Fighting Fools is a 1949 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys . The film was released on April 17, 1949 by Monogram Pictures and is the thirteenth film in the series.
98-455: The Bowery Boys, led by the notorious Slip Mahoney, are helping out at a boxing arena, selling programs, drinks and snacks to the audience. The most popular upcoming fight is between their own Jimmy Higgins ”The Battler from the Bowery” and the reigning champion Joey Prince. The fight will be Jimmy's chance to bring home the title, but his chances are slim at best. When the match starts, Jimmy takes
196-768: A lithograph company. After establishing Warner Bros. Music, Harry appointed his son, Lewis, to manage the company. By 1931, the studio began to feel the effects of the Great Depression, reportedly losing $ 8 million, and an additional $ 14 million the following year. In 1931, Warner Bros. Music head Lewis Warner died from an infected wisdom tooth . Around that time, Zanuck hired screenwriter Wilson Mizner , who had little respect for authority and found it difficult to work with Jack, but became an asset. As time passed, Warner became more tolerant of Mizner and helped invest in Mizner's Brown Derby restaurant. Mizner died of
294-421: A "gangster studio". The studio's first gangster film, Little Caesar , was a great box office success and Edward G. Robinson starred in many of the subsequent Warner gangster films. The studio's next effort, The Public Enemy , made James Cagney arguably the studio's new top star, and Warner Bros. made more gangster films. "Movie for movie, Warners was the most reliable source of entertainment through
392-485: A Bosko clone. By the end of World War II, a new Schlesinger production team, including directors Friz Freleng (started in 1934), Tex Avery (started in 1935), Frank Tashlin (started in 1936), Bob Clampett (started in 1937), Chuck Jones (started in 1938), and Robert McKimson (started in 1946), was formed. Schlesinger's staff developed a fast-paced, irreverent style that made their cartoons globally popular. In 1935, Avery directed Porky Pig cartoons that established
490-419: A candy store. The thumping and crashing from the loft make Louie's business go bad. Johnny wins his first series of fights, and is considered a challenger to the title. A fight against Prince is set up, and the winner will then fight the title-holder Dynamite Carson. Johnny's fight against Prince starts, but when Prince goes down in the first round, he claims that he did so because the match was fixed. The result
588-422: A cash settlement. Nevertheless, Cagney left the studio to establish an independent film company with his brother Bill. The Cagneys released their films though Grand National Films ; however, they were not able to get good financing and ran out of money after their third film. Cagney then agreed to return to Warner Bros., after Jack agreed to a contract guaranteeing Cagney would be treated to his own terms. After
686-559: A character created for the Looney Tunes series, is the company's official mascot. The company's name originated from the founding Warner brothers (born Wonsal, Woron, and Wonskolaser before Anglicization): Harry , Albert , Sam , and Jack Warner. Harry, Albert and Sam emigrated as young children with their Polish-Jewish mother to the United States from Krasnosielc , Poland (then part of Congress Poland within
784-540: A dog brought from France after World War I by an American soldier, established their reputation. Rin Tin Tin's third film was the feature Where the North Begins , which was so successful that Jack signed the dog to star in more films for $ 1,000 per week. Rin Tin Tin became the studio's top star. Jack nicknamed him "The Mortgage Lifter" and the success boosted Darryl F. Zanuck 's career. Zanuck eventually became
882-545: A downturn in 1996 after losses on The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Long Kiss Goodnight . New Line Cinema produced The Lord of the Rings film trilogy which became their most successful films to date, grossing over $ 2.9 billion worldwide. The films were nominated for 30 Academy Awards , including nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture for each film, and won 17, with the final picture, The Lord of
980-707: A few films each year under the First National name until 1938. For thirty years, certain Warner productions were identified (mainly for tax purposes) as 'A Warner Bros.–First National Picture.' In the latter part of 1929, Jack Warner hired George Arliss to star in Disraeli , which was a success. Arliss won an Academy Award for Best Actor and went on to star in nine more movies for the studio. In 1930, Harry acquired more theaters in Atlantic City , despite
1078-505: A film studio after acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in 1994; Turner later merged with Time Warner Entertainment (later known as WarnerMedia from 2018 to 2022, and Warner Bros. Discovery since 2022) in 1996, and New Line was merged with Warner Bros. Pictures in 2008. The studio has been nicknamed "The House that Freddy Built" due to the success of the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. However, their most successful property
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#17327909692271176-533: A free-standing company was the Will Ferrell film Semi-Pro . Since 2016, New Line Cinema had been producing its own television series ( New Line Television had been folded into Warner Bros. Television in 2008). As for the company's future, Alan Horn , the Warner Bros. president at the time of the consolidation, stated, "There's no budget number required. They'll be doing about six per year, though
1274-415: A gang of swindlers who played him for a fool and set him up. The boys soon find Johnny in a bar together with a hussy by the name of Bunny Talbot. Johnny is completely oblivious about his younger brother's death. He quickly sobers up after getting the news, and the boys start working him into fighting condition. Together with the journalist Gabe Moreno, the boys start promoting a series of fights in benefit for
1372-460: A heart attack on April 3, 1933. By 1932, musicals were declining in popularity, and the studio was forced to cut musical numbers from many productions and advertise them as straight comedies. The public had begun to associate musicals with color, and thus studios began to abandon its use. Warner Bros. had a contract with Technicolor to produce two more pictures in that process. As a result, the first horror films in color were produced and released by
1470-575: A major loan. With this new money, the Warners bought the pioneer Vitagraph Company which had a nationwide distribution system. In 1925, Warners' also experimented in radio, establishing a successful radio station, KFWB , in Los Angeles. Warner Bros. was a pioneer of films with synchronized sound (then known as "talking pictures" or "talkies"). In 1925, at Sam's urging, Warner's agreed to add this feature to their productions. By February 1926,
1568-546: A mascot to Warner Bros., its various divisions, and Six Flags (which Time Warner once owned). The success of the compilation film The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie in 1979, featuring the archived film of these characters, prompted Warner Bros. to organize Warner Bros. Animation as a new production division to restart production of original material. According to Warner's autobiography, prior to US entry in World War II , Philip Kauffman, Warner Bros. German sales head,
1666-413: A month-long strike. In retaliation, Warner—during his 1947 testimony before Congress about Mission to Moscow —accused multiple employees of ties to Communists. By the end of 1947, the studio reached a record net profit of $ 22 million (equivalent to $ 300 million in 2023). Warner acquired Pathé News from RKO in 1947. On January 5, 1948, Warner offered the first color newsreel , covering
1764-428: A net profit of $ 674,158.00. By 1936, contracts of musical and silent stars were not renewed, instead being replaced by tough-talking, working-class types who better fit these pictures. As a result, Dorothy Mackaill , Dolores del Río , 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
1862-456: A part of Warner Bros. and be a smaller studio, releasing a smaller number of films than in past years. The box office disappointment of The Golden Compass (2007) was largely blamed for the decision, in which New Line Cinema spent $ 180 million on its development, yet it only grossed $ 70 million in the United States market. In March, Emmerich became president and chief operating officer, whilst both founders Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne had left
1960-486: A popular book by former ambassador James W. Gerard , was released. On April 4, 1923, with help from money loaned to Harry by his banker Motley Flint, they formally incorporated as Warner Bros. Pictures, Incorporated . (As late as the 1960s, Warner Bros. claimed 1905 as its founding date.) The first important deal was the acquisition of the rights to Avery Hopwood 's 1919 Broadway play, The Gold Diggers , from theatrical impresario David Belasco . However, Rin Tin Tin ,
2058-431: A result of losses from the Great Depression, and Harry refused to restore it as the company recovered. Zanuck established his own company. Harry thereafter raised salaries for studio employees. In 1933, Warner was able to link up with newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst 's Cosmopolitan Films. Hearst had previously worked with MGM, but ended the association after a dispute with head producer Irving Thalberg over
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#17327909692272156-425: A result of their financial problems, Warner Bros. took the next step and released The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson . This movie, which includes little sound dialogue, but did feature sound segments of Jolson singing, was a sensation. It signaled the beginning of the era of "talking pictures" and the twilight of the silent era. However, Sam died the night before the opening, preventing the brothers from attending
2254-458: A result, Harry Warner—while speaking at a convention of 1,500 independent exhibitors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—was able to convince the filmmakers to spend $ 500,000 in newspaper advertising, and Harry saw this as an opportunity to establish theaters in places such as New York City and Los Angeles. As the studio prospered, it gained backing from Wall Street , and in 1924 Goldman Sachs arranged
2352-424: A serious beating in the ring. He is knocked down already in the second round, which renders him unconscious. Eventually Jimmy dies from his injuries. When two of the boys go to break the awful news to Jimmy's mother, Mrs. Higgins, she is devastated. The boys decide to help her out, by finding another one of her boys, Johnny, who disappeared some time ago. Johnny, who is Jimmy's older brother, vanished to get away from
2450-518: A top producer and between 1928 and 1933 served as Jack's right-hand man and executive producer , with responsibilities including day-to-day film production. More success came after Ernst Lubitsch was hired as head director; Harry Rapf left the studio to join Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . Lubitsch's film The Marriage Circle was the studio's most successful film of 1924, and was on The New York Times best list for that year. Despite
2548-515: A top star and signed him to a new contract, tripling his salary. In 1936, Harry's daughter Doris read a copy of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind and was interested in making a film adaptation. Doris offered Mitchell $ 50,000 for screen rights. Jack vetoed the deal, realizing it would be an expensive production. Major Paramount star George Raft also eventually proved to be a problem for Jack. Warner had signed him in 1939, finally bringing
2646-686: A top star. Following High Sierra and after Raft had once again turned the part down, Bogart was given the leading role in John Huston 's successful 1941 remake of the studio's 1931 pre-Code film, The Maltese Falcon , based upon the Dashiell Hammett novel. Warner's cartoon unit had its roots in the independent Harman and Ising studio. From 1930 to 1933, Walt Disney Studios alumni Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising produced musical cartoons for Leon Schlesinger , who sold them to Warner. Harman and Ising introduced their character Bosko in
2744-545: A top studio in Hollywood , but this changed after 1935 as other studios, notably MGM, quickly overshadowed the prestige and glamor that previously characterized Warner Bros. However, in the late 1930s, Bette Davis became the studio's top draw and was even dubbed as "The Fifth Warner Brother". In 1935, Cagney sued Jack Warner for breach of contract. Cagney claimed Warner had forced him to star in more films than his contract required. Cagney eventually dropped his lawsuit after
2842-460: A very successful musical under the direction of Lloyd Bacon. Warner assigned Bacon to "more expensive productions including Footlight Parade , Wonder Bar , Broadway Gondolier " (which he also starred in), and Gold Diggers that saved the company from bankruptcy. In the wake of 42nd Street 's success, the studio produced profitable musicals. These starred Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell and were mostly directed by Busby Berkeley . In 1935,
2940-575: Is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California , and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Founded in 1923 by four brothers, Harry , Albert , Sam , and Jack Warner , the company established itself as a leader in the American film industry before diversifying into animation , television , and video games , and
3038-518: Is badly beaten. Between rounds Sach manages to remove the metal stick and Johnny can get the upper hand in the fight once more. He wins the fight by knocking out Carson, and Harris is exposed as a cheater to the boxing commissioner. Warner Archives released the film on made to order DVD in the United States as part of "The Bowery Boys, Volume One" on November 23, 2012. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. , or abbreviated as WB , or WBEI )
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3136-485: Is one of the "Big Five" major American film studios , as well as a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA). The company is known for its film studio division, the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group , which includes Warner Bros. Pictures , New Line Cinema , Warner Bros. Pictures Animation , Castle Rock Entertainment , DC Studios , and the Warner Bros. Television Group . Bugs Bunny ,
3234-492: Is that both boxers are suspended from further fighting. Harris is the one who has fixed the fight, and he promises the Bowery Boys that Prince will confess and clear Johnny's name. The condition is that Johnny loses the first match between him and Carson, and then gets to win the second. The boys agree to the condition, but have no intention of following the plan. Unfortunately they didn't count on Harris taking Boomer Higgins,
3332-663: The Cascade , in New Castle, Pennsylvania , in 1903. When the original building was in danger of being demolished, the modern Warner Bros. called the current building owners and arranged to save it. The owners noted people across the country had asked them to protect it for its historical significance. In 1904, the Warners founded the Pittsburgh -based Duquesne Amusement & Supply Company, to distribute films. In 1912, Harry Warner hired an auditor named Paul Ashley Chase . By
3430-531: The Poverty Row section of Hollywood, and acquire a much larger studio lot in Burbank . They expanded by acquiring the Stanley Corporation, a major theater chain. This gave them a share in rival First National Pictures , of which Stanley owned one-third. In a bidding war with William Fox , Warner Bros. bought more First National shares on September 13, 1928; Jack also appointed Zanuck as
3528-586: The Russian Empire ), in October 1889, a year after their father emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Baltimore , Maryland . As in many other immigrant families, the elder Wonsal children gradually acquired anglicized versions of their Yiddish -sounding names: Szmuel Wonsal became Samuel Warner (nicknamed "Sam"), Hirsz Wonsal became Harry Warner, and Aaron Wonsal (although born with a given name common in
3626-818: The Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game . In 1948, Bette Davis, still their top actress and now hostile to Jack, was a big problem for Harry after she and others left the studio after completing the film Beyond the Forest . Warner was a party to the United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. antitrust case of the 1940s. This action, brought by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission , claimed
3724-480: The box office and the studio's net loss increased. During this time, Harry and six other movie studio figures were indicted for conspiracy to violate the Sherman Antitrust Act , through an attempt to gain a monopoly over St Louis movie theaters. In 1935, Harry was put on trial; after a mistrial, Harry sold the company's movie theaters and the case was never reopened. 1935 also saw the studio make
3822-464: The 1920s gave way to 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 indecency (around 1934). As a result, Warner Bros. turned to historical pictures from around 1935 to avoid confrontations with
3920-706: The Americas) became Albert Warner. Jack, the youngest brother, was born in London, Ontario , during the family's two-year residency in Canada. The three elder brothers began in the movie theater business, having acquired a movie projector with which they showed films in the mining towns of Pennsylvania and Ohio . In the beginning, Sam and Albert Warner invested $ 150 to present Life of an American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery . They opened their first theater,
4018-551: The B's". Foy was able to garnish arguably more profits than any other B-film producer at the time. During Foy's time at the studio, however, Warner fired him seven different times. During 1936, The Story of Louis Pasteur proved a box office success and star Paul Muni won the Oscar for Best Actor in March 1937. The studio's 1937 film The Life of Emile Zola gave the studio the first of its seven Best Picture Oscars . In 1937,
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4116-520: The Breen office. In 1936, following the success of The Petrified Forest , Jack signed Humphrey Bogart to a studio contract. Warner, however, did not think Bogart was star material, and cast Bogart in infrequent roles as a villain opposite either James Cagney or Edward Robinson over the next five years. After Hal B. Wallis succeeded Zanuck in 1933, and the Hays Code began to be enforced in 1935,
4214-591: The Dark . Polyester was one of the first films to introduce a novelty cinema experience named Odorama , where members of the audience were provided with a set of "scratch and sniff" cards to be scratched and sniffed at specific times during the film, which provided an additional sensory connection to the viewed image. In 1983, Lynne joined the board. In 1984, Dawn Altyn and Jeff Youngs joined New Line Cinema, respectively as sales manager, eastern and southern divisions of New Line Distribution, and national print controller of
4312-759: The Flame (1930), Song of the West (1930), The Life of the Party (1930), Sweet Kitty Bellairs (1930), Under a Texas Moon (1930), Bride of the Regiment (1930), Viennese Nights (1931), Woman Hungry (1931), Kiss Me Again (1931), 50 Million Frenchmen (1931) and Manhattan Parade (1932). In addition to these, scores of features were released with Technicolor sequences, as well as numerous Technicolor Specials short subjects . The majority of these color films were musicals. In 1929, Warner Bros. bought
4410-473: The Higgins family. When Jimmy's manager, Blinky Harris, wants in on the action, the boys tell him to take a hike, since they consider it his fault that Jimmy died. What the boys don't know, is that Harris had fixed the fight against Prince, but Jimmy didn't go along with the plan. Johnny's first fight is announced, and the training starts in a loft locality the boys get to borrow from their friend Louie who owns
4508-574: The Rings: The Return of the King (2003) winning a (joint) record eleven, including Best Picture , as well as being the second highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release. Despite the success of The Lord of the Rings films, Town and Country (2001) generated a loss of $ 100 million and De Luca left as production head to be replaced by Toby Emmerich . In 2001, Shaye and Lynne became co-chairmen and co-CEO. The studio
4606-687: The St. Louis-based theater chain Skouras Brothers Enterprises . Following this takeover, Spyros Skouras , the driving force of the chain, became general manager of the Warner Brothers Theater Circuit in America. He worked successfully in that post for two years and turned its losses into profits. Harry produced an adaptation of a Cole Porter musical titled Fifty Million Frenchmen . Through First National,
4704-526: The beginning of every showing of Don Juan across the country) in 1926. Many film production companies questioned the necessity. Don Juan did not recoup its production cost and Lubitsch left for MGM. By April 1927, the Big Five studios (First National, Paramount, MGM, Universal Pictures , and Producers Distributing) had ruined Warners, and Western Electric renewed Warner's Vitaphone contract with terms that allowed other film companies to test sound. As
4802-420: The beginning of the Great Depression. In July 1930, the studio's banker, Motley Flint, was murdered by a disgruntled investor in another company. Harry acquired a string of music publishers (including M. Witmark & Sons , Remick Music Corp. , and T.B. Harms, Inc. ) to form Warner Bros. Music. In April 1930, Warner Bros. acquired Brunswick Records . Harry obtained radio companies, foreign sound patents and
4900-401: The brothers acquired the studio in 1928. Thanks to the success of The Jazz Singer , the studio was cash-rich. Jolson's next film for the company, The Singing Fool was also a success. With the success of these first talkies ( The Jazz Singer , Lights of New York , The Singing Fool and The Terror ), Warner Bros. became a top studio and the brothers were now able to move out from
4998-604: The character as the studio's first animated star. In addition to Porky, Daffy Duck (who debuted in 1937's Porky's Duck Hunt ), Elmer Fudd ( Elmer's Candid Camera , 1940), Bugs Bunny ( A Wild Hare , 1940), and Tweety ( A Tale of Two Kitties , 1942) would achieve star power. By 1942, the Schlesinger studio had surpassed Walt Disney Studios as the most successful producer of animated shorts. Warner Bros. bought Schlesinger's cartoon unit in 1944 and renamed it Warner Bros. Cartoons . However, senior management treated
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#17327909692275096-516: The company that first distributed the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , lost the rights to that film, and the rights reverted to the original owners. New Line Cinema bought the rights and re-released the film to theatres that same year. It became very successful for the studio. New Line Cinema expanded its film production in the early 1980s, producing or co-producing films including Polyester , directed by John Waters , and Alone in
5194-422: The company's early successes was its distribution of the 1936 anti-cannabis propaganda film Reefer Madness , which became a cult hit on American college campuses in the early 1970s. New Line also released many classic foreign-language films, like Stay As You Are , Immoral Tales and Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (which became the first New Line film to win an Oscar ). The studio has also released many of
5292-528: The company's remaining one-third share from Fox. The Justice Department agreed to allow the purchase if First National was maintained as a separate company. 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. Though the companies merged, the Justice Department required Warner to release
5390-582: The company. On May 8, 2008, it was announced that Picturehouse would shut down in the fall. Berney later bought the Picturehouse trademarks from Warner Bros. and relaunched the company in 2013. New Line Cinema moved from its long-time headquarters on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles in June 2014 to Warner Bros.' lot Building 76, formerly used by Legendary Entertainment , a former Warner Bros. film co-financier. The last film released by New Line Cinema as
5488-500: The creation of an international distribution arm. The third film in the series, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors , was released in 1987, the studio's first national release, and opened at number one, grossing $ 8.9 million for the weekend, a record for an independent film at the time, and went on to gross almost $ 45 million at the US box office. A further six films have been made. The first six grossed $ 500 million worldwide and
5586-698: The feature Don Juan starring John Barrymore . The film was silent, but it featured a large number of Vitaphone shorts at the beginning. To hype Don Juan ' s release, Harry acquired the large Piccadilly Theater in Manhattan , New York City , and renamed it Warners' Theatre. Don Juan premiered at the Warners' Theatre in New York on August 6, 1926. Throughout the early history of film distribution, theater owners hired orchestras to attend film showings, where they provided soundtracks . Through Vitaphone, Warner Bros. produced eight shorts (which were played at
5684-470: The films of John Waters . In 1976, New Line Cinema secured funding to produce its first full-length feature, Stunts (1977), directed by Mark L. Lester . Although not considered a critical success, the film performed well commercially on the international market and on television. In 1980, Shaye's law school classmate Michael Lynne became outside counsel and adviser to the company and renegotiated its debt. In 1983, Bryanston Distributing Company ,
5782-667: The film—sued the studio for displaying "vicious, untrue and false attacks" against him in the film. After appearing in the Warner's film The Man Who Played God , Bette Davis became a top star. In 1933, relief for the studio came after Franklin D. Roosevelt became president and began the New Deal . This economic rebound allowed Warner Bros. to again become profitable. The same year, Zanuck quit. Harry Warner's relationship with Zanuck had become strained after Harry strongly opposed allowing Zanuck's film Baby Face to step outside Hays Code boundaries. The studio reduced his salary as
5880-476: The first Looney Tunes cartoon, Sinkin' in the Bathtub , and created a sister series, Merrie Melodies , in 1931. Harman and Ising broke away from Schlesinger in 1933 due to a contractual dispute, taking Bosko with them to MGM. As a result, Schlesinger started his own studio, Leon Schlesinger Productions , which continued with Merrie Melodies while starting production on Looney Tunes starring Buddy ,
5978-453: The five integrated studio-theater chain combinations restrained competition. The 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 the exhibition. In 1949, the studio's net profit was only $ 10 million (equivalent to $ 128.06 million in 2023). Warner Bros. had two semi-independent production companies that released films through
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#17327909692276076-455: The governments of England and the United States. By the middle of 1943, however, audiences had tired of war films, but Warner continued to produce them, losing money. In honor of the studio's contributions to the cause, the Navy named a Liberty ship after the brothers' father, Benjamin Warner. Harry christened the ship. By the time the war ended, $ 20 million in war bonds were purchased through
6174-429: The manager of First National Pictures. In 1928, Warner Bros. released 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 exclusively making sound films. In 1929, First National Pictures released their first film with Warner Bros., Noah's Ark . Despite its expensive budget, Noah's Ark
6272-439: The next three $ 250 million, for a total of $ 750 million. In 1990, Lynne became president and chief operating officer, with Shaye as chairman and chief executive officer. The same year, New Line Cinema released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which became the highest-grossing independent film of all-time with a gross of $ 135 million in the United States and Canada, until it was surpassed by The Blair Witch Project (1999). It
6370-426: The premiere. Jack became sole head of production. Sam's death also had a great effect on Jack's emotional state, as Sam was arguably Jack's inspiration and favorite brother. In the years to come, Jack kept the studio under tight control. Firing employees was common. Among those whom Jack fired were Rin Tin Tin (in 1929) and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (in 1933), the latter having served as First National's top star since
6468-662: The production unit. On January 28, 1994, New Line Cinema was acquired by the Turner Broadcasting System for $ 500 million, which later merged with Time Warner Entertainment in 1996. New Line Cinema was kept as its own separate entity, while fellow Turner-owned studios Hanna-Barbera Productions and Castle Rock Entertainment eventually became units of Warner Bros. During its time as an entity separate from Warner Bros., New Line Cinema continued to operate several divisions, including theatrical distribution, marketing and home video. The company's fortunes took
6566-555: The revival was affected by Berkeley's arrest for killing three people while driving drunk. By the end of the year, people again tired of Warner Bros. musicals, and the studio — after the huge profits made by 1935 film Captain Blood — shifted its focus to Errol Flynn swashbucklers . With the collapse of the market for musicals, Warner Bros., under Zanuck, turned to more socially realistic storylines. Because of its many films about gangsters, Warner Bros. soon became known as
6664-576: The studio hired Midwestern radio announcer Ronald Reagan , who would eventually become the President of the United States . Although Reagan was initially a B-film actor, Warner Bros. was impressed by his performance in the final scene of Knute Rockne, All American , and agreed to pair him with Flynn in Santa Fe Trail (1940). Reagan then returned to B-films. After his performance in the studio's 1942 Kings Row , Warner decided to make Reagan
6762-411: The studio reported a net loss of $ 333,413. After a long period denying Sam's request for sound, Harry agreed to change, as long as the studio's use of synchronized sound was for background music purposes only. The Warners signed a contract with the sound engineer company Western Electric and established Vitaphone . In 1926, Vitaphone began making films with music and effects tracks, most notably, in
6860-467: The studio since 1935. The court ruled in de Havilland's favor and she left the studio in favor of RKO Radio Pictures, and, eventually, Paramount. Through de Havilland's victory, many of the studio's longtime actors were now freed from their contracts, and Harry decided to terminate the studio's suspension policy. The same year, Jack signed newly released MGM actress Joan Crawford , a former top star who found her career fading. Crawford's first role with
6958-587: The studio was 1944's Hollywood Canteen . Her first starring role at the studio, in the title role as Mildred Pierce (1945), revived her career and earned her an Oscar for Best Actress. In the post-war years, Warner Bros. prospered greatly and continued to create new stars, including Lauren Bacall and Doris Day . By 1946, company payroll reached $ 600,000 a week and net profit topped $ 19.4 million (equivalent to $ 303.1 million in 2023). Jack Warner continued to refuse to meet Screen Actors Guild salary demands. In September 1946, employees engaged in
7056-399: The studio was forced to abandon this realistic approach in order to produce more moralistic, idealized pictures. The studio's historical dramas, melodramas (or "women's pictures"), swashbucklers, and adaptations of best-sellers, with stars like Bette Davis , Olivia de Havilland , Paul Muni , and Errol Flynn , avoided the censors. In 1936, Bette Davis, by now arguably the studio's top star,
7154-585: The studio's first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture and their second film to win an Academy Award with Geoffrey Rush 's win for Academy Award for Best Actor . In May 1991, New Line Cinema purchased the home video and foreign rights to 600 films held by Sultan Entertainment Holdings (a.k.a. Nelson Entertainment ). The deal also included an 11-film distribution deal with Castle Rock Entertainment . On November 27, 1991, New Line Cinema purchased Sultan outright. In 1992, Michael De Luca became executive vice-president and chief executive officer of
7252-408: The studio's profit increased substantially. After the success of the studio's 1929 First National film Noah's Ark , Harry agreed to make Michael Curtiz a major director at the Burbank studio. Mort Blumenstock, a First National screenwriter, became a top writer at the brothers' New York headquarters. In the third quarter, Warner Bros. gained complete control of First National, when Harry purchased
7350-513: The studio's top gangster stars after appearing in the successful film, which convinced audiences to question the American legal system. By January 1933, the film's protagonist Robert Elliot Burns—still imprisoned in New Jersey—and other chain gang prisoners nationwide appealed and were released. In January 1933, Georgia chain gang warden J. Harold Hardy—who was also made into a character in
7448-1049: The studio, the Red Cross collected 5,200 pints of blood plasma from studio employees and 763 of the studio's employees served in the armed forces, including Harry Warner's son-in-law Milton Sperling and Jack's son Jack Warner Jr. Following a dispute over ownership of Casablanca 's Oscar for Best Picture, Wallis resigned. After Casablanca made Bogart a top star, Bogart's relationship with Jack deteriorated. In 1943, Olivia de Havilland (whom Warner frequently loaned to other studios) sued Warner for breach of contract. De Havilland had refused to portray famed abolitionist Elizabeth Blackwell in an upcoming film for Columbia Pictures . Warner responded by sending 150 telegrams to different film production companies, warning them not to hire her for any role. Afterwards, de Havilland discovered employment contracts in California could only last seven years ; de Havilland had been under contract with
7546-419: The studio, to distribute new projects. A Nightmare on Elm Street was produced and released by New Line Cinema in 1984. The resulting franchise was New Line Cinema's first commercially successful series, leading the company to be nicknamed "The House that Freddy Built". The film was made on a budget of $ 1.8 million and grossed over $ 57 million. A year later, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
7644-442: The studio. One of these was Sperling 's United States Pictures . New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc. , doing business as New Line Cinema , is an American film and television production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Since 2008, it has been operating as a unit of Warner Bros. Pictures . It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming
7742-682: The studio: Doctor X (1932) and Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933). In the latter part of 1931, Harry Warner rented the Teddington Studios in London, England. The studio focused on making " quota quickies " for the domestic British market and Irving Asher was appointed as the studio's head producer. In 1934, Harry officially purchased the Teddington Studios. In February 1933, Warner Bros. produced 42nd Street ,
7840-410: The success of Yankee Doodle Dandy at the box office, Cagney again questioned if the studio would meet his salary demand and again quit to form his own film production and distribution company with Bill. Another employee with whom Warner had troubles was studio producer Bryan Foy . In 1936, Wallis hired Foy as a producer for the studio's low budget B movies leading to his nickname "the keeper of
7938-698: The success of Rin Tin Tin and Lubitsch, Warner's remained a lesser studio. Sam and Jack decided to offer Broadway actor John Barrymore the lead role in Beau Brummel . The film was so successful that Harry signed Barrymore to a long-term contract; like The Marriage Circle , Beau Brummel was named one of the ten best films of the year by the Times . By the end of 1924, Warner Bros. was arguably Hollywood's most successful independent studio, where it competed with "The Big Three" Studios ( First National , Paramount Pictures , and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)). As
8036-459: The third top 1930s gangster actor into the Warners fold, knowing that he could carry any gangster picture when either Robinson or Cagney were on suspension. Raft had difficulty working with Bogart and refused to co-star with him. Eventually, Warner agreed to release Raft from his contract in 1943. After Raft had turned the role down, the studio gave Bogart the role of "Mad Dog" Roy Earle in the 1941 film High Sierra , which helped establish him as
8134-476: The thirties and forties, even though it was clearly the most budget-conscious of them all." — Film historian Andrew Sarris in "You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet.": The American Talking Film History & Memory, 1927–1949 . Another gangster film the studio produced was the critically acclaimed I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang , based on a true story and starring Paul Muni , joining Cagney and Robinson as one of
8232-592: The time of World War I , they had begun producing films; in the early 1920s they acquired their first studio facilities on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Sam and Jack produced the pictures, while Harry and Albert, along with their auditor and now-controller Chase, handled finance and distribution in New York City. During World War I their first nationally syndicated film, My Four Years in Germany , based on
8330-402: The time, Jeffrey Bewkes , announced that New Line Cinema would be shut down as a separately operated studio. Shaye and Lynne said that they would step down with a letter to their employees. They promised, however, along with Time Warner and Jeffery Bewkes, that the company would continue to operate its financing, producing, marketing and distributing operations of its own films, but would do so as
8428-610: The treatment of Hearst's longstanding mistress, actress Marion Davies , who was struggling for box office success. Through his partnership with Hearst, Warner signed Davies to a studio contract. Hearst's company and Davies' films, however, did not increase the studio's profits. In 1934, the studio lost over $ 2.5 million, of which $ 500,000 was the result of a 1934 fire at the Burbank studio, destroying 20 years' worth of early Vitagraph, Warner Bros. and First National films. The following year, Hearst's film adaption of William Shakespeare 's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) failed at
8526-446: The unit with indifference, beginning with the installation as senior producer of Edward Selzer , whom the creative staff considered an interfering incompetent. Jack Warner had little regard for the company's short film product and reputedly was so ignorant about the studio's animation division that he was mistakenly convinced that the unit produced cartoons of Mickey Mouse , the flagship character of Walt Disney Productions . He sold off
8624-464: The unit's pre-August 1948 library for $ 3,000 each, which proved a shortsighted transaction in light of its eventual value. Warner Bros. Cartoons continued, with intermittent interruptions, until 1969 when it was dissolved as the parent company ceased its production of film shorts entirely. Characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety , Sylvester , and Porky Pig became central to the company's image in subsequent decades. Bugs in particular remains
8722-520: The war, eliminating its B Pictures unit in 1941. Bryan Foy joined Twentieth Century Fox. During the war era, the studio made Casablanca ; Now, Voyager ; Yankee Doodle Dandy (all 1942); This Is the Army , and Mission to Moscow (both 1943). The last of these films became controversial a few years afterwards. At the premieres of Yankee Doodle Dandy (in Los Angeles, New York, and London), audiences purchased $ 15.6 million in war bonds for
8820-423: The youngest of the Higgins brothers, as collateral. Harris assures the boys that Boomer will be let out as soon as Johnny has lost the fight. The boys go on a hunt throughout the city to find Boomer. Sach finds Boomer and helps him escape. Boomer arrives to the ring in time for Johnny to know he is safe, and then Johnny doesn't have to lose. Harris cheats by giving Carson a metal stick to hold in his hand, and Johnny
8918-454: Was also a partner in founding a new distribution company named Picturehouse in 2005. Specializing in independent film , Picturehouse was formed by Bob Berney, who left distributor Newmarket Films , New Line Cinema, who folded their Fine Line division into Picturehouse, and HBO Films , a division of HBO and a subsidiary of Time Warner, who was interested in getting into the theatrical film business. On February 28, 2008, Time Warner's CEO at
9016-540: Was followed by a sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) which was the second highest-grossing with a gross of $ 78 million in the United States and Canada. A third, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III followed in 1993. In November 1990, New Line Cinema purchased a 52% stake in the television production company RHI Entertainment (now Halcyon Studios ), which would later be sold to Hallmark Cards in 1994. In early 1991, Fine Line Features
9114-596: Was murdered by the Nazis in Berlin in 1936. Harry produced the successful anti-German film The Life of Emile Zola (1937). After that, Harry supervised the production of more anti-German films, including Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), The Sea Hawk (1940), which made King Philip II an equivalent of Hitler , Sergeant York , and You're In The Army Now (1941). Harry then decided to focus on producing war films. Warners' cut its film production in half during
9212-498: Was profitable. In 1929, Warner Bros. released On with the Show! , the first all-color all-talking feature. This was followed by Gold Diggers of Broadway which would play in theaters until 1939. The success of these pictures caused a color revolution. Warner Bros. color films from 1929 to 1931 included The Show of Shows (1929), Sally (1929), Bright Lights (1930), Golden Dawn (1930), Hold Everything (1930), Song of
9310-560: Was released, and grossed $ 3.3 million in its first three days of release and over $ 30 million at the US box office. In 1986, the company went public, and held 1,613,000 shares of common stock. With the success of the Elm Street franchise, New Line Cinema made moves to expand their business. This included a revamping of their distribution network, the sale of their films into broadcast syndication and pay-TV (via Embassy Communications and Universal Pay Television , respectively), and
9408-417: Was set up as a wholly owned subsidiary headed by Ira Deutchman and released films including Jane Campion 's An Angel at My Table and Gus van Sant 's My Own Private Idaho . Halfway through the year, Carolco Pictures , entered into a joint venture with New Line Cinema to start Seven Arts, a distribution company which primarily released much of Carolco's low-budget output. In 1997, Shine received
9506-466: Was their film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien with considerable commercial success and numerous Academy Awards . New Line Cinema was established in 1967 by the then 27-year-old Robert Shaye as a film distribution company, supplying foreign and art films for college campuses in the United States. Shaye operated New Line Cinema's offices out of his apartment at 14th Street and Second Avenue in New York City. One of
9604-447: Was unhappy with her roles. She traveled to England and tried to break her contract. Davis lost the lawsuit and returned to America. Although many of the studio's employees had problems with Jack Warner, they considered Albert and Harry fair. In the 1930s many actors and actresses who had characterized the realistic pre-Code era, but who were not suited to the new trend into moral and idealized pictures, disappeared. Warner Bros. remained
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