Hollywood
was an attractive place for the early filmmakers to settle,
full of good weather, orange and lemon trees. For producers
who owed money on borrowed camera equipment if a creditor
came after them, they could hide among the trees. It was
a hard business full of causalities and took a pirates
mentality to survive. Most of the studio heads were from
poor backgrounds, with limited English skills and never
forgot their childhood or a personal slight. Included
were Jack, Harry, Albert and Sam, the four Warner Brothers
from Youngstown, Ohio. They had begun with showing movies
off the side of a tent in Youngstown, borrowing all the
chairs from the local undertaker. Every time there was
a funeral in Youngstown, they had to give all the chairs
back and the film patrons were forced to stand.
As a boy Jack Warner wished to be a singer and a comedian.
His brothers, recognizing his lack of talent instructed
him to sing in the tent when they wanted the audience
to leave. He was later advised that the money was not
in performing, it was in paying performers. Among the
stars that would be under contract to him would be Betty
Davis, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn.
The silent days were a struggle for Warner Bros. Rin Tin
Tin, a German shepherd that according to his publicity
was born in a foxhole in World War I, was their biggest
star. Heroic as he might have been on the screen, he proved
to be, like many stars, cantankerous in person. Jack Warner
took the dog on a publicity tour. As he introduced him
to the crowd, his ungrateful employee bit him on the behind,
leading to the dogs dismissal. It proved to be a prelude
to Warners many future battles with stars.
Trying to make a name for themselves, the four brothers
got great publicity by announcing that the renowned opera
tenor Caruso would be arriving from Italy to make a film
for them. They paid him 25,000 dollars and then put him
in a silent movie.
The movie studios had the technology to make talking films
years before they made them. One of the reasons why they
resisted the idea was that they didnt want to risk losing
their overseas market. Stars like Charlie Chaplin, Douglas
Fairbanks and Mary Pickford rarely ever had a flop as
their films were shown around the world and knew no language
barriers. But in 1926 the silent films faced their biggest
competition with a new device called the radio. As movie
attendance dwindled the studio heads shut their eyes and
pretended the radio was not there. But the Warners lead
by the ambitious Sam, decided to push the envelope and
try to save their sinking studio by experimenting with
movie sound.
Sam purchased an experimental sound system called Vita-phone.
They then acquired the rights to The Jazz Singer, a popular
play about a young man who had a beautiful voice and is
offered a Broadway career against the wishes of his Old
World Jewish father. In the play the son gave in to his
father but the Warners, wishing to reach a wider audience,
Americanized the story by having the son follow his own
dreams. Star Al Jolson adlibbed the dialogue," Wait a
minute, wait a minute you aint heard nothing, yet!" The
Warners were only intending singing but at the last minute
they impulsively kept the line in the film. The Jazz Singer
received a standing ovation when it premiered in New York
in 1927 and went on to make three and half million dollars
at a time when admission costs 20 cents. The sound revolution
was under way!
Movie audiences had often been loud and noisy while watching
silent films. Now the theaters got quiet as people strained
to hear every word. Movie Theaters had to be rewired for
sound, costing major studios like Paramount and Fox millions
of dollars. Movies now had to film mostly at night as
any passing truck noise could ruin a sound recording.
" How boring!" said Mary Pickford. "At first we moved!
Now everyone is standing around talking!" One enterprising
actor was hired for one days work. When the director wasnt
looking he let a bunch of crickets loose on the set. It
was five days before the crew could round up the chirping
crickets, and the actor kept on hold received five times
the paycheck.
Stephen
Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooks
"Fascinating Walt Disney" and "Tales Of Hollywood". The
Saint Louis Post Dispatch says," these two elaborate productions
are exceptionally entertaining." Hear realaudio samples
of these great, unique gifts at www.hollywoodstories.com.
