THE END OF THE SILENT YEARS, THE STUDIO YEARS AND THE TALKIES – THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIO SYSTEM – CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MAJOR AND MINOR STUDIOS – THE HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION CODE – THE PRODUCTION CODE AND CENSORSHIP – THE END OF THE STUDIO ERA
The dawn of sound completely changed the way movies were produced, made and unmade the careers of many a star, and allowed for the development of entirely new cinematic genres. This guide examines the Hollywood Studio System in depth — the knowledge of which is key to understanding any film from the 1930s and 1940s. It includes a discussion of the importance of ideology in mass media, and contextualizes the Studio System in terms of the politics and values of its time.
