Warner Bros. 34052 226074061 2008-07-16T18:38:11Z 200.103.169.152 {{Infobox_Company | company_name = Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. | company_logo = [[Image:Warner Bros. logo.png|250px]] | company_type = [[Subsidiary]] of [[Time Warner]] | foundation = [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California]], [[United States|USA]] (1918) | founders = [[Jack Warner]]<br>[[Harry Warner]]<br>[[Albert Warner]]<br>[[Sam Warner]]| location_city = [[Burbank, California]] and [[New York City]]| location_country = {{USA}} | key_people = [[Barry M. Meyer]], Chairman and CEO<br />[[Alan F. Horn]], President and COO<br />[[Edward A. Romano]] EVP and CFO<br>| num_employees = | industry = [[Entertainment industry|Entertainment]] | products = [[Motion picture]]s, [[television program]]s | revenue = {{profit}}$11.7 billion [[United States dollar|USD]] (2007)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=BW&Date=20080206&ID=8146081&Symbol=TWX |title=Time Warner Inc. Reports Results for 2007 Full Year and Fourth Quarter}}</ref> | | operating_income = {{profit}}$845 million [[United States dollar|USD]] (2007) | homepage = [http://www.wb.com/ wb.com] }} [[Image:WarnerBrosStudios-1920.jpg|thumb|right|Warner Bros. - First National Studios, Burbank, circa 1928.]] '''Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.''' (or '''Warner Bros.''', '''Warner Bros. Pictures''') is one of the world's largest [[film producer|producers]] of [[film]] and [[television|television entertainment]]. It is a subsidiary of [[Time Warner]], with its headquarters in [[Burbank, California]] and [[New York City]]. Warner Bros. has several subsidiary companies, including [[Warner Bros. Studios]], [[Warner Bros. Pictures]], [[Warner Bros. Television]], [[Warner Bros. Animation]], [[Warner Home Video]], [[DC Comics]], [[New Line Cinema]] and [[WB Music]]. Warner owns half of [[The CW Television Network]]. Founded in [[1918]] by [[Poland|Polish]]-[[Canada|Canadian]] immigrants, Warner Bros. is the third-oldest American movie studio in continuous operation, after [[Paramount Pictures]], founded in [[1912]] as Famous Players, and [[Universal Studios]], also founded in [[1912]]. ==History== ===1903–1925: Founding=== The corporate name honors the four founding Warner brothers, [[Harry Warner]] (1881&mdash;1958), [[Albert Warner]] (1883&mdash;1967), [[Sam Warner]] (1887&mdash;1927) and [[Jack Warner|Jack L. Warner]] (1892&mdash;1978), Polish Jewish brothers who emigrated from [[Poland]] to [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. The three elder brothers began in the exhibition business in 1903, having acquired a projector with which they showed films in the mining towns of Pennsylvania and Ohio. They opened their first theatre, the Cascade, in New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1903. (The original theater is still standing, and is being renovated as the centerpiece of the ongoing downtown revitalization in New Castle, hoping to attract tourists.[http://www.firstwarnertheatre.com/index2.ivnu]) In 1904, the Warners founded the [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]]-based [[Duquesne Amusement & Supply Company]] (the precursor to Warner Bros. Pictures) to distribute films. Within a few years this led to the distribution of pictures across a four-state area. In 1912 Harry Warner hired an auditor named [[Paul Ashley Chase]]. By the time of [[World War I]] they had begun producing films, and in 1918 the brothers opened the Warner Bros. studio on [[Sunset Boulevard]] in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]]. Sam and Jack Warner produced the pictures, while Harry and Albert Warner and their auditor and now controller [[Paul Ashley Chase]] handled finance and distribution in [[New York]]. On [[April 4]], [[1923]], with help from a loan given to Harry Warner by his banker Montly Flint,<ref name="HBTHYNA542777"> Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 77.</ref> they formally incorporated as '''Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc''' (The company prefers 1923 as the year they officially began). The first important deal for the company was the acquisition of the rights to [[Avery Hopwood]]'s 1919 Broadway play, ''[[The Gold Diggers (play)|The Gold Diggers]]'' from theatrical impresario [[David Belasco]]. However, what really put Warner Bros. on the Hollywood map was a dog, [[Rin Tin Tin]],<ref name="HBTHYNA000">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 81.</ref> brought from [[France]] after [[World War I]] by an American soldier.<ref name="HBTHYNA80">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 80.</ref> Rin Tin Tin debuted in the short [[Where the North Begins]].<ref name="HBTHYNA000" /> The short was so successful that Jack Warner agreed to sign the dog to star in more short films for a $1,000-per-week salary, despite his being a dog.<ref name="HBTHYNA000" /> Rin Tin Tin became the top star at the studio,<ref name="HBTHYNA000" /> and Jack Warner even nicknamed him "The Mortgage Lifter;"<ref name="HBTHYNA000" /> newcomer director [[Darryl Zanuck]]'s career was also greatly boosted because of his productions of Rin Tin Tin as well.<ref name="HBTHYNA82">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 82.</ref> Zanuck would eventually become a top producer for the studio as well<ref name="HBTHYNA0976666">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 101.</ref>, and between 1928 and 1933, served as Jack Warner's right-hand man and executive producer, a position whose responsibilities included the day-to-day production of films.<ref name="behlmerxii">Behlmer (1985), p. xii.</ref> More success would also come for the studio after they hired German director Ernst Lubitsch as the head director for the studio as well;<ref name="HBTHYNA82" />; Rapf had departed the studio and accepted an offer to work at MGM.<ref name=thomas4647>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=46, 47|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Lubitsch's film The Marriage Circle became the studio's most successful film of 1924, and was also on the New York Times Best list for the year as well.<ref name="HBTHYNA82">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 82.</ref> Despite the success Rin Tin Tin and Lubitsch gave the studio, they still were unable to achieve [[celebrity|star power]].<ref name="HBTHYNA876">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 83.</ref> As a result, Sam and Jack decided to offer Broadway actor [[John Barrymore]] the lead role in their upcoming film [[Beau Brummell]].<ref name="HBTHYNA876" /> The film was so successful that Harry Warner agreed to sign Barrymore to a generous long-term contract;<ref name="HBTHYNA87680">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 84.</ref> like The Marriage Circle, Beau Brummell (Bell End) was also able to make it to the New York Times Ten Best list for the year 1924 as well.<ref name="HBTHYNA87680" /> By the end of 1924, Warner Bros. was arguably the most successful independent studio in Hollywood,<ref name="HBTHYNA87680" /> but it still compete with "The Big Three" Studios (First National, Paramount, and MGM).<ref name="+NHAR(*">{{cite newspaper|title="Theatre Owners Open War on Hays"|publisher=New York Times|pages=14|date=May 12, 1925}}</ref> As a result, Harry Warner &mdash; while speaking at a convention of 1,500 independent exhibitors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin &mdash; and was able to successfully convince the filmmakers to spend $500,000.00 in newspaper advertising.<ref name="HBTHYNA99998">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 86.</ref> The action benefitted Warner Bros.,<ref name="HBTHYNA99998" /> and Harry saw this as an opportunity to finally be able to establish theaters in big cities like New York and Los Angeles.<ref name="HBTHYNA99998" /> As the studio prospered, it gained backing from [[Wall Street (Manhattan)|Wall Street]], and in 1924 [[Goldman Sachs]] arranged a major loan. With this new money, the Warners bought the pioneer [[Vitagraph Studios|Vitagraph Company]] which had a nation-wide distribution system.<ref name="HBTHYNA99998" /> In 1925, the Warners also plunged into radio, and established a successful radio station, [[KFWB]], in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]].<ref name="HBTHYNA998">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 88.</ref> ===1925–1935: Sound, color, style=== [[Image:OnWithTheShow3.jpg|thumb|left|Screenshot from the first all-color all-talking film ''[[On with the Show]]'', released by Warner Brothers in 1929.]] In 1925, at the urging of Sam Warner, the Warners agreed to expand their operations by adding [[synchronized sound]] to their productions.<ref name="HBTHYNA95">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 95.</ref> The Warners then signed a contract with the sound engineer company [[Western Electric]] and established [[Vitaphone]].<ref name="HBTHYNA96">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 96.</ref> In 1926, Vitaphone began making films with music and effects tracks, most notably, in the feature ''[[Don Juan (1926 film)|Don Juan]]''; the film was silent, but it featured a large number of Vitaphone at the beginning. Don Juan-which featured Vitaphone sound shorts at the beginning of the film- was a success at the box office,<ref name="HBTHYNA113">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 113.</ref> but was not able to match the expensive budget the Warners put into it's production as well;<ref name="HBTHYNA113" /> in addition to this, Lubsitch-after making four films for the studio- had resigned from the studio and accepted a bigger offer to work for MGM.<ref name="HBTHYNA876" /> By April of 1927, the Big Five studios (First National, Paramount, MGM, Universal, and Producers Distributing) had put the Warners in financial ruin,<ref name="thomas59">Thomas (1990), p. 59.</ref> and Western Electric renewed the Warner's Vitaphone contract with terms that it was no longer exclusive and that other film company's could test sound with Western Elecric as well.<ref name="thomas59" /> As a result of the financial ruin the studio was now in, the Warners, at the advice of Sam, took the next step and offered to instead release a feature picture with dialogue,<ref name="HBTHYNA115">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 115.</ref> and would revolutionize the business: ''[[The Jazz Singer (1927 film)|The Jazz Singer]]'', starring [[Al Jolson]]. The movie was a sensation, launching the era of "[[Sound film|talking pictures]]" and banishing [[Silent film|silent movies]]. However, the brothers could not make it to the premiere of ''The Jazz Singer'', as Sam had died and the brothers were at his funeral. Jack Warner became sole head of production;<ref name="Warner180-181">Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 180&ndash;181.</ref> Sam's death also had a great effect on Jack's emotional status,<ref name="jewishmag.com">{{cite web | url = http://www.jewishmag.com/75mag/hollywood/hollywood.htm | title = Jews in Hollywood | publisher = Jewishmag.com | accessdate = 2007-12-30}}</ref> and in the years to come, Jack Warner ran the studio with an iron hand.<ref name="jewishmag.com" /> Thanks to the success of ''The Jazz Singer'', the studio was suddenly flushed with cash. Al Jolson's next film for the company, [[The Singing Fool]].<ref name="HBTHYNA114109">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 141.</ref> With the success that drew from the studio's [[Sound film|talkie films]] (''[[The Jazz Singer (1927 film)|The Jazz Singer]]'', ''The Lights of New York'', ''[[The Singing Fool]]'', and ''The Terror''), Warner Bros. became one of the top studios in Hollywood and the brothers were now able to move out from the [[Poverty Row]] section of Hollywood and acquire a big studio in [[Burbank, California]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |coauthors=Millner, Cork; Warner, Jack; Warner, Jack Jr.|title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=142-145|isbn=0-813-10958-2}}</ref> With the success that came for the studio through [[Sound film|talkie films]], the Warners were able to expand studio operations further by successfully acquiring the Stanley Corporation, which was a major theater chain at the time.<ref name="HBTHYNA1146">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 144.</ref> This gave them a share in rival [[First National Pictures]], of which Stanley owned one-third.<ref name="thomas65">Thomas (1990), p. 65.</ref> In a bidding war with [[William Fox (producer)|William Fox]], Warner bought more First National shares on [[September 13]], [[1928]];<ref name="HBTHYNA11476">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 147.</ref><ref name="HBTHYNA11476" /> Jack Warner also appointed producer Darryl Zanuck as the studio's manager of First National Pictures too.<ref name="HBTHYNA11476" /> In addition to this, Harry Warner was also able to acquire a string of music publishers and form [[Warner Bros. Music]].<ref name="HBTHYNA11476" /> Despite also failing to purchase [[Brunswick]] records, Harry was still able to purchase a string of radio companies, foreign sound patents, and even a lithograph company;<ref name="HBTHYNA11476" /> Harry was also able to produce a Broadway Cole Porter musical titled ''[[Fifty Million Frenchmen]]''.<ref name="sperling148">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 148.</ref> After success of the studio's 1929 First National film ''[[Noah's Ark (film)|Noah's Ark]]'', Harry Warner also agreed to make [[Michael Curtiz]] a major director at the Burbank studio as well.<ref name=thomas127>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=127|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> In the fall of 1929, the Warners gained complete control of First National, when Harry purchased the company's remaining one-third share from Fox<ref name="sperling147">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 147.</ref> The Justice Department agreed to allow the purchase if First National was maintained as a separate company. But when the [[Great Depression]] hit, Warner asked for and got permission to merge the two studios; soon afterward Warner Bros. moved to the First National lot in [[Burbank, Los Angeles County, California|Burbank]]. Though the companies merged, Justice required Warner to produce and release a few films each year under the First National name until 1938. For thirty years, certain Warner productions would be identified (mainly for tax purposes) as 'A Warner Bros. - First National Picture.' [[Image:GoldDiggersBroadway2.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Gold Diggers of Broadway]]'' was a huge hit for Warner Brothers in 1929.]] Around 1931, Warner Bros. head producer Daryl Zanuck hired screenplay writer Wilson Mizner to work as a screenplay writer for the studio's film<ref name="thomas89-92">Thomas (1990), pp. 89&ndash;92.</ref> While at the studio, Mizner had hardly any respect for authority and found it difficult to work with studio boss Jack Warner.<ref name="thomas89-92" /> Mizner, however, would indeed become a valuable assest to the studio's films.<ref name="thomas89-92" /> As time went by, Warner became more tolerant of Mizner and helped invest in Mizner's Brown Derby restaurant.<ref name="thomas89-92" /> On April 3, 1933, Mizner died from a heart attack.<ref name="thomas93">Thomas (1990), pp. 93.</ref> The first year of the [[Great Depression]]-1930- did not damage the studio so badly,<ref name="GRTWB">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 160</ref> and Harry was even able to acquire more theaters for the studio in [[Atlantic City]];<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,739489,00.html |title = Warner Week - TIME |accessdate = 2008-07-09 |date = Monday, Jun. 09, 1930 |author = Monday |coauthors = Jun. 09, 1930}}</ref> During the year 1930, Jack Warner would hire sixty-one year old actor [[George Arliss]] to star in the studio's film ''[[Disraeli]]''.<ref name="thomas77">Thomas (1990), p. 77.</ref> To everybody's surprise,<ref name="thomas77" /> the film ''[[Disraeli]]'' was a success,<ref name="thomas77" /> and Arliss would win an Oscar for [[Best Actor]] for his role in the film and star in nine more films with the studio as well.<ref name="thomas77" /> By 1931, however, the studio would begin to feel the effects of the Depression as the general public became unable to afford the price for movie tickets.<ref name="sperling160" /> In 1931, the studio would reportedly suffer a net loss of $8,000,000.00,<ref name="sperling160">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 160.</ref> and would suffer an additional $14,000,000.00 net loss the following year, [[1932]], as well.<ref name="sperling160" /> In 1928, the Warner Brothers released ''[[Lights of New York (1928 film)|Lights of New York]]'', the first all-talking feature. Due to its success, the movie industry converted entirely to sound almost overnight. By the end of 1929, all the major studios were making sound films exclusively. In 1929, National Pictures released their first film with Warner Brothers as well, [[Noah's Ark]].<ref name="HBTHYNA114189">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 151.</ref> Despite the film's expensive budget, Noah's Ark was able to be a make a profit for the studio at the box office.<ref name="HBTHYNA114551">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 150.</ref> In 1929, the Warners successful film ''[[On with the Show (1929 film)|On with the Show]]'' (1929), the first all-color all-talking feature. This was followed by ''[[Gold Diggers of Broadway]]'' (1929) which proved to be arguably the studio's most popular film of the year. (It continued to be so popular that it played in theatres until 1939). The success of these two color pictures caused a color revolution (just as the first all-talkie had created one for talkies). The Warner Brothers released a large number of color films in 1929-1931. The following were features photographed entirely in [[Technicolor]]: ''[[The Show of Shows (film)|The Show of Shows]]'' (1929), ''[[Sally (film)|Sally]]'' (1929), ''[[Bright Lights (film)|Bright Lights]]'' (1930), ''[[Golden Dawn (film)|Golden Dawn]]'' (1930), ''[[Hold Everything (1930 film)|Hold Everything]]'' (1930), ''[[Song of the Flame]]'' (1930), ''[[Song of the West (film)|Song of the West]]'' (1930), ''[[The Life of the Party (1930 film)|The Life of the Party]]'' (1930), ''[[Sweet Kitty Bellairs]]'' (1930), ''[[Under A Texas Moon]]'' (1930), ''[[The Bride of the Regiment]]'' (1930), ''[[Viennese Nights (film)|Viennese Nights]]'' (1931), ''[[Woman Hungry (film)|Woman Hungry]]'' (1931), ''[[Kiss Me Again]]'' (1931), ''[[Fifty Million Frenchmen (film)|Fifty Million Frenchmen]]'' (1931), ''[[Manhattan Parade]]'' (1932). In addition to these, scores of features were released with [[Technicolor]] sequences as well as a numerous variety of short subjects. The majority of these color films were musicals. By 1931 the country had grown so tired of musicals that the studio was forced to cut the numbers of many of the productions and advertise them as straight comedies. The public had begun to associate musicals with color and thus the movie studios began to abandon its use. Warner Brothers had a contract with [[Technicolor]] to produce two more pictures in that process. As a result, the first mysteries in color were produced and released by the studio: ''[[Doctor X (film)|Doctor X]]'' (1932) and ''[[Mystery of the Wax Museum]]'' (1933). In the latter part of 1931, Harry Warner rented the Teddington in London, England.<ref name="thomas110">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=110|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> the studio focused on making films for the London market,<ref name="thomas110" /> and [[Irving Asher]] was appointed as the studio's head producer.<ref name="thomas110" /> In 1934, Harry Warner officially purchased the Teddington Studio.<ref name="thomas110" /> In February of 1933, Warner Bros., however, would produce a very successful musical film<ref name="HBTHYNA190">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 190.</ref> that saved the company from bankruptcy, ''[[42nd Street (film)|42nd Street]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=85|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> In the wake of 42nd Street's success, the studio's produced further musicals that were able to bring the studio profits once again.<ref name="HBTHYNA19459087">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 194.</ref> These new musicals featured [[Ruby Keeler]] and [[Dick Powell]] as the stars, and were mostly directed by [[Busby Berkeley]].<ref name="HBTHYNA19459044">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 192.</ref> In 1935, the studio's revived musicals would also suffer a major blow after director Busby Berkeley was arrested after killing three people while driving drunk one night.<ref name=thomas86>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=86|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> By the end of year, people would again get tired of Warner Bros. musicals,<ref name="HBTHYNA19459087" /> and the studio-after the 1935 film Captin Blood made huge profits at the box office- instead shifted it's focus on producing [[Errol Flynn]] [[swashbucklers]]<ref name="HBTHYNA195612">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 195.</ref> ===1931–1935: Pre-code realistic period=== [[Image:Warner Brother Studios from The Petrified Forest film trailer.jpg|left|thumb|The studio as seen in the trailer for the film ''[[The Petrified Forest]]'' (1936).]] With the collapse of the market for musicals, Warner Bros., under production head [[Darryl F. Zanuck]], turned to more realistic and gritty storylines, 'torn from the headlines' pictures that some said glorified [[gangster]]s; Warner Bros. soon became known as "gangster studio.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/books/08/24/mob.movies/index.html |title = CNN.com - The mobster and the movies - Aug 24, 2004 |accessdate = 2008-07-09}}</ref> The studio's first gangster film [[Little Caesar (film)|Little Caesar]] was a great success at the box office.<ref name="HBTHYNA1987">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 184.</ref> and Edward Robinson was casted a star in many of the wave of gangster films the studio produced after Little Caesar<ref name="thomas77-79">Thomas (1990), pp. 77&ndash;79.</ref> The studio's next gangster film, ''[[The Public Enemy]]'',<ref name="HBTHYNA987">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 185</ref> would also make James Cagney arguably the studio's new top star,<ref name="thomas81">Thomas (1990), pp. 81.</ref> and the Warners were now further convinced to make more gangster films as well.<ref name="HBTHYNA987" /> Another gangster film the studio produced was the critically acclaimed ''[[I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang]]'', starring [[Paul Muni]].<ref name="thomas83">Thomas (1990), pp. 83.</ref> In addition to Cagney and Robinson, Paul Muni was also given a big push as one the studio's top gangster stars<ref name="HBTHYNA867677">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 186.</ref> after appearing in the successful film [[I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang]].<ref name="HBTHYNA987" /> The film [[I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang]] got audiences in the United States to question the legal system in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744829,00.html |title = Fugitive - TIME |accessdate = 2008-07-09 |date = Monday, Dec. 26, 1932 |author = Monday |coauthors = Dec. 26, 1932}}</ref> and by January of 1933, the film's protagonist Robert Elliot Burns-who was still imprisoned in New Jersey- and a number of different chain gang prisoners nationwide in the United States were able to appeal and were released.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,847110,00.html |title = Fugitive Free - TIME |accessdate = 2008-07-09 |date = Monday, Jan. 02, 1933 |author = Monday |coauthors = Jan. 02, 1933}}</ref> In January of 1933, Georgia chain gang warden J Harold Hardy-who was also made into a character in the film- sued the studio for displaying "vicious, brutual and false attacks" against him in the film.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,744920,00.html |title = TIME |accessdate = 2008-07-09 |date = Monday, Jan. 16, 1933 |author = Monday |coauthors = Jan. 16, 1933}}</ref> After appearing in the film ''[[The Man Who Played God]]'', [[Bette Davis]] would also become a top star for the studio as well.<ref name="thomas81-82">Thomas (1990), pp. 82&ndash;83.</ref> In 1933, relieve for the studio would come again after Franklin Roosevelt became US President in 1933 and was able to rebound the US Economy with the [[New Deal]];<ref name="HBTHYNA161">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 161.</ref> because of this economic rebound, box office profits for Warner Bros. existed once again.<ref name="HBTHYNA161" /> This same year, however, a blow would also occur as the studio's longtime head producer [[Darryl F. Zanuck]] would quit, because: (1) Harry Warner's relationship with Zanuck became strained after Harry was strongly against allowing Zanuck film ''[[Baby Face (film)|Baby Face]]'' to step outside the [[United States Motion Picture Production Code of 1930|Hays Code]] boundaries;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,745754-2,00.html|title=Musicomedies of the Week|date=1933-07-03|publisher=''Time''|pages=2}}</ref> and 2) the studio reduced Zanuck's salary as a result of the financial woes the Great Depression gave the studio's net profits,<ref>{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |coauthors=Millner, Cork; Warner, Jack; Warner, Jack Jr.|title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=182,183|isbn=0-813-10958-2}}</ref> and Harry still refused to raise his salary in the wake of the New Deal's rebound.<ref name="TIMEHAR">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,847255,00.html|title=New Deal in Hollywood|date=1933-05-01|publisher=''Time''|pages=2}}</ref> Zanuck produced his letter of resignation to Jack Warner,<ref name="behlmer12">Behlmer (1985), p. 12.</ref> and went on to establish his own company<ref name="TIMEHAR" /> In the wake of Zanuck's resignation, Harry Warner agreed to again raise the salary for the studio's employees.<ref name="TIMEHAR" /> In 1933, Warner was also able to bring newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan films into the Warner Bros. fold.<ref name=thomas96>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=96|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Hearst had previously been signed with MGM,<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=95|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> but he ended his ties with the company after a dispute with the company's head producer Irving Thalberg over the treatment of Marion Davies;<ref name=thomas9596>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=95, 96|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Davies was a longtime mistress of Hearst,<ref name=thomas9596 /> and was now struggling to draw box office success.<ref name=thomas9596 /> Through his partnership with Hearst, Warner was also able to sign Davies to a studio contract as well.<ref name=thomas96 /> Hearst's company and Davies' films, however, could not increase the studio's net profits.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=95|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> In the year 1934, the studio would lose over $2,500,000.00 in profits;<ref>Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 209</ref> $500,000 of this net loss was also a result of physical damage to the Warner Bros. Burbank studio as a result of a massive fire that struck the studio around the end of 1934, destroying twenty years worth of early Vitagraph, Warner Bros., and First National films.<ref name="GRTWB209">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 209</ref>The following year, Hearst's film adaption of William Shakespere's ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' would fail at the box office and the studio net loss increased.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=99|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> During this time, Warner Bros. President Harry Warner was indicted, along with six other movie studio figures, of conspiracy to violate the Sherman AntiTrust Act,<ref name="GRTWBiokj">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 209</ref> through an attempt to gain a monopoly over theaters in the St Louis area.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,787960,00.html |title = St. Louis Suit - TIME |accessdate = 2008-07-09 |date = Monday, Jan. 21, 1935 |author = Monday |coauthors = Jan. 21, 1935}}</ref> In 1935, Harry was put on trial for this charge.<ref name="GRTWBiokj" /> After a mistrial occurred, Harry sold the company's movie theaters, at least for a short time, and the case was never reopened.<ref name="GRTWBiokj)">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 211</ref> The year 1935 also saw the studio rebound with a net profit of $674,158.00.<ref name="GRTWBiokj)" /> By 1936, contracts of musical and silent stars were not renewed and new talent, tough-talking, working-class types, were hired that would more suitably fit in with these sort of pictures. Stars such as [[Dorothy Mackaill]], [[Bebe Daniels]], [[Frank Fay]], [[Winnie Lightner]], [[Bernice Claire]], [[Alexander Gray]], [[Alice White]] and [[Jack Mulhall]] that had characterized the urban, modern and sophisticated attitude of the 1920s gave way to stars such [[James Cagney]], [[Joan Blondell]], [[Edward G. Robinson]], [[Warren William]] and [[Barbara Stanwyck]] who would be more acceptable to the common man. The studio was one of the most prolific producers of [[Pre-Code]] pictures and had a lot of trouble with the censors once they started clamping down on what they considered indecent (around 1934).<ref name="HBTHYNA181">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 188-189.</ref> As a result, the Warner Brothers turned out a number of historical pictures from around 1935 in order to avoid confrontations with the Breen office. In 1936, following the success of The ''[[Petrified Forest]]'', Jack Warner also signed [[Humphrey Bogart]] to a studio contract.<ref name="thomas109">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=109|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref>. Warner, however, did not think Bogart was star material,<ref name="thomas109110" /> and decided to only cast Bogart in seldom roles as a villian to either a James Cagney or Edward Robinson character in his twenty-eight follow-up films over the next five years.<ref name="thomas109">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=109&nbsp;110|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref>. After Zanuck was succeeded by [[Hal B. Wallis]] in 1933,<ref name="thomas88">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=88|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> and the [[United States Motion Picture Production Code of 1930|Hays code]] began to be enforced in 1935, the studio was forced to abandon this realistic approach in order to produce more moralistic idealized pictures. The studio naturally turned to historical dramas which would not cause any problems with the censors. Other offerings included [[melodramas]] (or 'women's pictures'), [[swashbuckler]]s, and adaptations of best-sellers, with stars like [[Bette Davis]], [[Olivia de Havilland]], [[Paul Muni]] and [[Errol Flynn]]. In 1936, Bette Davis, by now arguably the studio's top star,<ref name="HBT%^$HYNA66">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 219-221.</ref> was unhappy with the roles Warner was giving her and fled to England and tried to break out of her contract with Warner.<ref name="HBT%^$HYNA66" /> Davis lost the lawsuit and soon returned to America to continue her work for the studio.<ref name='^$HYNA66">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 221.</ref> ===Code Era=== This period also saw the disappearance of a large number of actors and actresses that had characterized the realistic [[Pre-Code]] era but who were not suited to the new trend into moral and idealized pictures. The Warner Bros. had remained a top studio in Hollywood since the dawn of talkies, but this changed after 1935 as other studios, notably [[MGM]], quickly overshadowed the prestige and glamor that had previously characterized [[Warner Bros.]] However, in the late 1930s, Bette Davis had also become recognized the studio's top draw altogether, and was even dubbed as "The Fifth Warner Brother".<ref>[http://www.watchmojo.com/women/bette_davis.php WatchMojo.com - Daily Video Clips - Bette Davis<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 1935, another problem for the also come for the studio after James Cagney sued Jack Warner for breach of contract.<ref name="thomas104-106">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=104&nbsp;106|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Cagney claimed Warner had forced him to star in more films than his contract required him to do so.<ref name="thomas104-106" /> Cagney eventually dropped his lawsuit after Warner gave him a cash settlement.<ref name="thomas105">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=105|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> However, Cagney was now fed up with Warner and left the studio to establish an independent film company, Grand National Films, with his brother Bill.<ref name="thomas106">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=106|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> The Cagneys, however, were not able to put much money into their production budgets,<ref name="thomas106" /> and ran out of money after producing their third film.<ref name="thomas106" /> Cagney then agreed to bring return to Warner Bros., after Jack Warner agreed to sign him a contract that guaranteed Cagney would be treated to his own terms.<ref name="thomas106" /> After the success Yankee Doodle Dandy's performance at the box office, Cagney against questioned if the studio would meet the salary demands given in his contract,<ref name="thomas144">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=144|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> and again left Warner Bros. to form his own film production and distribution company with his brother Bill.<ref name="thomas144" /> Another employee whom Warner had troubles with was studio producer Brynie Foy.<ref name="thomas116">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=116|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> In 1936, Wallis had hired Foy as a producer for the studio's low budget B-films.<ref name="thomas115">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=115|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Foy was able to garnish arguably more profits than any other B-film producer as the times.<ref name="thomas115" /> During Foy's time at the studio, however, Warner had released him on seven different occusations.<ref name="thomas116" /> In 1937, the studio also hired Midwestern radio announcer, and future US President, Ronald Reagan to a small contract.<ref name="thomas117">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=117|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> At first a small time B-film actor during his first years at the studio,<ref name="thomas117" /> Warner became impressed by Reagan's performance in final scene of the studio's film ''[[Knute Rockne, All American]]'',<ref name="thomas117" /> and agreed to pair Reagan with Errol Flynn in the studio's 1940 film ''[[Sante Fe Trail (film)|Sante Fe Trail]]''.<ref name="thomas117" /> Reagan then returned to staring in B-films for the studio.<ref name="thomas117" /> After his performance in the studio's 1942 film ''[[King's Row]]'', Warner decided to make Reagan a top star for the studio and signed him on with a new studio contract for three times his previous salary.<ref name="thomas117118">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=117&nbsp;118|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> In the late 1930's, Harry Warner's daughter Doris read a copy of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind and became interested in making a film adaption of the book for the Warner Bros. studio.<ref name=sperling220>{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |coauthors=Millner, Cork; Warner, Jack; Warner, Jack Jr.|title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=235|isbn=0-813-10958-2}}</ref> Doris then offered the book's author, Margaret Mitchell, $50,000.00 for the book's screen rights.<ref name=sperling220 /> Jack, however, refused to allow the deal to take place, upon realizing that the studio would have had to put an expensive budget into the film's production.<ref name=sperling220 /> Another studio actor who proved to be a problem for Jack Warner was [[George Raft]].<ref name="thomas123125">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=123&nbsp;125|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Warner had signed Raft to a studio contract in 1939, hoping he could fill in as a substitute star in the studio's gangster picturs when either Robinson or Cagney were on suspension.<ref name="thomas123">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=123&nbsp;125|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Raft had difficulty working with Humphrey Bogart, and refused to co-star in any film which Bogart had a part in.<ref name="thomas124">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=124|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Eventually, Jack Warner agreed to release Raft from his contract.<ref name="thomas125">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=125|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> Following Raft's depature, the studio gave Humphrey Bogart the role of Rick Blaine in the 1941 film [[High Sierra]].<ref name="thomas125" /> Bogart's role in the film helped establish him as one of the studio's top stars;<ref name="thomas125126">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=125&nbsp;126|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref>following High Sierra, Bogart was also given a role in John Huston's successful 1941 remake of the studio's 1931 failure, ''[[The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)|The Maltese Falcon]]''.<ref name="thomas126127">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|date=1990|pages=126&nbsp;127|isbn=0-070-64259-1}}</ref> === 1930: Birth of Warner's cartoons === [[Image:BugsBunnyShow.jpg|200px|thumb|Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are some of the characters that became central to the company's image.]] Warner's cartoon unit had its roots in the independent [[Harman and Ising]] studio. From 1930 to 1933, [[Disney]] alumni [[Hugh Harman]] and [[Rudolf Ising]] produced a series of musical cartoons for [[Leon Schlesinger]], who sold the shorts to Warner. Harman and Ising introduced their character [[Bosko]] in the first ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' cartoon, ''[[Sinkin' in the Bathtub]]'', and created a sister series, ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'', in 1931.<ref name="HBTHYNA987980">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 187.</ref> Harman and Ising broke away from Schlesinger in 1933 due to a contractual dispute, taking Bosko with them. As a result, Schlesinger started his own studio, [[Warner Bros. Cartoons|Leon Schlesinger Productions]], which continued with the ''Merrie Melodies'' while starting production on ''Looney Tunes'' starring [[Buddy (Looney Tunes)|Buddy]], a Bosko clone. By the end of the decade, a new Schlesinger production team, including directors [[Friz Freleng]], [[Tex Avery]], [[Bob Clampett|Robert Clampett]] and [[Chuck Jones]] had been formed. Schlesinger's staff developed a fast-paced, irreverent style that made their cartoons immensely popular world-wide. In 1936, Avery directing a string of cartoons, staring Porky Pig, which established the character as the studio's first bona fide star.<ref name="TermiteTerrace">Barrier, Michael (1999). Pg. 329-333.</ref> In addition to Porky Pig, Warner Bros. cartoon characters Daffy Duck(who debuted in the 1937 short [[Porky's Duck Hunt]]) and Bugs Bunny (who debuted in the 1940 short [[A Wild Hare]]) would also achieve star power too.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.milechai.com/product2/children_books/porky-pig-and-the-small-dog.html |title = Porky Pig and Small Dog&nbsp; - Looney Tunes All Hebrew - 800-830-8660 |accessdate = 2008-07-09}}</ref> By 1942, the Schlesinger studio had surpassed Walt Disney Studios as the most successful producer of animated shorts in the United States.<ref>"[http://www.animationusa.com/resources/aboutwb.html Warner Bros. Studio biography]". ''AnimationUSA.com''. Retrieved [[June 17]], [[2007]].</ref> Jack Warner eventually bought Schlesinger's cartoon unit in 1944, and in subsequent decades characters such as [[Bugs Bunny]], [[Daffy Duck]], [[Tweety Bird]], and [[Porky Pig]] became central to the company's image. Bugs in particular remains a mascot to Warner Bros.' various divisions and Six Flags (which Time Warner previously owned).The studio's 1947 cartoon Tweetie Pie would also go on to become a phenominal success, and the duo, [[Sylvester (Looney Tunes)|Sylvester]] & Tweety, would be paired together in all of their future cartoons with star power as a result.<ref name="~HBTHYNA66">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 187-188.</ref> [[Image:Vivien Leigh in Streetcar Named Desire trailer 2.jpg||left|thumb|200px|[[Vivien Leigh]] as [[Blanche DuBois]] in 1951's ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire (film)|A Streetcar Named Desire]]''.]] ===World War II=== Prior to the United States entering World War II, Harry Warner had produced the successful anti-German film [[The Life of Emile Zola]]<ref name="GRTWBiok5j1y)">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 225</ref> Following The Life of Émile Zola, Harry would also surpervise the producion of three more anti-German films, ''[[Confessions of a Nazi Spy]]'' (1939),<ref name="GRTWBiokj1y233)">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 233</ref> The Sea Hawk-which mirrored King Phillip II as an equivalent to Hitler-(1940),<ref name="GRTWBiokj1y2rt)">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 247</ref> ''[[Sergeant York]]'' (1941),<ref name="GRTWBiokj1y2rt)">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 246</ref> and ''[[You're In The Army Now]]''(1941).<ref name="GRTWBiodry2rt)">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 247</ref> After the United States officially entered World War II with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Harry Warner decided to focus on producing just war films.<ref name="GRTWBiokj1y)">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 240</ref> After the war broke out, one-fourth of the studio's employees, including Jack Warner and his son Jack Jr., were also drafted.<ref name="GRTWBiokj1y)" /> Among the war films the studio made during the duration of the war were ''[[Casablanca]]'', ''[[Now, Voyager]]'', ''[[Yankee Doodle Dandy]]'', ''[[This Is the Army]]'', and the controversial film ''[[Mission to Moscow]]''.<ref name=pages247>{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |coauthors=Millner, Cork; Warner, Jack; Warner, Jack Jr.|title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=247-255|isbn=0-813-10958-2}}</ref> At the premieres of ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' (in Los Angeles, New York, and London), audiences for the film would purchase an altogether total of $15,600,000.00 in war bonds for the governments of England and the United States.<ref name=pages247/> By the middle of 1943, however, it became clear that audiences were tired of war films.<ref name=pages247/> Despite the growing pressure to abandon production of war films, Warner continued to produce them, losing money in the process.<ref name=pages247/> Eventually, in honor of studio contributions to the war cause, the United States Government would name a [[Liberty Ship]] after the brothers' father, Benjamin Warner, and Harry Warner would be the one who was given the honor to christen the ship during its first voyage.<ref name=pages247/> By the time the war ended, $20,000,000.00 worth of war bonds would be purchased through the studio,<ref name=pages247 /> [[American Red Cross|the Red Cross]] collected 5,200 pints of [[Blood plasma|plasma]] from studio employees,<ref name=pages247 /> with 763 of the studio's employees, which also included Harry Warner's son-in-law Milton Sperling, would be recognized with having the honor of having served as in the armed forces.<ref name=pages247 /> Following a dispute over ownership of [[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'s oscar for Best Picture, head producer Hal B. Wallis resigned from the studio.<ref name="Thomas141143">Thomas (1990), p. 141-143.</ref>Following a dispute over ownership of [[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'s Oscar for Best Picture, head producer Hal B. Wallis broke with Warner and resigned from the studio.<ref name="Thomas141143">Thomas (1990), p. 141-143.</ref> After Casablanca officially made Humphrey Bogart arguably the studio's top star,<ref name="Thomas144">Thomas (1990), p. 144.</ref> Bogart too found that his relationship with Jack Warner was deteriorating too.<ref name="Thomas144" /> In 1943, Olivia de Haviland (whom Warner was now loaning to different companies) sued Warner for breach of contract.<ref name="Thomas145">Thomas (1990), p. 145.</ref> De Haviland had refused to accept an offer to portray famed abolitionist Elizabeth Blackwell in an upcoming film for Columbia Pictures,<ref name="Thomas145" /> and Warner responded by mailing 150 telegrams to different film production companies, warning them not to hire de Haviland for any role.<ref name="Thomas145" /> Afterwards, de Haviland discovered that employer contracts in the United States could only serve a duration of seven years; de Haviland had been under contract with the studio since 1935<ref name="Thomas98">Thomas (1990), p. 98.</ref> The courts ruled in de Haviland's favor,<ref name="Thomas145" /> and de Haviland was now free from her contract and left the studio.<ref name="Thomas145" /> === Post–World War II: Changing hands === The record attendance figures of the [[World War II]] years made the Warner brothers rich. The gritty Warner image of the 1930s gave way to a glossier look, especially in women's pictures starring Davis, de Havilland and [[Joan Crawford]]. The 1940s also saw the rise of [[Humphrey Bogart]] from supporting player to major star. In the post-war years, the Warners continued to create new stars, like [[Lauren Bacall]] and [[Doris Day]]. The studio prospered greatly after the war.<ref>Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 258-279</ref> By 1946, company payroll had reached $600,000 a week for studio employees,<ref name="LUI_(">{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |coauthors=Millner, Cork; Warner, Jack; Warner, Jack Jr.|title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=258-279|isbn=0-813-10958-2}}</ref> and the studio's net profit would reach $19,424,650.00 by the end of the year as well. By the end of 1947, the studio had reached a net profit of $22,000,000.00.<ref name="GRTWBiodry2prt)">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 279</ref> Unfortuantely, the company's net profits would decrease 50% the following year as well.<ref name="GRTWBiodry2prt)" /> On [[January 5]], [[1948]], Warner offered the first color [[newsreel]], covering the [[Tournament of Roses Parade]] and the [[Rose Bowl Game]]. Warner was a party to the [[United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc.]] anti-trust case of the 1940s. This action, brought by the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]] and the [[Federal Trade Commission]], claimed that the five integrated studio-theater chain combinations restrained competition. The [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] heard the case in 1948, and ruled for the government. As a result Warner and four other major studios were forced to separate production from exhibition. In 1949, the studio's net profit was now only $10,000,000.00.<ref name="GRTWBiodry2prt)" /> By 1949, with the success of television threatening the film industry more and more, Harry Warner decided to shift his focus towards television production.<ref name="268lk">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 286</ref> However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would not allow Harry to do so.<ref name="268lk" /> After an unsuccessful attempt to convince other movie studio bosses to which their focus to television, Harry abandoned his television efforts.<ref name="268lk">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 287</ref> In the early 1950s, the threat of television had grown greatly, and in 1953, Jack Warner decided to take a new approach to compete with the rising threat television now represented for the studio.<ref name="268lk" /> In the wake of United Artist's successful 3-D film [[Bwana Devil]], Jack decided to expand into 3-D films with the studio's 1953 film [[House of Wax]].<ref>Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 287.</ref> Unfortunately, despite the success House of Wax gave the studio 3-D films soon lost their appeal among moviegoers.<ref name="thomas191">Thomas (1990), p. 191.</ref> After the downfall of 3-D films, Harry Warner decided to use [[CinemaScope]] in future Warner Bros. films.<ref name="W2878">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 287-288.</ref> One of the studio's first CinemaScope films, [[The High and Mighty]], was able to give the studio some profit.<ref name="W288">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 288.</ref> In 1954, the studio was finally able engage in the new television medium, by providing [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] with a weekly show, ''[[Warner Bros. Presents]]''.<ref name="thomas192">Thomas (1990), p. 192.</ref> The studio followed up with a series of Western dramas, such as ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'', ''[[Bronco (TV series)|Bronco]]'', and ''[[Colt .45 (TV series)|Colt .45]]''.<ref name="thomas194">Thomas (1990), p. 194.</ref> Within a few years, the studio, accustomed to dealing with actors in a high-handed manner, provoked hostility among emerging TV stars like [[James Garner]], who filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. over a contract dispute.<ref name="thomas196-198">Thomas (1990), pp. 196&ndash;198.</ref> Jack Warner was angered by the perceived ingratitude of television actors, who evidently showed more independence than film actors, and this deepened his contempt for the new medium.<ref name="thomas199">Thomas (1990), p. 199.</ref> Early in 1953, the Warner theater holdings were spun off as [[Stanley Warner Theaters]], and were sold to Simon Fabian Enterprises.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,808529,00.html |title = Boston to Hollywood - TIME |accessdate = 2008-07-09 |date = Monday, May. 21, 1956 |author = Monday |coauthors = May. 21, 1956}}</ref> By 1956, however, the studio was losing money.<ref name="HBTHYNA82009787">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 303.</ref> In February 1956, Warner Brothers sold world negative rights to 784 features and 1,800 shorts filmed before 1948 to be shown on television by [[Associated Artists Productions]].<ref>p.295 Sperling, Cass Warner, Millner, Cork, * Warner Jr, Jack ''Hollywood Be They Name'' Prima Publishing (1994)</ref> In May 1956, Jack, Harry, and Albert announced they were putting Warner Bros. on the market.<ref name="HBTHYNA82009787" /> Jack, however, secretly organized a [[syndicate]]-headed by Boston banker Serge Semenenko-<ref name="HBTHYNA82009787" /> that purchased 90%(800,000 shares) of the company's stock.<ref name="HBTHYNA82009787" /> After the three brothers sold their stock, Jack-through his under-the-table deal with Sememenko- joined Semenenko's syndicate<ref name="HBTHYNA308">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 308.</ref> and bought back all his stock, which consisted of 200,000 shares.<ref name="HBTHYNA308" /> Shortly afterwards, Jack-now the company's largest stockholder- appointed himself as the new company President.<ref name="HBTHYN=A89787">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 306.</ref>By the time Harry and Albert learned of their brother's dealings, it was too late.<ref name="thomas226">Thomas (1990), p. 226.</ref> Shortly after the deal was closed, Jack Warner announced that the company and its subsidiaries would be "directed more vigorously to the acquisition of the most important story properties, talents, and to the production of the finest motion pictures possible".<ref name="vindy-07-12-56"> {{cite news | title = 2 Warners Sell Most of Stock in Film Firm: Harry and Albert Dispose of Shares to Banker; Jack to Be President | author = The United Press | work = The Youngstown Vindicator | date = [[July 12]], [[1956]] | page = 22 }}</ref> ===New owners ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Diane McBain]] --> Warner Bros. rebounded in the late 1950s, specializing in adaptations of popular plays like ''[[The Bad Seed (film)|The Bad Seed]]'' (1956), ''[[No Time for Sergeants]]'' (1958), and ''[[Gypsy (1962 film)|Gypsy]]'' (1962). There was also a successful television unit run by [[William T. Orr]], Jack Warner's son-in-law, offering popular series like ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' (1957–62) and ''[[77 Sunset Strip]]'' (1958–64). Already the owner of extensive music-publishing holdings, in 1958 the studio launched [[Warner Bros. Records]].With his health slowly recovering from a car accident he was in while vactioning in France in 1958, Jack returned to the studio and made sure of it his name was put was featured in press releases regarding Warner Bros.<ref name="H:325">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), ''Hollywood Be Thy Name,'' Prima Publishing, ISN:559858346 p. 325.</ref> In each of the first three years of the 1960s, the studio's net profit was only worth a little over $7,000,000.00.<ref name="H:325" /> Warner paid an unprecedented $5.5&nbsp;million for the film rights to the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' in February 1962. The previous owner, [[CBS]] director [[William S. Paley]], set terms that included fifty percent of the distributor's gross profits "plus ownership of the negative at the end of the contract."<ref name="thomas259">Thomas (1990), p. 259.</ref> In 1963, the net profit dropped to a dismal $3,738,000.00.<ref name="H:325" /> By the mid-1960s, motion picture production was in decline. There were few studio-produced films and many more co-productions (for which Warner provided facilities, money, and distribution), and pickups of independently made pictures. In 1967, Jack gave in to advancing age and the changing times, selling control of the studio and its music business for $78 million to [[Seven Arts Productions]], run by the Canadian investors Elliot and Kenneth Hyman, whose [[Associated Artists Productions]] had once owned the pre-1948 Warner film library. The company, including the studio, was renamed [[Warner Bros.-Seven Arts]]. [[Image:Batmanmovie1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Michael Keaton]] as [[Batman]] in 1992's ''[[Batman Returns]]''.]] Two years later the Hymans accepted a cash-and-stock offer from an odd conglomerate called [[Kinney National Company]]. Kinney started as a parking garage mobster [[Emmanuel Kimmel]] won in a poker game before expanding by merging with a chain of funeral parlors, office cleaners, and a Hollywood talent agency, [[Ashley-Famous]].<ref>William Poundstone, ''[[Fortune's Formula]]''</ref> It was [[Ted Ashley]] who led Kinney head [[Steve Ross (Time Warner CEO)|Steve Ross]] to the purchase of Warners, and Ashley became the new head of the studio, and the name was changed to Warner Bros., Inc. Although the moviegoing audience had shrunk, Warner's new management believed in the drawing-power of stars, signing co-production deals with several of the biggest names of the day, among them [[Paul Newman]], [[Robert Redford]], [[Barbra Streisand]], and [[Clint Eastwood]], carrying the studio successfully through the 1970s and 1980s. Warners also made major profits on films built around the characters of [[Superman]] and [[Batman]], owned by Warners subsidiary [[DC Comics]]. Abandoning the mundane parking lots and funeral homes, the re-focused Kinney renamed itself in honor of its best-known holding, [[Warner Communications]]. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Warner Communications branched out into other business, such as its acquiring of video game company [[Atari, Inc]] in 1976, and later the [[Six Flags]] theme parks. From 1971 until the end of 1987, Warner's international distribution operations were a joint venture with [[Columbia Pictures]], and in some countries, this joint venture also distributed films from other companies (like [[EMI Films]] and [[Golan-Globus|Cannon Films]] in the UK). Warner ended the venture in 1988 and joined up with [[Walt Disney Pictures]], this joint venture lasted until 1993, when Disney created Buena Vista International. To the surprise of many, flashy, star-driven Warner Communications merged in 1989 with the white-shoe publishing company [[Time Inc.]] Though Time and its magazines claimed a higher tone, it was the Warner Bros. film and music units which provided the profits. However, the [[Time Warner]] merger was almost derailed when [[Paramount Communications]] (Formerly [[Gulf+Western]], later sold to [[Viacom]]), launched a $12.2 billion dollar hostle bid for Time Inc., forcing Time to acquire Warner for $14.9 billion dollar cash/stock offer. Paramount responded with a lawsuit filed in [[Delaware]] court to break up the merger. Paramount lost both the case and the appeal and the merger proceeded. In 1997, Time Warner sold the Six Flags unit. The takeover of Time Warner in 2000 by then-high-flying [[AOL]] did not prove a good match, and following the collapse in "dot-com" stocks, the AOL name was banished from the corporate nameplate. === 1995–present === [[Image:WarnerStudio.jpg|thumb|right|A panoramic view over today's studio premises.]] In 1995, Warner and station-owner [[Tribune Company]] of [[Chicago]] launched [[The WB Network]], finding a niche market in teenagers. The WB's early programming included an abundance of teenage fare like ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', ''[[Smallville (TV series)|Smallville]]'' and ''[[Dawson's Creek]]''. Two extremely successful family dramas, ''[[7th Heaven]]'' and ''[[Charmed]]'' also helped bring The WB into the spotlight, with Charmed going for 8 seasons and being the longest running drama with female leads and 7th Heaven going for 11 seasons and being the longest running family drama and longest running show for The WB. In 2006 Warner and [[CBS Corporation]] decided to close The WB and CBS's [[UPN]] and jointly launch [[The CW Television Network]]. In the late 1990s, Warner obtained rights to the [[Harry Potter]] novels, and released feature film adaptations of the [[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (film)|first]] in 2001, the [[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|second]] in 2002, the [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|third]] in June 2004, the [[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)|fourth ]] in November 2005, and the [[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|fifth]] on [[July 11]], [[2007]]. The [[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|sixth]] is slated for November 2008. The seventh and final adaptation, to be shown in two parts, has been announced for 2010 and 2011. Over the years, Warner Brothers has had distribution and/or co-production deals with a number of small companies. These include (but are not limited to) [[Amblin Entertainment]], [[Morgan Creek Productions]] (now working with [[Universal Studios]]), [[Regency Enterprises]] (now working with [[20th Century Fox]]), [[Village Roadshow Pictures]], [[Legendary Pictures]], [[Silver Pictures]] (which includes [[Dark Castle Entertainment]]), [[The Ladd Company]], and [[The Geffen Film Company]]. On [[January 4]], [[2008]], Warner Bros. announced that they would drop support of [[HD DVD]] in favor of [[Blu-ray Disc]].<ref>[http://www.consolewatcher.com/warner-bros-goes-blu-ray-exclusive/ Warner Bros Goes Blu Ray Exclusive] ''Console Watcher''</ref> HD DVD's would continue to be released through May 2008 (when their contract with the HD DVD promotion group will expire), but only after Blu-ray and DVD releases. This started a chain of events which resulted in HD DVD development and production being halted by [[Toshiba]] on [[February 16]], [[2008]], ending the format war. Warner Bros. and [[National CineMedia]] have formed a partnership to provide pre-feature entertainment and advertising in movie theaters nationwide.<ref>[http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080114/20080114006177.html Warner Bros. and National CineMedia Form Marketing Partnership], ''Yahoo!'', [[January 14]], [[2008]]</ref> Warner Bros. turned 90 on [[June 1]], [[2008]]. == Film library == {{main|List of Warner Bros. films}} Over the years, a series of mergers and acquisitions have helped Warners (the present-day Time Warner subsidiary) to accumulate a diverse collection of movies, cartoons, and television programs. In the aftermath of the 1948 anti-trust suit, uncertain times led Warners in 1956 to sell its 650 of its pre-1948 films and cartoons to a holding company which became [[Associated Artists Productions]] (AAP). Two years later, AAP sold its holdings to [[United Artists]] (UA), which held them until 1981, when [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] bought UA. Three years later, [[Turner Broadcasting System]], having failed to buy MGM, settled for ownership of the MGM/UA library. This included almost all pre-1986 MGM features (with a few exceptions as noted below), as well as the pre-1948 Warner material. Ownership of the classic Warner films came full-circle when Time Warner bought Turner, although technically they are held by [[Turner Entertainment]] while Warner is responsible for sales and distribution. These acquisitions, among others, mean that Warner owns almost every film they have made since its inception, excepting certain films Warner merely distributed. Much of the United States Pictures catalog (with certain exceptions, like ''[[Battle of the Bulge (film)|Battle of the Bulge]]'', which WB still owns) is now owned by [[Republic Pictures|Republic]]/[[Paramount Pictures]] (Republic/Paramount also now owns ''[[Cujo (film)|Cujo]]'', with video licensee [[Lions Gate Entertainment]] handling DVD rights). Seven years after its 1964 release, rights to ''[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]'' reverted to [[CBS]], which had backed the theatrical production, although ironically Warner now owns the DVD rights under license from CBS (Interestingly, 35 years after that, CBS and Warner Bros. formed [[The CW Television Network]], as mentioned above). In addition Warner (via Turner) has acquired most of the [[Hanna-Barbera|Hanna-Barbera Productions]] library (including the 1982 film ''[[Heidi's Song]]''), alongside most of the pre-1990 [[Ruby-Spears Productions]] library. This does not including shows based on other licensed properties (ex., the animated versions of ''Happy Days'', ''Mork and Mindy'' and ''Laverne and Shirley'' are owned by [[CBS Paramount Television]]). In 2007, Warner Bros. added the ''[[Peanuts]]''/Charlie Brown library to its collection (this includes all the television specials and series outside of the theatrical library, which continues to be owned by CBS and Paramount through [[United Feature Syndicate]], licensor and owner of the ''Peanuts'' material). ===Material owned by WB=== In addition to a majority of its own post-1948 film library, WB owns: * Most of [[Lorimar Productions|Lorimar]]'s television and film holdings (including most of the [[Allied Artists]]/ [[Monogram Pictures|Monogram]] and post-1974 [[Rankin/Bass]] libraries, as well as several films made by Lorimar themselves which were released originally by [[Paramount Pictures]], among other studios); * The National General Pictures library (except those produced with Cinema Center Films, which are owned by CBS and Paramount Pictures) * Most ancillary rights to [[Castle Hill Productions]]' library (which includes early UA material) * The 1956 version of ''[[Around the World in Eighty Days (1956 movie)|Around the World in Eighty Days]]'' * The 1971 version of ''[[Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory]]'' * Most of the pre-1991 [[Morgan Creek Productions]] library * Most of the pre-1990 [[Saul Zaentz]] film library * The 1978-1981 [[Orion Pictures]] library * The non-Japan rights to the first three [[Pokémon]] films * [[Castle Rock Entertainment]] films made after Turner acquired Castle Rock (except the Region 1 rights to ''[[The Story of Us]]'' and ''[[The Last Days of Disco]]'', as well as the international rights to ''[[The American President (film)|The American President]]'', all owned by Universal) * Nearly all pre-1986 MGM titles and cartoons * The US/Canadian and Region 4 rights to a majority of the [[RKO Pictures|RKO Radio Pictures]] library * The 1933-1957 ''[[Popeye]]'' theatrical animated shorts produced by Paramount * A portion of United Artists material (including ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'') * The 1952 film ''[[The Star (film)|The Star]]'' (originally released by [[20th Century Fox]]) * The 1993 film ''[[Mr. Wonderful (film)|Mr. Wonderful]]'', produced by [[The Samuel Goldwyn Company]] * The film rights to Skulduggery Pleasant, said to come out in 2010 ===Exceptions=== ====WB==== * Certain John Wayne Warner films are owned by [[Batjac Productions|Batjac]], Wayne's company, as are other Batjac productions not starring Wayne - Paramount owns distribution rights to these films. Warner and Paramount cross-licensed each others' logos for DVD distribution of both these films and the Paramount produced Popeye cartoons Warner controls. * One film by [[Alfred Hitchcock]] that was originally released by WB, ''[[Rope (film)|Rope]]'', is now owned by [[Universal Studios]] * One Warner film from the post-1948 era, the [[Moby Dick (1956 film)|1956 version of ''Moby Dick'']], is now owned by UA. * One film that was originally released by Warner in [[1957]], ''[[Sayonara]]'', is now owned by MGM. * The ancillary rights to [[ITC Entertainment]] films originally distributed by WB (including ''[[The Medusa Touch (film)|The Medusa Touch]]'', ''[[Movie Movie]]'', and ''[[Capricorn One]]'') are now owned by [[Granada Productions|Granada International]], while [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] owns theatrical distribution rights. * The 1951 western ''[[Only the Valiant (film)|Only the Valiant]]'' is owned by [[Republic Pictures]] ====Turner==== * WB/Turner owns theatrical and television rights to ''[[Pink Floyd The Wall]]'' (while video rights rest with [[Sony BMG Music Entertainment]]) * ''[[March of the Wooden Soldiers]]'' has now gone back to MGM as a result of their acquisition of former owners [[The Samuel Goldwyn Company]] * The original Hal Roach ''[[Our Gang]]'' shorts distributed by MGM before the studio took control of the series is owned by [[RHI Entertainment]] and [[CBS Television Distribution]], while RHI solely owns much of the MGM/Roach shorts and features, with few exceptions. * [[Frank Capra]]'s film, ''[[Stae of the Union (film)|State of the Union]],'' was released by MGM in 1948, but the rights belonged to [[Capra]]'s [[Liberty Films]], which was bought out by [[Paramount Pictures]] in 1955. In 1957, [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]] bought the rights to most of Paramount's sound movies released before 1950, which includes ''[[State of the Union (film)|State of the Union]].'' These films would go to [[EMKA, Ltd.]]/[[Universal Studios]] in 1962 when that studio was sold to MCA. * ''[[Force of Evil]]'', also released in 1948 by MGM, is now owned by [[Republic Pictures]] via Paramount (coincidentally also the owners of ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' - the only other film produced by Liberty Films, and coincidentally was originally released by RKO). ===The WB Archives=== The [[University of Southern California]] Warner Bros. Archives is the largest single studio collection in the world. Donated in 1977 to USC's School of Cinema-Television by Warner Communications, the WBA houses departmental records that detail Warner Bros. activities from the studio's first major feature, My Four Years in Germany (1918), to its sale to Seven Arts in 1968. UA donated pre-1949 Warner Bros. nitrates to the [[Library of Congress]] and post-1951 negatives to [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA's]] film library. Most of the company's legal files, scripts and production materials were donated to the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]]. == Warner Bros. Franchises == * [[Superman]] * [[Batman]] * [[Harry Potter]] * [[The Matrix Series]] * [[Ocean's]] == See also == * [[List of Warner Bros. films]] * [[Major film studios]] == Notes == <!-- ---------------------------------------------------------- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for a discussion of different citation methods and how to generate footnotes using the <ref>, </ref> and <reference /> tags ----------------------------------------------------------- --> {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} == References == * Mordden, Ethan. ''The Hollywood Studios.'' New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988. * Schatz, Robert. ''The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era.'' New York: Pantheon, 1988. * Sklar, Robert. ''Movie-Made America.'' New York: Vintage, 1994. * Warner, Jack L. ''My First Hundred Years in Hollywood.'' * Gabler, Neal. ''An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood.'' New York: Crown Publishers, 1988. == External links == {{wikinewspar|Warner Brothers ban movie previews in Canada}} * [http://www2.warnerbros.com/ WarnerBros official site] * {{imdb company|id=0035989|company=Warner Bros.}} * {{bcdb2|path=cartoons/Warner_Bros_/|title=Warner Bros. Animated Productions}} {{Time Warner}} {{CinemaoftheUS}} {{Citations missing|date=October 2007}} [[Category:Entertainment companies of the United States]] [[Category:Film production companies of the United States]] [[Category:Time Warner subsidiaries]] [[Category:Companies based in Los Angeles County]] [[Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients]] [[Category:Entertainment Software Association]] [[Category:San Fernando Valley]] [[ar:الإخوة وارنر]] [[bn:ওয়ার্নার ব্রাদার্স]] [[bg:Warner Bros.]] [[ca:Warner Bros.]] [[cs:Warner Bros.]] [[da:Warner Brothers]] [[de:Warner Bros.]] [[el:Warner Bros.]] [[es:Warner Bros.]] [[fa:برادران وارنر]] [[fr:Warner Bros. Entertainment]] [[ko:워너브라더스]] [[id:Warner Bros.]] [[it:Warner Bros.]] [[he:האחים וורנר]] [[lt:Warner Bros.]] [[hu:Warner Bros.]] [[ms:Warner Bros.]] [[nl:Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.]] [[ja:ワーナー・ブラザーズ]] [[no:Warner Bros.]] [[nn:Warner Bros.]] [[pl:Warner Bros.]] [[pt:Warner Bros.]] [[ru:Warner Brothers]] [[sq:Warner Bros.]] [[simple:Warner Bros.]] [[sl:Warner Bros.]] [[sr:Warner Bros.]] [[fi:Warner Bros.]] [[sv:Warner Bros.]] [[tl:Warner Bros.]] [[th:Warner Bros.]] [[tr:Warner Bros.]] [[zh:华纳兄弟]]