Y 200 Politics and Film September 6, 2011
The Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) Founded in 1908 Peace treaty between Edison and Biograph. Also called “The Trust” Involved: production of raw film manufacture of motion pictures manufacture of projectors film distribution and exhibition
Biograph Theater in Chicago
The Members of the MPPC Edison Manufacturing American Mutograph and Biograph Eastman Kodak Essanay (a Chicago film producer) Kalem Pathé Freres Kleine, Lubin, Melies, Selig, and Vitagraph
Some Benefits of the MPPC Formation of the General Film Company: modernized film distribution eliminated distributor favoritism allowed exhibitors to show films by different production companies (no block booking) classified theaters by size and location and priced accordingly established a system of runs and clearances
Why MPPC Failed George Eastman and Thomas Edison WW I sharply reduced demand for films in Europe. The demand for films was so strong in the US that independent distributors found other sources of films besides the Trust. Kodak (led by George Eastman) made its raw film stock available to other companies in 1911. 1915 U. S. court ruling that MPPC violated the Sherman Anti-Trust law in a suit brought by William Fox.
Technological Changes Affecting the Film Industry 1893 Kinetoscope invented 1895 Movie Projector invented 1906 First Nickelodeon 1913 Kinetophone invented (did not work) 1927 Talking Pictures “The Jazz Singer” 1927 invention of television 1948 beginning of TV broadcasting
The Major Beneficiaries of Sound Warner Brothers -- in alliance with Western Electric (the manufacturing arm of AT&T RKO Pictures -- formed by RCA because RCA had a competing technology for adding sound to pictures All the other studios lost ground relative to these two upstarts.
Emergence of Movie Stars Very popular actors were capable of bringing higher attendance to any movie they appeared in. The first major female star was Mary Pickford joined with Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, D. W. Griffith and William S. Hart to found United Artists in 1919.
The Founders of United Artists (from left to right) Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and Charlie Chaplin
The Economics of the Star System Having stars greatly reduces the risk of making a picture. Wall Street financiers more inclined to finance a picture with stars in it. Stars can command very high salaries because of their economic impact on revenues and profits.
Adolph Zukor Tries to Rein In the Stars Zukor formed First National in 1917 (later to become Paramount Pictures). Merger between First National and Famous Players - Lasky discussed in 1918. Zukor attempts to buy a theater chain in 1919. The Federal Trade Commission rules against Zukor’s attempt to merge with Famous Players in 1927 but Zukor buys theater chain as planned. UA had to match this by buying theaters also.
Zukor and His Friends in 1920 (left to right): Jesse L. Lasky, Adolph Zukor, Samuel Goldfish (later Goldwyn), Cecil B. De. Mille and Albert Kaufman.
Hollywood in 1903
The Big Five Paramount Loew’s MGM 20 th Century Fox Warner Brothers RKO Source: adapted from Mae Huettig in Tino Balio (ed. ), The American Film Industry.
The Little Three Universal Columbia Pictures United Artists Every other studio is called an “independent” and has to sell or rent its pictures to one of the major studios because of their ownership of first-run theaters.
Years of Foundation of Major Studios
History of the Disney Studio Founded in 1923 in a small office Purchased Hyperion Avenue lot in 1925 1928: Birth of Mickey Mouse 1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1940: special animation building built 1949: Sound Stage 2 was built 1954: Built Disneyland
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