Just Movie Studios Like Warner Brothers example essay topic

Earning its spot on the list of the major studios right from the start, Warner Brothers began a legacy that has remained strong for over eighty years. Despite the volatile relationship that existed between Jack, Sam, Harry and Albert Warner, they still managed to produce some of the greatest movies in the history of film (Seeing Stars 1). It is interesting to trace the evolution of the studio throughout the years, seeing the changing movie styles and different types of movie stars. In the following pages, I will attempt to accurately map out the development of the Warner Brothers Studio, beginning in the late 1920's and ending in the 1980's. For each decade, I will explore specific genres and / or films that epitomize the feeling of that time. The year 1927 gave birth to a wonderful invention-the "talkie" or talking picture, and Warner Brothers was the first to share this joy with everyone.

The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson was the world's first talking picture, giving the studio that extra edge over everyone else in the industry. In addition, "for the Warner Brothers, The Jazz Singer represented a heartening triumph after years of struggle and reversals" (Sennett 14). Money problems had haunted the brothers for years, bringing them to the verge of bankruptcy several times. It wasn't until they enlisted the help of the vice-president of the Los Angeles Trust and Savings Bank, Motley H. Flint, that they were able to dig themselves out of their hole. Flint provided them with a substantial loan that enabled the brothers to turn out bigger and better films (Sennett 14). For several years, Warner Brothers prospered both artistically and economically, but high production costs and their inability to purchase theater chains again caused them to have financial woes.

Something needed to be done and Sam Warner took it upon himself to find a solution. After attending a Bell Telephone demonstration that featured a sound-movie system called Vita phone (which had already been rejected by the other major studios for being impractical), Sam's enthusiasm got the best of him and he immediately signed a contract with Bell for exclusive use of the new invention for a number of years (Sennett 16). Although the only competition came from Fox (with their new Movie tone device), the risk involved with equipping theaters with sound technology was great, and the brothers suffered immensely. However, the theaters that agreed to install the sound equipment flourished, bringing scores of people to theaters to enjoy the new novelty of synchronized sound and picture. The brother's hard work had paid off and by 1929 it was clearly visible in the studio's gross profit; the sum went from $3,360,000 in 1928 to $19,700,000 in August 1929. Variety magazine stated that the jump in profit was "probably the highest increase ever reported for a picture company or any other concern for that matter" (Sennett 21).

So the 1920's ended on a high note, at least financially for the Warner Brothers Studio. The 1930's brought with them the Depression, affecting not just movie studios like Warner Brothers but businesses across the board. Despite the initial breakdown in morale, the thirties "were years of rediscovery of American tradition, of affirmation of an American character... ". and the movies continued to be a vital form of entertainment, helping people avoid the problems they were facing by incorporating them as themes for films, thereby creating so-called "escapist entertainment" (Ellis, Wexman 127). Warner Brothers, despite the sweeping disorder and reshuffling due to the shift to talking pictures, still held its own and retained a place in the top five. Along with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Twentieth Century-Fox, Paramount Pictures and Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO), Warner Brothers produced upwards of fifty features a year for its theaters (Ellis, Wexman 128). The advent of sound allowed for many more genres to emerge onto the scene.

Musicals, for example, relied completely on sound technology in order for them to have their desired affect. In 1930, Warner Brothers acquired the talents of Broadway producer and choreographer Busby Berkeley, once again giving them an edge over the other major studios. Berkeley utilized all of his groundbreaking talents to create 42nd Street in 1933. The massed cholines are viewed by the camera from almost any position except a stationary one in front of a theater stage. They are seen from overhead as they form floral patterns or strange concentric rings suggesting interconnecting gears. Or the camera gets down on the floor and moves through their spread legs in a slyly elegant bit of erotica.

Costumes and setting are designed to support and underscore extravagant fantasy of the total choreographic conception; or, to put it the other way around, the dances grow out of and take full advantage of every suggestion provided by the visual d'ecor. The chorus line performs a jerky, syncopated march up stairs, they turn toward the camera and raise cardboard profiles of skyscrapers, covering themselves and becoming a miniature Manhattan. (Ellis, Wexman 139) This description illustrates Berkeley's dedication and expertise when dealing with musicals. All of his hard work helped Warner Brothers make their mark in the world of musicals, but they were still overshadowed by other studios, specifically MGM. But this was not of much consequence because "where MGM went in for bright, colorful musicals, Warner Bros preferred black and white, and gritty, realistic dramas" (Seeing Stars 1). This gritty reality manifested itself in the gangster and horror films of the 1930's.

Warner Brothers produced Little Caesar, which began the gangster trend, as well as I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang starring Paul Muni, which emerged as one of the first powerful social dramas. Paul Muni's first performance for the Warners was characterized as "intense, moving, and almost devoid of the streak of hamminess that often marred his playing" (Sennett 74). Warner Brothers released Casablanca, unanimously regarded as one of the best films ever made, in 1943. The "bittersweet romance tinged with antifascist idealism" was highly appropriate at the time. World War II had broken out in September of 1939, but the U.S. did not enter the conflict until December of 1941, so the first few years of the decade were basically a continuation of the 1930's.

Despite its fitting themes, the production of Casablanca was marketed on the basis of its human drama rather than its historical importance (Ellis, Wexman 151). Later on in the forties, the studio released movies like Air Force and Passage to Marseille, which dealt more directly with the war. Yet the statistics show that less than one third of the films made during wartime actually dealt with the war. More often than not, comedies, light romances and family dramas were interwoven with "home-front themes or military ruffles". The main goal of movies released during this time was that of inspiration and support of the culture the war was being fought to preserve (Ellis, Wexman 152). The most notable genre that emerged during the 1940's was the genre of film noir.

This genre, formed out of Germanic influence, focused on the dark and dangerous world of crime and corruption. "Noir is an attitude as well as a style, however, and is descended not only from German expressionism of the 1920's but also from French poetic realism of the 1930's, especially the films of Marcel Carne and Jacques Prevent" (Ellis, Wexman 152). Not surprisingly, a Warner Brothers film, The Maltese Falcon, is credited as being the prototype for the film noir genre in the U.S. This film, along with Casablanca and others, helped make Humphrey Bogart a true superstar in Hollywood. His "craggy" features along with his flat, monotone voice made him the perfect villain. These characteristics, combined with his almost irresistible likeability caused the audience to sympathize with him despite his menacing roles (Sennett 67). The advent of television caused most major studios much grief, but not Warner Brothers; it was the first major studio to switch part of its operation to television.

"At first, Jack Warner resisted the newfangled "box", opting instead for bigger, bolder box-office hits such as A Streetcar Named Desire, A Star is Born, Mister Roberts and The Searchers. But when he embraced the new medium, he did so with his customary 'elan, and by the late 1950's, Warner Brothers had become the most successful major producer of series television in Hollywood" (Warner Brothers Studio Facilities 1). This is yet another example of how well the studio was able to adapt to change and how willing they were to try something new, despite the risks and possible negative consequences. The 1950's brought on feelings of prosperity and heightened nationalism throughout the country. The war had ended in 1945 and the U.S. had quickly settled back into its old, comfortable ways; with Eisenhower in office, the country seemed to be in good hands.

As in the past, the mood in the film industry mirrored that of the overall mood of the nation. "The postwar years marked the beginning of a transition that would lead the American film industry from the hardened confines of a production-distribution-exhibition pattern that had lasted for over two decades into uncertainty and changing forms and functions" (Ellis, Wexman 354). In addition to the shift in the industry was the declining rate of moviegoers; largely because of television, going to the movies became more of a special event than a weekly occurrence (Ellis, Wexman 354). Hollywood in the 1960's was a continuation of the decline in theater attendance. It dropped to half of what it had been ten years before and only 121 features were released, which was an all-time low (Ellis, Wexman 382). The optimistic feelings of the 1950's disappeared and were soon replaced by feelings of self-criticism triggered by such events as the civil rights movement and the war in Vietnam.

Many young people found themselves questioning the authority of the government as well as doubting the validity of many of their claims. Although Warner Brothers tried to make a smooth transition into the field of television production, they could not stop the massive slowdown in theater attendance. Like many other studios, it began to lose power as the old-time movie moguls who had been in charge for so many years began to die and retire at a rapid rate. In 1969, Kinney National Services purchased Warner Brothers, a move that drastically affected the efficiency with which films were made and released (Ellis, Wexman 383). Despite all of this negativity, there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel. That light manifested itself in the form of "youth pictures" which were about young people and new lifestyles, obviously made to appeal to the younger movie going public.

In their attempt to tap into the minds of the youth and ultimately boost their profits, Warner Brothers released the film Bonnie and Clyde along with other similarly themed films. The 1970's and 1980's saw more studio mergers, making companies more like corporate entities. In 1972, Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures joined forces to create a single production facility, called The Burbank Studios. Serving two of Hollywood's entertainment giants, the studio now resembled more than ever a small city, with its own fire department, mail service, parks, lake, plumbers, bank, restaurant, and bicycle shop.

Boasting 34 sound stages, available for single or multi-camera film or video tape production, the Burbank Studios featured production and post-production sound departments, five dubbing stages, two scoring stages, an ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) stage, a Foley (sound-effects) stage, 21 screening theatres and more than 180 editorial rooms. The lot also contained a foundry, prop and scenic departments, a wig shop, a still photo lab, wardrobe and transportation departments -- in short, all the production services needed to make some of the world's finest films. (Warner Brothers Studio Facilities 1) Then, in the eighties, Warner Brothers bought the Samuel Goldwyn Studios and renamed it Warner Hollywood Studios. In the late eighties the studio acquired Lori mar Productions (a prestigious television production company) and then Time-Life, creating Time-Warner Inc., one of the most powerful media corporations in the world. To sum up, the Warner Brothers Studio has gone through many changes, both drastic and subtle, over the past eighty years.

The key to their success has been their ability and willingness to go with the flow of society and change along with the events that were occurring. The studio also had the wonderful talent of gauging their audience and making films that would appeal to certain groups of people. Throughout the years, Warner Brothers Studio has been able to cope with potential financial disasters, management changes and various other problems and has still managed to churn out an amazing number of classic films. Their durability has been proven time and time again and will no doubt weather many storms in the future and still come out on top.

Bibliography

Ellis, Jack C., and Virginia Wright Wexman. A History of Film. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2002.
Sennett, Ted. Warner Brothers Presents: The most exciting years-from The Jazz Singer To White Heat. New York: Arlington House, 1971.
Silke, James R. Here's Looking at You, Kid: 50 Years of Fighting, Working and Dreaming At Warner Brothers. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1976.
Warner Brothers Studio and Facilities. Warner Brothers Company. 13 April 2003.
Wayne, Gary. Warner Bros. Studios. Seeing Stars in Hollywood. 13 April 2003.