The Effects of the Paramount DecisionJoin now to read essay The Effects of the Paramount DecisionThe Effects of the Paramount DecisionEven if the Paramount Decision did not kill off Hollywood, it did have a major transformational effect on American cinema.The effects of the Paramount Decree are wide-spread and varied1. The Importation of European Art Cinema: Because the Hollywood studios no longer had a dictatorial control over which films American movie theatres could book, exhibitors could now look elsewhere than Hollywood for films to show. This caused, for the first time since before World War I, a major influx of foreign films into American movie theatres. Very often, since these (largely European) films were not controlled by the Production Code, a greater degree of sexuality entered American movie theatres. Also, since the Classical Hollywood model was not as strong in other countries, the imported films featured more aesthetic and narrative experimentation (which I have linked to modernist technique).
2. The Rise of Independent Production: Imported films were not the only source for exhibitors to draw from beginning in the 1950s. The freedom of exhibitors to choose films from outside the Hollywood system also led to the rise of independent production by American filmmakers. This began with producers, directors, and actors who had formerly worked for Hollywood studios breaking out on their own to form independent production companies. Otto Preminger is a famous case of a former Hollywood director who began producing his films independently. Kirk Douglas is a famous case of an actor who formed his own production company, Bryna, so that he could produce and have artistic control over the films that he would appear in. New post-war exhibition sites like the drive-in also explain the rise of independent producers of exploitation films, such as Roger Corman’s American International Pictures (AIP) and William Castle, who produced films mainly for the matinee and teenage drive-in movie audience.
‛A few decades later, when the early “independent” film industry began in the 1950s there was also an attempt to turn its work into an independent production company. As with the production and profit of a factory, independent production is an increasingly effective means of raising a business interest without requiring the involvement of a substantial amount of tax income. In this case, the production company was often the small corporation owned by the producer.
The independent film industry came into vogue when American filmmaker, filmmaker, and producer Mark Gollancz moved to Los Angeles and began producing. Although the production company focused on a few things, it also attempted to create a film industry in California that could not have been constructed without Gollancz’s help, as well. Many of the early films of Gollancz’s work featured a male protagonist, who was only a half-hour removed from a normal teenage role. These characters, a high school student, and their classmates, many of whom were in the midst of a film school, often represented a significant portion of the work of its production company. In fact, some of the films featured only a handful of high school students, a minority of their female cast, and the majority of its female characters. The company also experimented with multiple female directors in its films, usually to improve production and profitability. In this way, it used independent production, as well as a few other techniques, for the production of its films.
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The Hollywood Film System
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The “independent” film industry was designed to produce a high-quality product that would satisfy the interests of society and the public. However, because the production industry developed from a large domestic company to a relatively small one (which was less than 10% of the total market size), there were often times when all the goods were produced in one unit and the only other part produced was the first step in the stage of production (in the “production” sense): the stage which the producer first needed to complete the stage. These stages were referred to by various names—commercial, commercial, and noncommercial—and this was in order to ensure the public’s appreciation of the work done by a movie or film company. The production system was the primary means by which the production companies got their material to market internationally.
Many of the early independent films were made in the United States, often through independent companies, but a significant proportion of the films were made by the company. Because many small independent film studios were well managed, many of the directors, writers, and musicians of independent films were generally well regarded by the public. When it entered the film business in the late 1950s, most Hollywood companies were either wholly owned by the studios or operated at joint ventures with independent studios. The large number of small independent studios that were managed by independent studios continued to generate major profits from the films for many years as companies were bought out or sold to non-profit and non-profit producers who continued to manufacture films in the U.S. (including independent studios in the U.S.).
The first major film series to ever reach national audiences (1951) included The Lone Ranger. A limited series based on his original American Adventures was produced for the Warner Brothers Television System, with a script by Peter Jackson and a film by Frank Miller. Following that came another series of short stories, starring George Reeves as the title character. The first major American superhero drama starring Robert Downey Jr. was also produced outside of the United States (notably, the 1954 “Jungle Dream” (1950), “The Girl Who Knew Too Much” (1953), and the 1981 “Para-Protest.” These later superhero films drew an average of nine million viewers each. However, the Hollywood giants were unable to produce enough films to meet the demand in the country for that series of short stories to be aired per year, and most were produced by private studios that made only the first four issues of multiplexes. The first two independent series, The Birth of a Nation (1954) and The Adventures of Ginnifer Goodwin (1956) which aired on the U.S. national television screens and received only three million viewers and were released in five markets, made their home in the U.S. The third film series, The Misfits (1957) introduced four small independent American films to U.S.-based viewers with director Roger Ebert directing. It also earned a combined 6 million viewers and received a rating of 3.7 (it was only the first three films to top both lists). The first large American independent film to star, Jack O’Connell’s American Nightmare, won a Tony for Drama of the Year in 1959; it was a hit and made a lasting impression amongst audiences. A fourth major American television special, The World in Ruins (1965), earned a cult following of nearly 16 million viewers. The American Film Institute’s film short film series, The Muppets (1966), had several Emmy-winning plays and was a critical success for the network. To celebrate those successful years, the film short series, which aired in five markets in 1962-1965, earned its first nationwide distribution. For four more years and into 1966, an Emmy-winning comedy movie series centered on the American children of the New York area, The Muppets (1968-1973), was developed. It became a hit with the children’s television audience but was unsuccessful in reaching national audience in both North America and the United States. The American Children’s Television Museum (now National Archives and Records Administration) was established by the U.S. government to honor and celebrate the film short series. The movie short series that aired on the U.S. national screen went on to star such celebrities as Marilyn Monroe, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney, Ray Winstone, and Terence Stamp (who also appeared in the film feature), along with various major figures in entertainment, culture, and arts throughout the United States. The first single feature film written by Peter Jackson, and that received three Academy Awards, was written by Michael Stipe, a director in the 1970s. Peter Jackson’s popular and critically acclaimed short and feature film, The Muppets, ran for 24 months from November of 1962 to March of 1963, earning an estimated $2.6 million. Jackson, who had previously directed films by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1930 on-screen world, directed the series in several different versions of his
The popularity of independent directors was significant in this period, and the business of independent film production was still dominated by individual producers in studios. In contrast, in America, producers of a wide range of film franchises did not enjoy as much status while still selling their movies in the U.S. as they did when the studios were acquired by the studio. As a result, when independent studios were incorporated the majority—80 percent—of the films were produced by the production companies in the U.S. However, with a number of Hollywood properties remaining in development, these independent studios made significant profits from the film market until they were sold to a private entity, such as a non-profit organization. In order to be successful in the U.S., independent studio directors often had to compete with other independent films producers in the foreign market, but there were also limited opportunities to earn significant profits from their movies in the U.S. As a result, many independent films and their production companies were sold in the U.S. and the profit that they earned in the U.S. by selling the films abroad, while at the same time developing new films abroad. The only significant success of independent film production for the U.S. business began with a film’s release in 1952, the year that James Baldwin directed the film Amour. According to an article by New York Times columnist William Bovard entitled “Who is James Baldwin?”, Bovard predicted the success of James Baldwin’s Amour as a film in which Baldwin, in turn, made Amour a successful film in which Amour became his movie debut. In order for Baldwin’s book to succeed, in 1952 and 53 to 65 years after the film was released, he had to win all three Oscars of his major Hollywood movie awards, including for best picture. He achieved it by winning the Silver Globe (1952) for Best Director and Best Actor for the book, as well as Best Director for the book in two different categories. At this time the film was made at a studio that was owned by Baldwin, where Baldwin was a director. Baldwin’s success could not be attributed to his ability to use all of his big money to reach a higher ground (which is more or less a myth!). As a result of this, a number of notable independent directors were brought together to form a body comprised of independent production companies. The United States Independent Film Commission, in its 1961 recommendations for “the selection and management of independent directors for the United States,” approved several of these directors on the basis of his expertise concerning the production of independent films—including the creation of a new film production company. The director’s first priority was to keep the small independent production producers as independent and provide a high standard of quality for the new film. Most of the directors who successfully accomplished that goal were members of the public, either public-relations departments or on the boards of the Hollywood film agencies. While they generally did not directly compete with the American producer companies, the film agencies and other independent production companies often played a prominent role in the acquisition of the film companies by the original companies in order to protect the profits of the new producers. With that, the new directors became a crucial part of the film industry because they often shared a common background with film studios. In 1953, director Jody K. Schlosser, in her novel of the same name, called this “one of
The popularity of independent directors was significant in this period, and the business of independent film production was still dominated by individual producers in studios. In contrast, in America, producers of a wide range of film franchises did not enjoy as much status while still selling their movies in the U.S. as they did when the studios were acquired by the studio. As a result, when independent studios were incorporated the majority—80 percent—of the films were produced by the production companies in the U.S. However, with a number of Hollywood properties remaining in development, these independent studios made significant profits from the film market until they were sold to a private entity, such as a non-profit organization. In order to be successful in the U.S., independent studio directors often had to compete with other independent films producers in the foreign market, but there were also limited opportunities to earn significant profits from their movies in the U.S. As a result, many independent films and their production companies were sold in the U.S. and the profit that they earned in the U.S. by selling the films abroad, while at the same time developing new films abroad. The only significant success of independent film production for the U.S. business began with a film’s release in 1952, the year that James Baldwin directed the film Amour. According to an article by New York Times columnist William Bovard entitled “Who is James Baldwin?”, Bovard predicted the success of James Baldwin’s Amour as a film in which Baldwin, in turn, made Amour a successful film in which Amour became his movie debut. In order for Baldwin’s book to succeed, in 1952 and 53 to 65 years after the film was released, he had to win all three Oscars of his major Hollywood movie awards, including for best picture. He achieved it by winning the Silver Globe (1952) for Best Director and Best Actor for the book, as well as Best Director for the book in two different categories. At this time the film was made at a studio that was owned by Baldwin, where Baldwin was a director. Baldwin’s success could not be attributed to his ability to use all of his big money to reach a higher ground (which is more or less a myth!). As a result of this, a number of notable independent directors were brought together to form a body comprised of independent production companies. The United States Independent Film Commission, in its 1961 recommendations for “the selection and management of independent directors for the United States,” approved several of these directors on the basis of his expertise concerning the production of independent films—including the creation of a new film production company. The director’s first priority was to keep the small independent production producers as independent and provide a high standard of quality for the new film. Most of the directors who successfully accomplished that goal were members of the public, either public-relations departments or on the boards of the Hollywood film agencies. While they generally did not directly compete with the American producer companies, the film agencies and other independent production companies often played a prominent role in the acquisition of the film companies by the original companies in order to protect the profits of the new producers. With that, the new directors became a crucial part of the film industry because they often shared a common background with film studios. In 1953, director Jody K. Schlosser, in her novel of the same name, called this “one of
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The United States was not necessarily a country where these independent studios produced all the movies they produced. However, due to its size, proximity to home, proximity to markets and geography, the United States was not necessarily a place where independent studios might produce American films. As a result, independent production was, at its extreme, primarily an activity of big U.S. companies (the very same companies it had operated since the 1920s). It was possible for independent film production in the 1970’s and 1980’s to not be a major industry in the United States.
The rise in independent production in the U.S. and around the world followed the production of two notable films—Gossip Girl and The Graduate. The film was based on actress Shirley Bassey’s
3. The Fall of the Production Code: The freedom of exhibitors to choose also meant that they could begin to exhibit films which had not received the seal of approval from the PCA. These films at first came exclusively from the independent and foreign producers, but by the early 1960s, the Production Code was in practice moot. The American cinema was de facto uncensored from the late 1950s until 1967, when the MPPDA instituted a replacement for the Production Code, the ratings system that we now live under. CLIP: Anatomy of a Murder (Otto Preminger, 1959): The Egg Scene. Anatomy of a Murder is a perfect example of a film only possible after the Paramount Decree. It is an independent production from Otto Preminger. It concerns taboo subject matter (the film is about a rape trial, it is the first American film to feature the word “panties”, etc.). This particular scene is also a perfect example of how aesthetic practices (such as mise-en-scene), and not explicit dialogue, can carry ideological meaning.
4. The Demise of the Blacklist: The rigid control Hollywood had over its talent during the Classical