL INTEGRATION • LITTLE 3 • COLUMBIA, UNIVERSAL, & UNITED ARTISTS • Not totally vertically integrated • Columbia & Universal in production & distribution, but no theaters • United Artists only distributed films
“THE DREAM FACTORY” • DIVISION OF LABOR • Labor highly specialized & efficient, becoming highly unionized • THE CONTRACT SYSTEM • Most workers under contract for 5-7 years • Renewable by studio every 6 months • Studios maintained prop & costume depts • Filmed on own lots
“THE DREAM FACTORY” • THE “STUDIO LOOK” • Consistent labor, props, settings resulted in "Studio Look“ • Studios tended to build their films around their stars
Paramount Stars Marlene Dietrich
Paramount Stars The Marx Bros Mae West
Paramount Stars Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour & Bob Hope
Fleischer Bros. Studio Popeye
Fleischer Bros. Studio Superman
Fleischer Bros. Studio Betty Boop
MGM Stars Greta Garbo
MGM Stars Clark Gable Spencer Tracy
MGM Movies Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)
MGM Movies Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
Hal Roach Studio Laurel & Hardy
Hal Roach Studio Our Gang
MGM Animation Tex Avery’s Wolfie and Red
20th Century-Fox Stars Sonja Henie Shirley Temple
20th Century-Fox Stars Betty Grable Tyrone Power
20th-Century Fox Movies Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937)
Warner Bros. Stars Humphrey Bogart
Warner Bros. Stars Bette Davis
Disney Animation Mickey Mouse Donald Duck
Disney Animation Snow White (1937)
Walter Lantz Studio Woody Woodpecker Chilly Willy
Universal Movies Abbott & Costello
Columbia Movies Claudette Colbert Clark Gable Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night (1934)
Columbia Movies Batman & Robin
Columbia Shorts The Three Stooges
United Artists Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin & DW Griffith
Monogram Movies Federal Bullets (1937)
Monogram Stars The Bowery Boys