The Hollywood film industry fascinates with its pictures. It creates an image of an ideal life. Draws you into illusions and pulls you away from the grayness of everyday life. The very history and development of American cinema is full of unexpected plots and twists.
Where did cinema begin: the beginnings
Originally the center of American cinema was considered New York City. But the rainy and eternally cloudy weather did not allow to properly engage in filming. The quality of the material then depended directly on sunlight.
In the city then existed small studios, for which it was too expensive to rent space for their whims. To make matters worse, in 1909 Thomas Edison tried to monopolize the industry. He created his own Film Trust, which included the largest film companies and film suppliers.
Edison tried to control all filmmakers. He imposed a tribute to filmmakers who had to pay a hefty sum for the right to make and show movies. In the end this scared off many directors who were not part of the monopoly. The latter tried to sue Edison. As a result, they fled to the west coast of the United States.
Recall that Thomas Edison was an American inventor who pioneered the film industry by designing the kinetoscope.
Edison’s case lasted until 1913. As a result of litigation, the company was closed due to violations of antitrust laws. But thanks to him, European cinema was not affected by the distinctive American style as Edison dismissed competitors.
The first Hollywood film and the silent film era
In the suburbs of Los Angeles is the township of Hollywood. For the filmmakers of the time, it was the perfect place to shoot. It had sunshine almost all year round, roughly speaking, it was a paradise – mountains, forests, deserts. It was easy to implement any idea.
Because land in the area was sold at a ridiculous price, there was a huge construction boom. The popularity of Hollywood can be explained by the fact that the film business is aimed at the mass audience. Producers ruled the day, setting goals and planning budgets, while directors took a back seat.
A system of movie stars was born, who were trained as actors within the walls of film companies. They painted them an image, and if the audience liked the actor, he was filmed even more.The beginning of the era of the capital of American cinema can be considered a silent western “Indian woman’s husband”, which was filmed in 1914. The cinemas at the time grew like mushrooms after the rain and the number only increased every year. Admission to them was very cheap. This caused small movie companies to go bankrupt. Large film industries began to emerge to replace them.
A pioneer in the silent film can be considered David Griffith. He was one of the most talented directors in the country and his students and followers then also achieved many successes in this field.
Griffith has made a big contribution to the history of American cinema – in 5 years he made about 500 films.
The emergence of the studios and the first sound film
By the 20s of the 20th century, Hollywood had cemented its title as the center of the American film industry. The first of the major studios came Universal Studios, followed by Paramount Pictures. Everyone’s famous Warner Brothers, appeared only in 1923. And a little later established not less famous today studios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures.
The first film with sound was The Jazz Singer, which was made in 1927. People immediately lost interest in silent movies. Even the outbreak of the Great Depression did not deter fans of quality films.
After the film’s release, the Warner Brothers film company, which released the film, took the lead.
The Golden Age of Hollywood.
This period begins precisely after the release of the picture “The Jazz Singer.” Hollywood had already decided what was of interest to his audience. Major film companies continued to make comedies, westerns, and melodramas.
Movie stars could also dictate their own terms and choose their own films to participate. Now they, along with the film producers, were moving and changing the film industry.
It wasn’t long before cartoons entered the arena. In 1937, Walt Disney released “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The picture brought in big royalties. The release of the movie became massive, and the artistic value was nothing compared to the profits. The highest-grossing film in the history of cinema at the time, could be considered Gone with the Wind, made in 1939.
The new Hollywood and what is now
Since the early ’60s interest and attention to film began to wane. The people were no longer interested in the traditional genres and formulaic films. Under the threat of bankruptcy fell even large companies. Then it was decided to invite young directors to bring a touch of freshness to the usual pictures, the inspiration was taken from the European auteur cinema.
But in the 70’s, it became clear that the experiments were not successful and do not bring the necessary fees and Hollywood returned to its traditional films.
Nowadays, Hollywood still has high ratings in the world. This is mainly due to the fact that the films are aimed at the mass audience. The history and development of American cinema is very interesting. So, just Hollywood gave the world the lion’s share of films, which many people remember, years later.
This is where the stars were born, who are worshipped and who will be remembered for a long time to come. Movies that immerse you in a world of illusions and reveries, that pull you away from gray reality.
