One of the most popular genres of classic Hollywood cinema is the Pre-Code films – movies produced before the Production Code Administration became effective in 1934. Many of these films are outstanding in their depiction of recognizable human situations and male-female interactions – in marked contrast to the inconsequential fluff
(Read More…)
While we’re taking a break from magazine scanning today, having our turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, enjoy the cover image from the November 1929 issue of Movie Makers. Read the entire issue in the book reader below:
President Franklin Roosevelt was inaugurated for his first term on March 4, 1933. The following day, Roosevelt called Congress in session to declare a four-day bank holiday. The movie studios used this emergency to implement across-the-board salary reductions, which although temporary, were not well received by stars or technical staff.
(Read More…)
While Black Friday advertisements are offering BluRay players at knock-down prices this autumn, it’s instructive to see that watching movies at home was once the province not only of movie insiders, but also the rich. This Kodascope ad from the back cover of the July 1929 issue of Movie Makers
(Read More…)
The Media History Digital Library is happy to be collaborating with Domitor in an effort to digitize the history of early cinema. Domitor, the International Society for the Study of Early Cinema, is a non-profit organization that holds a biennial conference and promotes research that examines cinema’s development during the
(Read More…)
This is our first monthly newsletter, to update all of you on our progress with the site and some of our plans. The Media History Digital Library website at http://www.mediahistoryproject.org launched in late September. We’ve been very appreciative of the feedback from fans of the site, and particularly glad to
(Read More…)
Many film magazines had perfunctory covers for each issue, but Movie Makers made a point of presenting well-designed, relevant images. We’ll present these periodically. This image, titled Cine Stars, was by Alejandro de Canedo.
In 1938, director Andrew Stone made the big leap – from directing for failing indie Grand National – to directing features at Paramount. For Stone, this move to the big time was the start of a successful mainstream career as an always interesting and often innovative director. With his first
(Read More…)
After his experience working for Keystone, then Essanay and finally Mutual, Charlie Chaplin was ready for independence. In 1918 Chaplin was able to move to his own studio, with complete artistic control over his films. First National, a coalition of theater chains, signed Chaplin for eight two-reelers. There was a gap
(Read More…)
