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The Lumière brothers, considered the founders of cinema, staged their first public screening on March 22 1895 in Paris, although the date of birth is still considered December 28th the same year when the first commercial show took place in the Grand Cafe salon. The public was impressed by this innovation; the moving image caused a real shock among people. There is a version that people jumped out of their seats in fright when the short film “The Arrival of a Train” was shown. Over the next two years, shows took place in the world's leading capitals and cities. New York was one of those places.
Salon "Grand Cafe", 12/28/1895
Exactly NY became the first center of American cinema. By the beginning of the 20th century, a small number of film studios were already located there. But, as you know, later many figures moved the center of the industry to the West Coast. This happened due to several factors.
First, rent was expensive in New York. Secondly, in addition to the underdevelopment of lighting equipment, New York also had unsuitable weather conditions - cloudy and rainy weather interfered with film production. Thirdly, Thomas Edison, who in 1909 tried to monopolize film production, scared off all the independent “film makers”, which led to their flight to the outskirts of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Edison Film Trust it existed until 1913, when it was closed after a trial, since its activities contradicted antitrust laws. Over the years of his work, he, of course, had not only a negative effect, which consisted in impeding the work of independent filmmakers, which in turn led to a decrease in the quantity and quality of output, but also a positive one - Edison prevented the penetration of European cinema in order to avoid competition, which, it seems to me that it has given American identity and uniqueness.
The village has become the most popular place for filmmakers to settle on the West Coast. Hollywood, which is known to almost everyone today. At the end of the 19th century, it was just a huge ranch.
In addition to climatic advantages (more than 300 sunny days a year), the place also had geographical advantages: there were mountain ranges and the Pacific coast nearby. Los Angeles served as a source of labor and building materials.
Already at its origins, American cinema intersected with political topics and openly expressed his attitude towards them. In 1898, the American cruiser Maine was blown up off the coast of Havana, which caused the American-Spanish War. On the first day of the conflict, James Stewart Blackton made the film " Tearing Down the Spanish Flag", and later released the film " Raising Old Glory over Morro Castle". Both films express author's attitude to Spanish tyranny.
The first feature film produced directly in a studio in Hollywood - "The Indian Woman's Husband" by Cecil B. deMille. This is a silent western that was released in 1914. Its duration is 72 minutes.
"The Squaw Man", 1914
The first movie theaters in the United States were called " nickelodeons“They were very cheap, admission was 5 cents. In 1908 there were about three thousand, but every year their number increased because cinema was in great demand. Competition led to the collapse of small studios, and large film trusts began to emerge, merging with distribution companies.
In 1912, Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures appeared. Such a giant in the field of cinema as Warner Brothers was founded only in 1923, and a year later Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures would be created.
Warner brothers logo, 1923
By the year 20, Hollywood finally became the center of the US film industry. 800 films were released there every year. The number of major film studios grew, and a system of movie stars emerged.
Unfortunately, the great demand for cinema has provoked the orientation of cinema towards the viewer, and not towards the director. The directors were extremely constrained in their author's ideas. Actors and film producers came to the fore. The output was “spectacular” films that were designed to satisfy the mass public.
The era of classic Hollywood.
This period begins in 1928 with the creation of the RKO Pictures film studio. It is characterized by the so-called studio system, where the 8 largest film trusts controlled 95% of the American film market. These large studios were engaged not only in the production, but also in the release of films, and they also owned entire chains of cinemas.
The studios also had complete control over the creative sphere. Long-term contracts were concluded with actors, directors and people in other cinematographic professions, for non-fulfillment of which large fines were imposed. Undesirable creators could simply be squeezed out of business. Perfectly characterizes the era and the term “ star conveyor“: The studio management took young promising actors and promoted them, inventing a name and a biography for them. Professional awards were distributed behind the scenes by leading film moguls.
Monopolization led not only to inflated prices, but also to the fact that independent cinemas were offered to buy five films at once, of which only one was a hit, while the rest were sold “for quantity.”
However, the era was marked by major events and remarkable personalities.
The first sound film was released in 1927. Jazz singer“It was after this event that the Warner Brothers film studio became one of the leading “players.”
"The Jazz Singer", 1927
In 1933, the finest hour came for the RKO Pictures studio, which until then had always kept a low profile behind the backs of its more powerful colleagues. For the film " King Kong“Remakes are still being made.
"King Kong", 1933
The United Artists studio, one of the founders of which was Charlie Chaplin, stood apart. She often helped independent film makers. For Charlie Chaplin, of course, you need to make a separate presentation. All I would like to say is that people liked his silent films even after the advent of sound films in 1927, and he continued to make them for another decade. His first sound film was The Great Dictator in 1940.
This era was also marked by the appearance of the most prestigious award in the field of cinema today - “ Oscar". In 1929, the first award ceremony was held at the Roosevelt Hotel; it lasted 15 minutes, admission cost $5, and 250 people attended. The funny thing is that the winners were known three months before, and this continued until 1945, only then did sealed envelopes appear. The winner that year was the film " Wings«.
Oscar, 1929
"Wings", 1927
Also popular at this time were the westerns of John Ford, who received four Oscars for directing, musicals with Fred Astaire and Hitchcock's crime thrillers.
Since the late 1930s, high-budget films have been shot in color. After the war, the historical genre becomes popular peplum— large-scale films with a long running time are being made on ancient subjects. They are dominated by scenes with an impressive number of extras and scenery. One example is the film " Ben-Hur", which won 11 Oscars. Musicals also remained in trend and attracted audiences.
The studio system still couldn't handle it. Questions began to arise from the antimonopoly agency, which, after a long trial with the Paramount Pictures studio, proved that the company had violated the law on free competition. The studio had to sell its theaters. Soon the RKO Pictures studio did the same, and by 1954 all studios did the same. Thus begins the era of New Hollywood.
The era of New Hollywood.
The studios began to lose most of their profits (almost 90%), as payments to distributors grew, who also stopped buying films in batches (thus, non-hit films did not bring income to the studios). Another problem facing the film business was falling movie theater attendance due to the spread of television. People didn't want to spend their evenings in cinemas when they could watch something sitting at home in front of the TV screen. The weakest companies were losing money, so foreigners began to enter the market. The company was the first Decca Records, which took control of Universal Pictures in 1951.
Another consequence of the collapse of the studios was an increase in the fees of stars. If previously actors were still below the level of the studios and were forced to work under long-term contracts for the studio, now they come to the fore, since only famous actors could ensure the commercial success of the film. Many agents began to demand from studios not a certain salary per film for their actors, but a percentage of the profits. For example, Hitchcock received $50 thousand as a director for his film “To Catch a Thief”, and the actor who played the main role received a fee of $700,000.
Hitchcock on the left. Cary Grant (actor) - right
The weaker of the major studios (RKO, United Artists, and even MGM) were forced out of the market. The remaining studios turned to television projects that were in high demand to fill airtime, occasionally investing money only in reliable projects. Thanks to this, in 1957, half of the films were released by independent producers.
The studio bosses could not understand what the viewer needed. At a loss, they began to invite young directors who did not require a lot of money and who led to experiments in the field of cinema. Often, such people from film schools and small studios broke the established traditions in cinema, took a certain style of auteur European cinema and gave the product something completely new and frank.
At this time, such masters as Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and others were creating.
"The Godfather" by F.F. Coppola
Interest in experiments faded away in the late 70s, when the film " Gates of Heaven" flopped at the box office. It is still considered one of the biggest box office flops. At that time the main income came from Science fiction and blockbusters like Steven Spielberg's Jaws and George Lucas' Star Wars, studios decided to follow the proven path of financing projects aimed at commercial success and mass audiences.
"Heaven's Gate"
Modern period.
Today, the American film market is dominated by six studios: Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios and Walt Disney Company.
But the products of independent companies (10-15%) such as Lionsgate, Dreamworks, The Weinstein Company and others also occupy their niche. Unfortunately, films that focus on entertainment, that is, with a lot of special effects and computer graphics, still bring the greatest profit. Also, the most successful are sequels, prequels and remakes of already acclaimed hits, which suggests some stagnation in American cinema.
There are also positive aspects. This is still access to independent cinema and blurring the line between it and commercial projects. The trend towards this began in the 90s, when films by Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers grossed more than average studio films.
However, American cinema is still the most widespread and popular in the world. Almost half of all the world's films are produced in America. From characteristic features In the US film industry, we can note: monopolization, which gave rise to a “star conveyor belt” with the subsequent idealization of actors and an increase in their fees, “Hollywood cliches” and standardization of the films offered. It was in the USA that leading actors began to be featured on movie posters. Also a feature of Hollywood films are ideal and clean shots that allow you to escape from reality. Often films are associated with American values, lifestyle and the “American Dream”.
Cinema in America is not just entertainment, it is an entire financial industry that has been like that from the very beginning. However, this is both a positive factor in terms of greater opportunities for implementation, and a negative one - today, in my opinion, everything for large studios has come down to making blockbusters, such attractions for making money.
10 votes Hollywood SignDue to its fame and cultural identity as historical Center movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a metonymy for the American film industry. The name "Tinseltown" refers to the magnificent nature of Hollywood and the film industry.
Today, much of the film industry is located in neighborhoods such as the Westside, but much of the supporting industry, such as editing, effects, props, final editing and lighting, remains in Hollywood, as does the Paramount Pictures location.
Many of Hollywood's historic theaters are used as action and concert stages for the premiere of major filmed productions, as well as as a venue for the Academy Awards. This is a popular place for nightlife and tourism, and home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Hollywood history
Nowadays, the meaning of the word “Hollywood” is known in all corners of the earth. The spectacles they put on on the screens attract all connoisseurs of filmmaking. Hollywood cinema is without a doubt a leader among its “colleagues”. But often the concepts of “American cinema” and “Hollywood” are combined.
Hollywood cinema is by far the most popular in the world. Hollywood has significant influence and on the cinema of other countries. It's no secret that Hollywood films set fashion in many film genres. They are also decisive in the choice of plot, in the selection of the ensemble of actors, and in creating the image of the film for the advertising campaign. Nowadays, this film empire really dictates the fashion of cinema. It produces thousands of films every year. And this is already something!
And it all started with a small plot of land in the vicinity of the small town of Los Angeles (now, when it is no longer small, it sounds quite funny). It was purchased in 1886 by a modest family of American settlers, the Wilcoxes. Deida Wilcox suggested calling the place "Hollywood." Why? From the words “holly” - holly and “wood” - forest. That's where you got "Hollywood". If only they knew then what this acquisition of theirs led to, adjacent to German peasants and an Indian reservation. Life moved on at its own pace. Soon the Wilcox couple decided to rent out the land, and around 1903, their ranch gradually sank into the depths of the new village, which was later honored to join Los Angeles as a suburb. At that time, born of the Lumière brothers, cinema more and more conquered the hearts of romantics who dreamed of translating their world of illusions into a visible picture. It did not bypass Colonel William N. Zeling, who laid the first foundation stones for the construction of a huge movie empire in Hollywood. He bought part of the land from the Wilcoxes for a branch of his Chicago film company.
Although all his actions were legal, he could not work on his favorite thing without obstacles. However, as always happens in life. In 1907, America experienced a wave of ongoing disputes regarding the ownership of projection equipment. The so-called “patent war” led to a ban on the opening of nickelodeons in and around Los Angeles. The reason was that in such semi-underground cinemas, where they paid 5 cents for admission (in English “nickel”, “odeon” - theater), stolen films were played on unlicensed equipment. So the Los Angeles municipality had to fight this troubled phenomenon. But no matter how it was, interest in cinema did not decrease, but on the contrary increased. In the 20s, in southern California, in the area of the already familiar town of Hollywood, the American film industry was created and began to rapidly develop. At that time, interest in cinema in America developed parallel to the population of the country with potential viewers. For example, in 1907, 1,285,000 people came to America from Europe alone, which gave a new strong impetus to the development of cinema. It was emigrants who made an amazing contribution to the development of the country's film industry. Many of them became great directors and producers, who are well remembered in the history of cinema to this day, and their works have become classics of world cinema. Who is this? Some of them were the founders of the country's largest film studios: Adolf Zukor (Hungary), who began his career as an apprentice to a furrier, founded Paramount; Karl Leml (Germany) - sold clothes, founded Universal, the Warner brothers (Poland) - advertised bicycles, founded Warner Bros., Louis B. Mayer (Russia, Minsk) - resold scrap metal, founded Metro-Goldwin-Mayer " By the way, let's focus on the last one. Why? Because she's been there for 30 seconds extra years was the leading studio in Hollywood. And this, you see, is worth attention.
But we will start not with Mayer, but with a native of a Jewish family, Samuel Geblitz (Sachmuel Gelbfisz). This man was one of the luckiest refugees from Eastern Europe. He was born in Warsaw in 1892. He, still very young, was forced by fate to leave his homeland, and fled first to London and then to New York. Circumstances were such that he even had to change his name to Samuel Goldfish.
So in 1913, his life’s path took him to American soil and stopped in California, where he mastered a new profession related to motion picture production technology.
He began his film career together with two of his like-minded people (Edgar and Archibald Selwyn). He soon changed his name back to the American one - Goldwyn (he combined the first syllable of his old surname GOLDfish with the last syllable of his partners' surname SelWYN). And in 1925, together with the already well-known Russian emigrant Lewis B. Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn founded the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, which dominated Hollywood, as we have already mentioned, for about 30 years.
As for the star system, it did not exist in American cinema. The names of the actors and actresses were not mentioned anywhere. All were hidden under pseudonyms. In March 1910, Karl Leml changed the situation and entered into an agreement with actress Florence Lawrence. After this, gradually, under the influence of film business specialists, stars began to appear one after another, each of whom had their own screen role. The institution of stars in Hollywood cinema began to emerge around the 1920s and, having been formed in the 1930s, reached its full dawn in the 1940s and 1950s. The stars seemed ideal to the audience. Future stars were specially trained in courses at the film studios themselves. The huge PR industry at major film studios specifically worked to create and maintain the image of stars. The tabloid press vigilantly followed every step of the actors, talking about all the incidents in their lives and about their eccentric antics, which thus tested the boundaries of their popularity.
It is impossible to imagine the history of world cinema without two of the greatest stars of the era of the birth of Hollywood - Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. These were the most bright stars Hollywood. They achieved such popularity that even today there is nothing to compare with.
Mary Pickford's real name was Gladys Smith, she was born in 1893 in Canada, in the city of Toronto. She made her debut on the theater stage at the age of 7. She was called "America's Sweetheart". The image of a young, naive, virtuous teenage girl, an American "Cinderella" in her performance, gained worldwide fame. For 20 years, the appearance of this wonderful actress preserved youthful innocence and purity, which played a huge role for her as an actress.
The years of her creativity coincided with the very years when the formation of American cinema took place. And Mary Pickford was among its most important creators. The first American woman to earn a million dollars in one year, a businesswoman of unique intelligence and insight. She was one of the first who understood what cinema was and what its role was. She was very insightful and intelligent and felt that Hollywood was the future leader of cinema. It’s not for nothing that she was called “the brightest head in Hollywood,” meaning not her golden curls.
The second star of that time was Douglas Fairbanks (real name Douglas Elton Ulman). He was born in 1883 in Denver, Colorado. Since childhood he was attracted to the theater. According to some reports, he first appeared on stage at the age of 12. From 1902 he performed on Broadway and by 1910 he had won the position of one of the theater’s leading actors, becoming the living embodiment of the “ideal American” - a young, active romantic, ready to conquer the whole world. In 1915, Fairbanks traveled from New York to Hollywood, where he made his screen debut. Fairbanks' famous smile and impressive athletic build made him one of the most popular actors of the era. He is especially famous for films such as The Three Musketeers, The Thief of Bagdad, The Man in the Iron Mask and The Mark of Zorro.
Two Hollywood stars have reached enormous heights. And, as often happens, in 1920 Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford got married. Their Pickfair mansion remained for a long time the largest and most prestigious mansion in Beverly Hills. In the 20-30s, scenes of some films were even filmed at Pickfair. It was considered a special honor to be invited to a reception at this mansion. Newspapers and movie almanacs reported literally every detail concerning the Pickfair guests.
At the end of the 60s, the studio system collapsed. Since that time, a new (modern) stage in Hollywood cinema began. Interest in traditional, formulaic star-studded studio films was steadily declining, and many of even the major film studios were brought to the brink of bankruptcy. Studio bosses were perplexed about what kind of movie audiences wanted to see. Experiments began. Among the young directors who were given the chance to demonstrate their abilities were George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma. And it was this group of directors who shaped modern cinema in the form in which it entered the 21st century. Their films in the late 1960s and early 1970s were huge successes. Thanks to them, the word “blockbuster” arose. The heads of large studios began to trust young directors. Moreover, inviting them for filming has become fashionable and profitable. After all, they, having come out of film schools and small studios, knew how to fit into very small budgets.
Michael Bublé, Hollywood – music video
Top Hollywood Attractions
Hollywood and Highland
Visiting numerous shops and restaurants is certainly not the most important, but also not last place on a trip to Hollywood. Located on the corner of Hollywood and Highland Boulevards, the three-story modern shopping and entertainment complex Hollywood and Highland is one of the most visited centers in Los Angeles. In addition to shops and restaurants, the complex is an excellent starting point for a walking tour, as it is located directly next to the Walk of Fame, the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards) and one of Hollywood's most famous movie theaters, Grauman's Chinese Theater.
One of Hollywood's main attractions, the famous Walk of Fame is a chain of sidewalks located on both sides of a 15-block street on Hollywood Boulevard and a 3-block street on Vine Street. About 10 million people visit the alley every year. The Alley consists of approximately 2,400 five-pointed brass Stars set into a six-foot terraz floor. Each star celebrates the achievements of a specific real and fictional "star" in the music, film or television industries. The Walk of Fame was opened in 1958.
Grauman's Chinese Theater
On the site in front of the Walk of Fame, you can see one of the most popular attractions in Hollywood - the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater. Located on Hollywood Boulevard, the movie theater was built in 1927 by famed Hollywood impresario Sid Grauman. The cinema is one of the main monuments of the "golden era" of Hollywood and one of the most popular places for film premieres. It is worth noting that the choice of stars who leave their hand and foot prints in the cement on the Walk of Fame is made by the owners of the cinema. On the area in front of the cinema you can see prints of many celebrities, including Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood. Since 2007, the cinema has been owned by the CIM Group company. The cinema is open 24 hours a day. You can buy a ticket for a tour of the cinema or just buy a ticket for one of the sessions.
Hollywood Bowl
One of the best open-air concert halls in Hollywood, the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater was built in 1922. The hall can accommodate about 18,000 spectators. The concert season at the Hollywood Bowl lasts from late June to mid-September. However, in addition to this, a number of unscheduled events take place in the hall, such as the Playboy Jazz Festival.
Hollywood sign
By far the most recognizable monument in Hollywood is the famous HOLLYWOOD monument in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. The memorial sign was installed at an altitude of 491 meters above sea level, on the slope of Mount Lee in Griffith Park in 1923 as an advertisement, and subsequently gained wide popularity, becoming the main symbol of the US film industry. Each letter is 9 meters high, 15 meters wide, and a total of 4,200 light bulbs are used in the letters. It was originally planned that the sign would stand for about a year and a half, but with the development of the American film industry, it was decided to keep the sign. The sign has undergone several restorations and the letters are now 1.5 meters shorter than they were in the original version.
Usually the monument is not accessible by regular excursion, but you can choose several convenient places that offer the best view of the famous inscription. Most convenient places Hollywood Reservoir, Mulholland Drive, Franklin Avenue in Gower, Hollywood at Highland, Griffith Park Observatory are considered for sign review.
Los Angeles Farmers Market
One of the popular and most visited attractions in Hollywood and Los Angeles is the famous Farmers Market shopping center. The shopping center is located on the site of a historic farmers market that has existed since 1934. In 2002, the market area was turned into a huge shopping center, preserving part of historical buildings. The Farmers Market attracts approximately 3 million visitors each year. The center is located at the corner of Third and Fairfax. The center is open 24 hours a day.
Sunset Strip
One of the largest shopping and nightlife centers in Los Angeles, the Sunset Strip is located on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. The Sunset Strip is a 1.5-mile stretch between Doheny Drive and N. Crescent Heights Blvd. The Sunset Strip is quite a rich place in terms of attractions. Among the main attractions are the Rocky and Bullwinkle statue, the luxurious Sunset Tower Hotel, the popular Comedy Store comedy club, the Plaza chain of stores and restaurants, the legendary Whiskey A GoGo bar in the 1960s, where such celebrities as Jimi Hendrix began their careers, bands The Doors, The Byrds, Led Zeppelin.
Excursions to film studios
There's no better way to experience what goes on behind the camera than on a Hollywood Studios Tour. Most of these tours invite tourists to visit real, working studios. But unfortunately, this means that the tour can only be taken on a weekday when the studios are open.
Visiting the filming of the show
With a little planning, you can become part of the studio audience while filming a comedy, reality show, or game show. What's even nicer? It's free - and you get the opportunity to express yourself.
Hollywood Christmas Parade
If you're lucky enough to be in Los Angeles for the Thanksgiving holiday, you shouldn't miss one of the world's most colorful annual parades - the Hollywood Christmas Parade. The parade has been celebrated annually for the past eighty years and has long become one of the main cultural news of American television. A number of celebrities take part in the parade each year. The parade was first held in 1928 and was originally called the Santa Claus Lane Parade. In 1978, the event changed its name to the Hollywood Christmas Parade. The parade takes place annually on the third Thursday of November. The parade follows a 3.5 kilometer route along Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard.
The history of the creation of Hollywood goes back to the beginning of the 19th century. As the story goes, the very name “Hollywood” owes its birth to the Wilcox couple who moved to America and acquired a large plot of land in the vicinity of the then small town of Los Angeles. At the request of the wife, this site was named Hollywood, which translated means “wood” - forest and “holly” - holly. According to historians, a few years later, the Wilcoxes began to rent out part of their land, and over time, a settlement grew around their estate, which was annexed to Los Angeles as a suburb.
HOLLYWOOD HISTORY. HOW THE CINEMATOGRAPH WAS CREATED
How did Hollywood begin?
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Colonel William N. Zeling bought part of the land from the Wilcox couple, where he located part of his film company, which he created in Chicago. The development of cinema in America received a big boost with the significant settlement of its territory by settlers. It was the immigrants who became the founders of the largest American film studios, for example, apprentice furrier Adolf Zukor, an immigrant from Hungary, became the founder of Paramount, and the Warner brothers, who were engaged in advertising bicycles, eventually created Warner Bros., clothing dealer from Germany Karl Laeml became the founder of the Universal company, and the Metro-Goldwin-Mayer company was founded by the Russian scrap metal dealer Louis B. Mayer.
Paramount English "Paramount"
At first, actors in American films acted under pseudonyms, such as "Vitograph Girl" or "Little Mary". However, the signing of a contract with actress Florence Lawrence by Carl Laeml, the founder of the Universal film company, marked the beginning of an era of glory and fame for Hollywood actors and put an end to the work of incognito actors. This initiative was readily taken up by other film companies. From then on, Hollywood stars began to appear one after another.
Universal English "Universal"
As history goes, the first Hollywood film was The Indian Husband, a Western directed by Cecil B. deMille.
Excellent natural conditions Hollywood, its cozy streets have become an excellent basis for filming films. Thanks to this, up to 800 films a year were created in Hollywood. Since then, the history of Hollywood has developed at a tremendous pace. With the development of cinema, the infrastructure necessary for film companies is actively developing in this city: financial institutions, restaurants, clubs and many other entertainment complexes. In addition, the population of Hollywood was divided into two parts - the elite and the auxiliary workers. Gradually with central street residential buildings were replaced by various film studio buildings.
The development of cinema has led to increased competition between small film studios. To avoid bankruptcy, it was profitable to create large film trusts from small film studios. Subsequently, these film trusts began to merge with distribution companies. This is how film companies appeared "Paramount", "United Artists", "Metro Goldwyn Myers", "Warner Brothers".
United Artists eng. United Artists
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Hollywood developed rapidly, and soon the whole world was talking about it. Almost every actor and actress dreamed of taking part in the filming of a Hollywood film and, of course, becoming a star, and not just a star, but a star of Hollywood proportions.
A few words from the history of Hollywood cinema
The first Hollywood film studio was the Nestor studio, created by the Centaur company. Westerns were the first films to be released by Centaur. Who would have thought that 10 years after the opening of a film studio in an abandoned diner along the road, Hollywood would be talked about as the center of the film industry in the United States of America.
Connoisseurs of cinema history consider the film “The Birth of a Nation” as the beginning of cinema, as a special form of art. This film was directed by David Wark Griffith, who introduced the film culture that would define everything further development film industry. It was he who was awarded the Oscar for his special contribution to the development of cinema.
I would also like to dwell on the history of the appearance of the figurine itself. There are several versions of the appearance of this name. According to the first version, the figurine was named by librarian Margaret Herrick, who saw the figurine and exclaimed that it looked so much like her uncle Oscar. The second version says that Bette Davis named the figurine “Oscar” because it looked very much like her husband, whose name was Oscar. It is worth noting that the figurine acquired its name a little later than it was first awarded. Since the first Oscars, this event has been followed by residents of many countries.
Alan Crosland, who starred in the film The Jazz Singer, was able to conquer all of America with his talent and gift for establishing psychological contact with the audience. This unique ability was noted by Charlie Chaplin himself. This film was released in 1927 and became the first sound film. It was with the advent of sound cinema that the golden age of Hollywood cinema began.
Alan Crosland – Jazz singer
The first film to be shot in widescreen format was The Shroud. This film was directed by Henry Coster in 1953. The first full-length color film was shot in 1935 by director Rouben Mamoulian. The appearance of this film, entitled “Becky Sharp,” is considered the beginning of the era of color cinema in Hollywood.
Henry Koster – Shroud
Rouben Mamoulian – Becky Sharp
Despite all the advantages of sound films over silent films, the transition to the new kind cinema turned out to be a very expensive undertaking for Hollywood, so he was forced to turn to banks and other financial institutions for help. Under pressure from certain financial institutions that expressed certain views of religious groups, Hollywood film companies were forced to sign a certain Production Code, according to which they had to avoid topics that were unacceptable to these organizations. Joseph Breen supervised the implementation of this code.
Here are the main prohibited points of the Production Code:
- religious beliefs should not be subject to any criticism;
- it was forbidden to show surgical operations;
- films should not include drug use;
- a ban on demonstrations of drunkenness was imposed;
- Films should not depict cruelty to children or animals;
- the use of curse words in speech was prohibited;
- the film could not show violence or details of robberies, so as not to encourage breaking the law;
- the killing of a policeman by a criminal in the film was also prohibited, although the police themselves could kill criminals in unlimited numbers;
- a ban was also imposed on sexual relations in the film. Passionate kissing, naked actors, same-sex or interracial relationships were strictly prohibited.
History of Hollywood. Part 1. Kinetoscope pioneers
History of children's and family cinema
In the 1930s, going to the cinema was a family affair since there were no television movies. Based on this trend, films were created in such a way that they would be interesting to any viewer. However, there were also films that were aimed at children, although adults also readily watched them.
Shirley Temple is considered the most famous young actress of the time. She first appeared on screen at the age of 4 years. Over the next 10 years, she starred in 31 films. Her popularity reached such proportions that many children's toys began to be named after her.
It was the 30s of the last century that became the peak of popularity of child actors and actresses. Among them are Peggy Ann Garner, Freddie Bartholomew, Margaret O'Brien. Much more often, young actors appeared in musicals and comedies. Famous singer Deanna Durbin, who starred in the film “The Hard Age,” saved Universal from bankruptcy in 1938.
However, the luxurious life of the little actors also had a downside. Before filming, they studied at a school at the film studio, and the shooting day often ended after midnight. Many of the children were given various pills to prevent them from falling asleep on set and from gaining weight. As a result, some children developed drug addiction.
Only a few young stars managed to maintain their popularity into adulthood. Some were left without a livelihood at all because their parents spent all the money they earned. One of these actors, Jackie Coogan, was forced to sue his mother in order to get back at least a small part of the money he earned. Subsequently, the “Coogan Act” was even approved, according to which half of the money earned by the child actor was to be transferred to his personal account so that in the future he could safely dispose of it.
History of the Star Institute
Initially, there was no institution of stars in Hollywood cinema. As such, it appeared in 1920 and only in 1930 was it finally formed. At the dawn of Hollywood cinema, stars seemed as inaccessible to moviegoers as the stars of heaven. Aspiring actors and actresses were taught in special schools at the studios, and large PR companies worked to maintain the image of movie stars. The tabloids have become a source of information about the personal lives of Hollywood movie stars, bringing to the reader the slightest details of unattainable stars. Over time, when Hollywood cinema began to acquire modern features, the actors became closer to the viewer, and in addition they had more freedom. Now a Hollywood actor or actress could independently choose the films in which they would like to star and shape their image. We can definitely say that already in the 90s of the last century, the actors themselves began to set the tone for the development of Hollywood cinema.
We can highlight the following famous people who played an important role in the history of the development of Hollywood cinema:
- Max Linder, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers and Harrold Lloyd made Hollywood comedies famous;
- Rodolfo Valentino made Hollywood melodramas famous;
- John Ford made some of the most entertaining Westerns;
- The film noir genre was made famous by Humphrey Boggart;
- Fred Astern and Gene Kelly made Hollywood musicals famous;
- Thrillers were made famous by Alfred Hitchcock.
Since films were being made at that time that were mainly aimed at mass audiences, this somewhat narrowed the possibilities and desires of directors. Based on this, the leading places were occupied by the actors who were most loved by the public.
However, by the early 60s, the mass audience was fed up with films that were made according to the template, and this led to the collapse of the existing studio system. The directors thought about the question of what the viewer wants to see on the screen, and this is what led to the emergence of new ideas in cinema. A new wave of development in Hollywood cinema gave Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and others the opportunity to show their strengths. It was these directors who were destined to stand at the origins of modern Hollywood cinema.
History of the Walk of Fame
Many have already heard about the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At their core, these are the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street that contain handprints famous personalities Hollywood. Today there are 2600 prints there and this is not the limit. The alley is regularly replenished with new specimens.
The Walk of Fame's roots go back to the 50s. This project was developed by E.M. Stewart, which he worked on for several years. The main contradiction in the creation of this alley was the question “who is worthy to leave their imprint.” Initially, the number of applicants was 6 people. Subsequently, it increased to 130 and was constantly changing.
The year 1958 was marked in Hollywood by the laying of the first six stars, but only in 1960 did its official opening take place. Since then, the number of prints has grown many times over. It is worth noting that stars are received not only by actors, but also by other figures in the film industry. The awards are held in five categories: contribution to the development of the film industry, sound recording, theater, television and radio.
Hollywood emerged at the very beginning of the 20th century. It arose spontaneously and rapidly. Just like all the other cities of the American West arose. Huge crowds of gold and adventure seekers flocked to the lands of California, followed by wandering actors, owners of mobile panopticons, fair booths, and gambling houses. Circus performers and musicians, like all other people, were attracted by gold, subtropical climate and eternal summer.
Entrance to Hollywood
At this time, the popularity of cinema was growing. In Hollywood, the conditions for creating film production were the most favorable. The idea of mass and cheap entertainment appealed to local entrepreneurs. The money invested paid off very quickly, as viewers flocked to a variety of films. Thus began the history of Hollywood, which began in 1909.
But at that time, the people who stood at the origins of cinema did not even think about making truly artistic films and bringing them to the masses. high art. It all came down to how to make money through cinema. Hence the nature of the products produced.
Hollywood's business was gaining momentum, and product advertising accounted for a significant share of the profits. Various companies were very willing to pay film business sharks to show their products on cinema screens. Popular films also brought in a lot of money. Many filmmakers tried to find an algorithm for the success of a particular film among the general public. Certain dogmas were created, violating which was tantamount to failure.
For example, the same head of United Artists, Joseph Schenk, demanded that all scripts show the career young man who goes from poor to rich. He argued that if this is not the case, then the film will fail at the box office. The boss was of little interest to the quality of the script itself. What was important to him was his career and a happy ending with a bunch of green banknotes in the finale.
But Mr. Meyer of Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer was obsessed with “irreplaceable loss.” He demanded the same scene in all films: a couple in love sits in complete silence for a long time in the moonlight. If the script did not include “irreplaceable loss” and lovers under the moon, then it was not allowed to proceed.
The scriptwriters were forced people. They could not dictate their terms. Therefore, the films were strikingly monotonous. People saw on the screen either the happy career of a young man, or lovers in the silvery light of the moon, suffering from an “irreplaceable loss.”
The history of Hollywood and its business would be inconceivable without scientific and technological achievements. A notable feature of American film factories was a high safety margin, or, in other words, equipment stored for future use.
If 20 spotlights were needed for the filming of a film, then 40 were purchased. The production process should not have stopped due to the breakdown of, say, 2 spotlights. They were immediately replaced with spares. If one microphone was needed, then three were installed. After all, a damaged microphone could also delay the shooting if there was no replacement.
In order for 100 microphones to work uninterruptedly at the Paramount factory, they kept the same number in reserve. Thus, nothing could delay the release of films. Their production went smoothly, like on an assembly line. There was not even a minute of downtime, which indicates a high level of organization of work and amazing forethought even in small things.
Each crowd participant hid under his hat (at that time it was as indecent to walk without a hat as it is now to walk without trousers) a tiny radio with headphones. The director gave the command through his microphone, and everyone heard him perfectly. During filming, the director could come up with some kind of re-planning, different words, and the extras would immediately carry out new orders. There was no fuss, confusion or downtime.
Most major film companies maintained their own film equipment workshops. They employed dozens of operators and technicians. Very often these people made some improvements to ready-made mechanisms. The invention could be immediately patented. A patent is, first of all, money, and therefore wealth. A good invention could feed its creator for the rest of his life.
Each sound engineer had his own sound passport. For this purpose there were special sound exams. They determined how many vibrations the ear of the person being tested perceives. Based on the testing, a conclusion was made about the suitability of the sound engineer as a responsible worker for sound cinema.
The specialist who received the sound passport was placed in a small trailer, which constantly followed the filming apparatus during filming. From the window of the trailer, the sound engineer saw everything that was happening and adjusted the sound recording.
Through a large dynamic loudspeaker, he listened to the sound entering the microphone, and thus noticed and corrected all errors. He hung the microphones at exactly the right distance, angle and inclination to maximize the ideal sound effect.
The preparation for the shoot was always exemplary. Each Hollywood studio used not just one sound stage during filming, but several. That is, many different sets were ready for filming at the same time. The director had the opportunity during the work process to refuse to shoot any one scene and immediately begin filming another.
Hollywood movie stars enjoyed great privileges. There was a gap between them and ordinary actors. The star received huge amounts of money for every minute of work, and all the other artists and technical workers were completely dependent on her.
If famous actress was not in the mood or looked bad that day, then the entire mass of film studio workers had to immediately move on to filming another scene. Given the unforeseen situations, no one relaxed. The actors involved in the film were in costume and makeup all day, as they could be called to filming at any moment.
In American cinemas, the screens were huge. They corresponded to the size of the curtain Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. Therefore, the images had extraordinary expressiveness and power. If on normal screen The episode looked rather ordinary, but having increased several times, it already made a completely different impression. Look at a fly on your computer screen, and then imagine that its image occupies the entire wall of a 9-story building. The effect will be completely different.
Already from the first years of its existence, Hollywood represented a perfectly regulated film production. But there was no talk of real art. Charlie Chaplin spoke very eloquently about this. He said: “They don’t make movies in Hollywood, they make money here. You need to study filmmaking in the place where “Battleship Potemkin” was made. But Russia is far away, so we will continue to make money, since studying, taking into account the cost, will be too expensive.”
Walt Disney with Soviet film directors, 1930. From left to right: Alexandrov, Eisenstein, Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse and Tisse
Hollywood history would be lost without father of animation Walt Disney. His cartoon characters on screen were often more humane and expressive than the live characters played by actors. At first, Disney had a very small film factory. He started with short films. It was they who brought him success and recognition.
Disney based the actions of his cartoon characters on musical themes and musical rhythms. It was music that characterized the images of his painted heroes. Humor and comic effects were very often achieved by eccentric performances of classical music.
In mechanics, an eccentric is a wheel whose axis is not in the center of the circle, but is shifted to the side. If the axle of a cart wheel is shifted, the cart will begin to “limp.” Everyone will laugh because it looks very funny.
Walt Disney used the same principle. He stages Grieg's Dance of Death, and in this funny cartoon the comedy of the situation is achieved by the fact that skeletons who have left the cemetery are dancing there. The same famous hero- Mickey Mouse. This favorite child father of animation.
Disney had his own special method of filming. He always started with a soundtrack. She became, as it were, the frame of the film. And then the plot was attached to the phonogram and another masterpiece was born.
Charlie Chaplin and Soviet film director Alexandrov (left), 1930
And of course. Would the history of Hollywood be possible without this great director and actor? He was known and loved wherever people had the opportunity to watch movies.
What is the secret of Chaplin's success? Tons of books written in different parts of the world have been trying to answer this for many decades. But the great master himself said best about his secret of success: “The basis of success is knowledge of human nature. Comedy mercilessly reveals the true essence of any person. Viewers really like to get to know the complex inner world of the characters in a light and funny way. If I started making serious films with complex psychological relationships, I would lose two-thirds of my fans.”
This man, with a huge supply of internal energy, worked tirelessly all his life. At the same time, he managed to play sports to always be in good shape. Chaplin was an excellent swimmer and spent a lot of time on gymnastics. He was especially good at tennis. The great master was left-handed. This is probably what helped him beat his opponents.
The Hollywood business dictated its own strict laws. Film bosses viewed the public as an ignorant mass of people with bad tastes. There was an opinion among entrepreneurs that it was necessary to indulge base instincts so that people would part with their money as willingly as possible. Charlie Chaplin was one of the few people in Hollywood who respected the audience. He managed to maintain his independence as an artist, but it was very difficult for him.
Hollywood has changed a lot these days, more than a hundred years have passed since its founding. But it still attracts millions of young people. They travel from all over America to try out for the role of movie stars in the world's most famous film center. But success and recognition come to only a few. The great movie star factory is picky and capricious. She was created not for cinema, but for money, and therefore the selection is very tough.
What is Hollywood? This is the center of the film industry, the quintessence of glamor, success and prosperity. All this is really true. However, few people know the story of the birth of Hollywood... a story that began with the death of a small child.
Hollywood:: The Beginning
One day in 1880, in a city called Topeka (the administrative center of the state of Kansas), two people met - the beautiful Daieda Hartell and the disabled Harvey Wilcox. Harvey suffered from polio as a child, which left its mark and forever confined him to a wheelchair. It would seem that the people who met were so different that it was difficult to even think about possible close relationships. However, life is full of paradoxes. Fate gave the couple not only strong feelings, but also the opportunity to start a new life - Daida and Harvey had a child, whom they named Harry. The young family moved to Los Angeles, where Harvey became involved in real estate transactions.
For a year and a half, the happiness of the young knew no bounds. They enjoyed life until their joy was suddenly cut short by Harry's death. Life seemed to have turned everything upside down. A heavy feeling settled in their souls, and in an effort to get rid of it, Daida and Harvey went to the distant outskirts of Los Angeles, so that in the surprisingly warm climate they could forget at least for a moment. Daida and Harvey loved the cozy corner so much that they decided to buy land here. Perhaps Harvey had an entrepreneurial instinct that allowed him to see prospects for resettlement in the mild climate that persisted in this place for 300 days a year. Be that as it may, Harvey bought 200 acres of land (0.81 sq. km.), paying only $150 per acre.
Harvey initially decided to plant orchards on his land, but nothing came of this venture. Then he decided to turn his land into Big city ok, beautiful and cozy. Harvey and Daida set about developing a plan. She outlined the location of houses, streets and green spaces. Daida planted the first trees and made flower beds with her own hands. She also came up with the names of the city streets. Wilcox was quoted a price of a thousand dollars for each plot of land. The business started working. People who liked the new Los Angeles area began buying land here.
One day, Daida decided to go to her hometown of Hicksville to see her relatives and friends. On the way, she met a woman from Chicago, who for some reason called her estate Hollywood. Daida liked this name, and upon returning home, she decided to give her city the same name. From now on, the area owned by the Wilcox family was named Hollywood.
Hollywood:: Cinema
The development of Hollywood as the center of the film industry began in 1907, when Colonel William N. Zeling bought part of the land from the Wilcox couple, where he located part of his film company, which he created in Chicago. The story of the “dream factory” has begun.
Consistent sunny weather, vast expanses of prairie land, the Pacific coast, and the large city of Los Angeles, which could supply building materials and labor, all contributed to the rapid development of the film business in Hollywood. By 1912, 15 studios were firmly established here. The city said goodbye to quiet life forever.
Over the next ten years, Hollywood finally became the capital of the American film industry, as about 90% of American film studios were concentrated here. It is interesting that the rapid development of American cinematography was facilitated not by native-born Americans, but by visitors from other countries. Few people know that, for example, the Paramount film company was founded by the Hungarian Adolf Zukor, who began his career as an apprentice to a furrier. Universal is the brainchild of a German clothing merchant named Karl Laeml. The Polish brothers Warner, who advertised bicycles, founded the Wamer Brosers. Russian Lazar Meir (changed his name after accepting American citizenship to Louis Mayer), who made his living in the resale of scrap metal, founded Metro-Goldwin-Mayer.
Paramount Company (founder: Hungarian Adolf Zukor, who started out as an apprentice to a furrier)
Universal company (founder German Karl Leml, clothing dealer from Germany)
Metro-Goldwin-Mayer company (founder: Russian Lazar Meir, scrap metal collector)
Hollywood:: Famous inscription
The publisher of the Los Angeles Times newspaper, Harry Chandler, who was also a large and very successful realtor, became interested in Hollywood and the surrounding area. It was by his order that in 1923 the famous letters HOLLYWOOD were installed on the southern slope of Mount Lee at an altitude of 491 meters. Chandler paid a pretty penny for his setup—$21,000. He did this for advertising purposes - the letters were supposed to attract the attention of potential buyers of lands in the area, the seller of which was Chandler. Initially, it was assumed that the letters would stand for only a year and a half - it was during this time that the land had to be sold. However, the letters from a huge advertising billboard turned into a city symbol. They were destined to exist to this day.
Initially there were more letters - HOLLYWOODLAND, and since their installation was intended as a temporary advertising campaign, they were made mainly of wood and metal sheets. It is not surprising that over time they began to rot and fall into disrepair. Therefore, in 1949 it was decided to remove the last part of the word - “LAND”. Despite the fact that the letters were repaired from time to time, they continued to deteriorate. The first letter "O" collapsed and became similar to a capital letter "u", and the third letter "O" completely collapsed, resulting in the sign looking like "HuLLYWO D" (in English, "hull" means "husk, wrapper"). In 1978, the crumbling sign was completely replaced. The new letters, each of which is 14 m high and from 9 to 12 m wide (somewhat smaller than they were in the original version), are still standing. They are protected by law and no change is possible.
The original appearance of the Harry Chandler inscription
