Hollywood’s Early Days: A Cinematic Shift
In the nascent days of cinema, the film industry found its roots in New York, with movies primarily produced in New York and New Jersey and other scattered locations like Chicago and Florida. However, a pivotal shift occurred in 1908 when filmmakers, enticed by affordable resources, diverse landscapes, and favorable weather, started migrating to southern California, giving birth to the iconic Hollywood. Contrary to popular belief, the move to Hollywood wasn’t driven by a desire to escape the film trust; the first studio, Selig, to establish itself there was a trust member.
By the early 1920s, Hollywood emerged as the global film capital, producing most films showcased in the United States and generating 80 percent of revenue from international screenings. The decade marked Hollywood’s claim to being the nation’s fifth-largest industry, capturing 83 cents of every dollar spent on entertainment by Americans.
Hollywood’s Symbolic Era: The Roaring ’20s
The 1920s solidified Hollywood’s global dominance and symbolized a new era of extravagance, glamor, and hedonism. The era witnessed a surge in movie attendance, with 50 million people weekly going to the theaters by the mid-’20s, equivalent to half the nation’s population. However, this boom in attendance also brought about a transformation in the movie-going experience.
In the early 20th century, movie attendance aligned with class and ethnic divisions. Working-class neighborhoods hosted rowdy, lively theaters with low admission prices and added attractions like talent shows. Meanwhile, middle-class theaters in downtown areas embraced luxurious settings and specific showtimes, introducing a more refined movie-going experience.
The Cinematic Revolution: The Advent of Sound
While Hollywood basked in its glory, the quest for synchronized sound in movies persisted. Thomas Edison’s attempts in the 1890s and Lee De Forest’s demonstration in 1923 hinted at possibilities, but Warner Brothers, a newcomer in the industry, revolutionized cinema with sound. In 1926, they released “Don Juan,” the first film with a synchronized score, and by 1927, “The Jazz Singer” confirmed the sound’s widespread appeal.
The introduction of sound boosted movie attendance from 50 million to 110 million in 1929 and brought a distinctly American flavor to films. Slangy, vernacular tones and new genres like musicals and gangster films emerged. However, the transition silenced working-class movie houses and shifted the focus from live entertainment to newsreels and animated shorts.
Hollywood’s Golden Age: Rise, Domination, and Transformation
As Hollywood entered its Golden Age in the late ’20s, the focus shifted to Southern California, with major studios like Paramount, Fox, Warner Bros., RKO, and MGM dominating the industry. The “Big Five” exercised unprecedented control, from production to distribution and exhibition, marking the era as the pinnacle of Hollywood’s supremacy.
The Great Depression inadvertently fueled the success of cinema as people sought escapism, leading to unprecedented box office numbers. The late 1930s witnessed iconic releases like “The Wizard of Oz” and “Gone with the Wind,” leveraging technological advances in cinematography.
However, signs of financial manipulation within Hollywood began to surface, leading to antitrust battles and the gradual dissolution of the studio system. The post-World War II era and the rise of television forced Hollywood to reinvent itself, marking the end of the Golden Age and the beginning of a new era.
The Legacy of Hollywood: Then and Now
Reflecting on Hollywood’s journey over the past century, it’s clear that the industry has evolved from its humble beginnings in New York to becoming a global powerhouse centered in Southern California. The Golden Age, characterized by unprecedented control by major studios and a surge in cinema attendance, eventually gave way to challenges and transformations.
Today, Hollywood stands as a vastly different landscape, with international box office battles, proprietary subscription services, and many technological advancements. The legacy of Hollywood’s Golden Age continues to influence filmmaking, reminding us of a bygone era where a few studios held the reins of an entire industry.
