History Of American Film Industry

Front 1

Thomas Ince

Back 1

-The founder of Inceville who also oversaw all aspects of production for Inceville films.
-He also implemented the assembly line model for production

Front 2

Inceville

Back 2

-The film industry's first mega-production studio.
-Located in California where the weather is sunny and warm year round and there is also geographical diversity.

Front 3

Adolf Zukor

Back 3

-Formed Famous Players in Famous Plays
-Eventually merged with Jesse Lasky to form Famous Players Lasky

Front 4

Famous Players in Famous Plays

Back 4

-Was at first a distribution company
-Later began producing films in 1913
-Became Famous Players Lasky after the Jesse Lasky/Paramount merger
-Now known as Paramount and was the first national distributor

Front 5

What are the three classes of film? Describe each.

Back 5

1. A Films: art reflected stage plays

2. B Films: more cinematic, shifts in visual language, do not rely heavily on art

3. C Films: Low budget films for the working class...humorous...for the "simple minded"

Front 6

Which of the three film classes was the most profitable?

Back 6

B Films

Front 7

First National

Back 7

distribtion company formed in 1916 by 26 exhibitors who controlled 600 screens.

Front 8

Why did First National form?

Back 8

Because Famous Players Lasky was dominating the film industry by block booking and hogging all of the big stars.

Front 9

Who did First National sign to distribute deals?

Back 9

Chailie Chaplin and Mary Pickford

Front 10

William Fox

Back 10

-Formed Fox Films Corporation in 1915
-Built his own theatre chains.
-He was at the forefront of movie picture palace transition

Front 11

Carl Laemmle

Back 11

-Formed Universal Pictures in 1915
-Opened Universal City
-Emphasized on production over exhibition
-Had financial difficulties

Front 12

Warner Bros.

Back 12

-Formed by four brother...Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack.
-They opened nickleodeons in 1903 in Pittsburg.
-Entered production in 1914
-Moved to Hollywood in 1918
-Bought out First National in 1926
-Known for making inexpensive films

Front 13

Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)

Back 13

-Marcus Loew bought Metro Pictures and Goldwyn Pictures and formed MGM in 1917
-Most powerful exhibit since the Trust days
-Largest studio during the studio era

Front 14

United Artists

Back 14

-Formed by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and D.W. Griffith
-Was a distributor-only company

Front 15

Le De Forest

Back 15

Inventor of phonofilm

Front 16

Western Electric

Back 16

-Created the sound on disk system in 1925
-Approached Hollywood through electronic research products (ERPI)

Front 17

Who was the only studio interested in Western Electric and why?

Back 17

Warner Bros. because they were looking to expand their exhibition network.
-They borrowed heavily from wall street

Front 18

Describe the first vitascope film.

Back 18

-It was called "Don Juan"
-Had no synchronized dialogue
-preceded by vitascope shorts with synchronized voice

Front 19

By early 1930 _______________ system was adopted.

Back 19

Western Electric

Front 20

Western Electric developed the _______________ system in 1930.

Back 20

Sound-on-Film

Front 21

What were some problems with the conversion to sound?

Back 21

-legal issues...rights to TriErgon patent unclear
-Big 5 agreement
-More than sound technology was needed
-Wiring theatres takes years.
-New film style required
-lack of dialogue
-lack of camera movement
-impact on actors careers

Front 22

When was the studio era?

Back 22

1927 (ish)- 1950 (ish)

Front 23

By the 1920's what is the primary means of marketing a film?

Back 23

Using a "star"

Front 24

What is star personace?

Back 24

Characteristics that define the performer

Front 25

What was Charlie Chaplin's persona?

Back 25

The Tramp: sentimental physical comedy

Front 26

What scandals occured during the studio era?

Back 26

-Sex, drugs, murder
-Arbuckle: Allegedly killed Viginia Rappe during sex...this ended his on-camera career. However, Buster Keaton helped him get directing gigs under the name of William Goodrich.
-William Taylor was a filmmaker with morals who helped people in Hollywood lead moral lives...well he was shot and killed.
-Wallace Reid died of a heroin addiction
-Thomas Ince died at sea of a heart attack
-Barbara Lamar deemed "too beautiful to live"...died of a drug overdose

Front 27

Only _______________ was successful in bothe the silent era and post-silent era

Back 27

Charlie Chaplin

Front 28

Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPA)

Back 28

-Formed in 1922
-PR campaign to improve Hollywood's image (over come the scandals)
-Showed hollywood's top stars were involved in the community
-developed a relationship with the federal governement...through out the life of the MPPA their presidents came from the federal government.

Front 29

William Hays

Back 29

First president of the MPPA

Front 30

Big 5

Back 30

*Vertically Integrated
Fox
MGM
Paramount
RKO
Warner Bros.

Front 31

Little 3

Back 31

*Not vertically integrated
Columbia (production-distribution)
-Universal (production-distribution)
-United Artists (distribution-exhibition)

*Each studio becomes known for its distinct style

Front 32

Vertical integration?

Back 32

-The reason for and the support system for the studio system
-Own production and distribution at theatres

Front 33

How long did the studio system work?

Back 33

For about 25 years

Front 34

Without _______________studio system could not work.

Back 34

Vertical Integration

Front 35

Describe hollywood during the depression.

Back 35

-Novelty of sound kept depression at bay.
-weekly attendance down by 30 million admissions
-In 1929 Warner bros. made 17 mm...in 1931 they lost 8 mm
- All of the Big 5 with the exception of MGM lost money during the depression. Only MGM was able to remain in the black.
-In 1933 Paramount declared bankruptcy.
-All of the Big 5 (except MGM) and the Little 3 had to make drastic changes in order to stay afloat. Includung cutting staff and salaries and borrowing money.
-Universal was hit the hardest of the little 3.

Front 36

Exhibition during the depression

Back 36

-Many theatres had to close.
-Rural theatres had to shorten their programs. Rather than hold onto one movie for a week they would shorten it to 2 or 3 days then send it back for new ones.
-Admission prices were cut
-They began showing double features...although initially opposed by studios.

Front 37

Don't and be carefuls

Back 37

-Film content guidelines issued by the MPPDA in 1925.
-suggestions not requirements
-Not followed closely by studios
-Led to the introduction of actual code in 1930

Front 38

Martin Quigley and Daniel Lord

Back 38

Developed the actual code for the studios.
-studios abided by the code initially but the depression encouraged studios to return to controversial subjects.

Front 39

_____________ was one studio that never developed a house style.

Back 39

RKO

Front 40

Orson Wells

Back 40

-Born in 1915 to a working class father and a feminist mother.
-Considered the first "genius" of cinema
-Had a difficult family life
-after his father's death he traveled to europe
-at 19 he was hired to take part in the federal theatre project
-wrote citizen kane
-became a drunk later in life and dies as one

Front 41

Citizen Kane

Back 41

-written by orson wells
- there was much debate about this movie
-the artistic boldness of this film was not truly appreciated

Front 42

Explain the run, zone, clearance system.

Back 42

The major distributors divided the country into 30 territories, with each territory subdivided into up to a dozen zones.
Within each zone, evey theatre was deisgnated in the order to which it would receive access to a movie.
The movie would first play in downtown theatres, which were most likely to be owned by the major companies themselves.
These first run theatres charged premium prices.
After the movie has playes at the first run houses, there would be a period of "clearance" in the zone before it would open in second run theatres.

Front 43

Second run theatres

Back 43

Likely to be neighborhood business districts and charged low ticket prices

Front 44

first run theatres

Back 44

Downtown and were likely owned by the major distribution companies themselves. Charged premium prices

Front 45

Later run theatres

Back 45

located fiurther out from the population center of the zone.

Front 46

A veritically integrated company is ____________

Back 46

involved in all three branches of its business: manufacturing, wholesalin, and retailing

Front 47

block booking

Back 47

an exhibitor who wanted a particular star's films had to buy a year's worth of company's other productions

Front 48

Vitaphone

Back 48

Created by Western electric to synchronize sound and film.

Front 49

Movietone

Back 49

studio sound technology presented by william fox.
more mobile than the tech. that suupported vitaphone