The Birth of Hollywood
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What is the story behind the birth of Hollywood?
It's raining out, so you hustle inside. You grab your popcorn with extra butter and your Diet Coke, and you settle into a cozy red leather chair. The lights go down, and there's no place you'd rather be. The movie theater. And today's film has a timeless theme. The underdog who stands up to the bully... You sit through it, and it's okay. Not gonna win any awards, but perfect for a lazy afternoon when you have nothing better to do. Anyway, who doesn't love a good bully beatdown? But here's the twist. The story of how the movie industry was born is much more interesting than anything we might watch in a theater. And it came at a time when people made their own rules, and the constant threat of violence created a dangerous vacuum for a few brave souls to step into. This is the story of a group of renegade visionaries, the death and spectacular rebirth of the first movie star, and a battle for supremacy with the most famous and cutthroat inventor in the world.
And all of it came together to shape not only our culture, but the actual geography of our country itself. And this story, this is a real Bully Beatdown. On today's episode, the spectacular and improbable birth of Hollywood. This is a twist of history. It's summer, 1909 in New York City.
Who was Carl Laemmle and why is he important?
43-year-old Carl Lemley sits on the passenger side of a Ford Model T as one of his employees drives him through a seedy part of town. In the distance, Carl sees Singer Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, and he's blown away. Carl has recently moved back to New York after living in Chicago for years. And as somebody who grew up in a small German village filled with centuries-old buildings, Manhattan's new skyscrapers seem like something out of science fiction. Carl tells his employee to pull over. The employee looks scared, but he follows Carl's orders. Carl gets out and tells him to wait there and to be ready to drive when the time comes. Karl turns onto a narrow street. He walks past a few people scattered on the sidewalk, and they eye him like he might be their next meal. Or like maybe he's a cop. Carl doesn't flinch. He knows he stands out here in his tailored suit. Honestly, he's used to standing out everywhere. Because Carl is only 5'2", and even his friends say he looks like a little elf.
But his size has forced him to learn how to fight people a lot bigger than him from an early age. So he isn't intimidated by anyone. Especially not the people he's passing on this street. He knows why these people are here. To sell goods on the black market. Some deal in opium, which has just recently become harder to get a doctor's prescription for, and some just sell legal items like liquor and cigarettes at a discount price. Carl spots the man he's come to see, lingering in the shadows near the end of the street. The man approaches, holding a wooden box that's almost too big for one person to hold. Carl reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of cash. and the man opens the box just enough for Carl to look inside. A huge smile stretches across Carl's face. The object in the box is more beautiful than he imagined. He hands over the cash and grabs the box. It's bulky, but he clutches it close and walks as fast as he can back down the street.
He gets to the corner, climbs into the Model T, and shouts for his employee to drive. A few minutes later, when Carl is sure they're in the clear, he opens the box all the way. He can't believe he had to get this on the black market, but it was worth it. It's not drugs or liquor or anything like that. The object in the box is a brand new movie camera. It's later that night in a small office building on East 14th Street in New York City. This is the headquarters of Carl's company, Independent Moving Pictures. He calls it IMP for short. Carl pours himself a drink, takes a sip, and studies a budget breakdown for what he hopes will be the first movie he produces. In 1909, silent movies, usually called moving or motion pictures, are still a novelty.
They're not considered works of art. They're cheap to make, and they're often just quick action scenes or clips from a vaudeville show that run a few minutes long. They play at Nickelodeons, which are small theaters that cost five cents, and most are housed in cramped storefronts with cheap instruments used for musical accompaniment.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the story behind the birth of Hollywood?
0:02–1:38
2
Who was Carl Laemmle and why is he important?
1:38–5:00
3
What challenges did early filmmakers face from the Trust?
5:00–7:39
4
How did Carl Laemmle challenge Thomas Edison?
7:39–11:04
5
What was the significance of the film Hiawatha?
11:04–18:32
6
How did Laemmle's partnership with the Warners impact the industry?
18:32–24:19
7
What were the consequences of competing against the Trust?
24:19–34:09