History of motion pictures

Movies today shaped by a history and culture emphasizing profits, avoiding controversy

Early moving pictures Phase 1: movementLumiere Brothers, Edison Phase 2: story telling, art One Reelers D.W. Griffith Adventures of Dolly

Lonedale Operator

Rise of Hollywood Impatience within industry Desire to innovate Move to western U.S. Rural LA: sunshine plentiful, little rain, many barns

Birth of a Nation, 1915 D.W. Griffith’s pioneering

feature film From Dixon’s The Clansman Cost: $100K; revenues $18m 3+ hours Technical quality high Highly racist – reactions Movies = middle class medium

Rise of the star system Economics of star system Chaplin, Pickford, Arbuckle Creating stars: Theda Bara Rudolph Valentino

Movie industry structure Concentration of ownership Edison, Motion Picture Trust Zukor: Vertical Integration –

production, distribution, exhibition Coming of Sound: Big 6

production, distribution, exhibition

Caution, self censorship Fearful of govt. regulation Extensive self censorshipHays Office– 1920s Motion Picture Code, 1934 Legion of Decency, 1930s-60s Least Offensive Programming Lowest Common Denominator

Business Practices Golden age of the movies,

1928-48 Formula Block booking Blind selling

Post World War 21. Attendance plummets due to TV, suburbs Movie costs soar Paramount decree, 19482. Efforts to revive industry Innovation Blockbusters Formulas

Hollywood revival Switch to TV production Selling old films to TV Home video