Old Hollywood Flashcards
How did Old Hollywood cinema function
Small studios made deals with bigger studios such as Warner Brothers, to show films in their cinemas
How did studios develop and grow
Studios grew like a car assembly line such as the Ford Car Factory
Who were the Big 5 Studios
Warner Brothers
MGM
Paramount
RKO
20th Century Fox
Where were cinemas located
Money making and profitable places, rich areas
What were films based on
Films reflected on City Life
When did companies stop making ‘A pictures’
Companies made A pictures until WW2 when double bills became Famous and Popular
What is Vertical Integration
To control production, distribute the film and exhibit the films
What was shown in the 1940’s only at weekends
Cartoons and films were shown on Saturday Mornings in local cinemas for children where no one had owned Televisions so cinemas were popular at this time
What were Warner Brothers known for
Film Noirs, Gangster films and Melodramas
How did Paramount gain success
Comedies
Stars such as Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, The Marx Brothers
Paramount had a massive theatre chain
Film couples were put together to sell magazines, films
Hollywood controlled actors lives
How were horses trained for films
Horses were trained against loud noises for films such as Cowboy films
What happened to Norma Jean
Norma Jean became Marilyn Monroe
Hollywood changed how she looked, added a beauty spot, Drugs, mental health issues and Depression
What happened to Judy Garland
She starred in The Wizard of Oz but had been given drugs where her life was controlled by Hollywood
Who was Vera Allen
Vera Allen was an actress who had been mistreated and suffered from Anorexia due to acting in Hollywood
What were MGM known for
Metro Goldwyn Myer
Known for musicals
Famous for screw ball comedies
The Wizard of Oz film was popular
The Philadelphia story film was famous
How did 20th Century Fox become well known
Musicals and Biographies
However Shirley Temple was exploited by the company
Black Americans of the 1900’s were given less main roles
Films included graphic explosions and famous quotes to end the films
Actors changed perspectives on life
Actors taught Triple Threat, Singing, Acting and Dancing
What were RKO known for
Film noir, musicals and low Budget Horror
Famous Stars included; Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers
Films; King Kong, Citizen Kane, Top Hat
Who were the Little Three
Columbia
Universal
United Artists
What were Columbia famous for
Famous in 1930’s for Screwball comedies
Stars; Rita Hayworth, Cary Grant, Frank Copra
Films; Mr Smith goes to Washington, Only Angels have Wings
What were Universal Studios known for
.1930’s Horror films
.Films; Frankenstein, The Mummy, Dracula, The Invisible Man
How did United Artists become a well known film company
.Ran by Charlie Chaplain
.Formed by silent movie stars for better control over film roles
.Focused on Distribution
What did the Little Three Studios lack in
.Not Vertically integrated - lacked theatres
.Not enough finance to compete with the Big Five studios
.Columbia and Universal had big stars but not enough hold over them
.United Artists made High class pictures, films were not popular
.B Films for smaller studios
.Little Three cooperated with the Big Five for exhibition
What are the key features of Star Studies
.Stars, actors, actresses weren’t credited
.Florence Lawrence - First Ever star
.Rudolph Valentino - Sex symbol, The Latin Lover
.7 year contracts signed to specific studios
.Hollywood controlled actors image, publicity and films
.A pictures constructed around the stars
.B pictures constructed around film genre’s
.In between films, stars loaned to other studios so they could still earn money
What happened during the film ‘Singing in the Rain’ making it an Old Hollywood Success
.Multiple films seen being made in big factory studios
.Current actors inspired by movie actors
.Explored issues of sound, microphones etc
What are the key features of Old Hollywood movies
.Focused on Narrative and Stars
.Star long term contracts
.Singing, Acting and Dancing
.Actors moulded to be made stars - Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Shirley Temple-
.Camerawork and editing Invisible
.Extensive use of studio sets, fluid camera movements
.Sets reused
.Factory like production studios
.Big 5 Studios
.Little 3 Studios
.Hays Code
What is the Hays Code
.Decides the future of films
.Movies approved by MPAA making it safe to show
.Production code; Vulgarity, Dances, Religion, Locations
.Lasted 30 years due to European differences
.Self regulated Moral code to keep all audiences safe
.1948 Paramount Degree -USA government ends Vertical Integration to sell cinemas
.Decrease Company Competition
.Women filmed to seem angelic, desirable, filmed in close ups etc
