A History of the Hal Roach Studios

by Richard Lewis Ward

Once labeled the “lot that laugher built,” the Hal Roach Studios launched the comedic careers of such screen icons as Harold Lloyd, Our Gang, and Laurel and Hardy. With this stable of stars, the Roach enterprise operated for forty-six years on the fringes of the Hollywood studio system during a golden age of cinema and gained notoriety as a producer of short comedies, independent features, and weekly television series. Many of its productions are better remembered today than those by its larger contemporaries. In A History of the Hal Roach Studios, Richard Lewis Ward meticulously follows the timeline of the company’s existence from its humble inception in 1914 to its close in 1960 and, through both its obscure and famous productions, traces its resilience to larger trends in the entertainment business.


In the first few decades of the twentieth century, the motion picture industry was controlled by an elite handful of powerful firms that allowed very little room for new competition outside of their established cartel. The few independents that garnered some measure of success despite their outsider status usually did so by specializing in underserved or ignored niche markets. Here, Ward chronicles how the Roach Studios, at the mercy of exclusive distribution practices, managed to repeatedly redefine itself in order to survive for nearly a half-century in a cutthroat environment.


Hal Roach’s tactic was to nurture talent rather than exhaust it, and his star players spent the prime of their careers shooting productions on his lot. Even during periods of decline or misdirection, the Roach Studios turned out genuinely original material, such as the screwball classic Topper (1937), the brutally frank Of Mice and Men (1940), and the silent experiment One Million B.C. (1940). Ward’s exploration yields insight into the production and marketing strategies of an organization on the periphery of the theatrical film industry and calls attention to the interconnected nature of the studio system during the classic era. The volume also looks to the early days of television when the prolific Roach Studios embraced the new medium to become, for a time, the premier telefilm producer.


Aided by a comprehensive filmography and twenty-seven illustrations, A History of the Hal Roach Studios recounts an overlooked chapter in American cinema, not only detailing the business operations of Roach’s productions but also exposing the intricate workings of Hollywood’s rivalrous moviemaking establishment.

Genres: Media Tie In, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 2005

Reviews

[John Mullarkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A History of Hal Roach Studios - is exactly what the title states. It is a very - VERY detailed and incredibly researched breakdown of the history of the studio and it's progression throughout the 20th Century. As a huge lifelong fan of Our Gang and Laurel and Hardy (and in recent years Charley Chase) I was interested if finding out details of the creative processes, writing, filming, and the personalities of the names -both behind the cameras and in front. There have been many books written about Laurel and Hardy - The William K. Everson classic comes to mind; and Leonard Maltin's great, classic history of the Little Rascals also come to mind. This book really does not have too much in common with either of those books. It is, however, a thorough, factual history of Roach's business of running a studio - from the early silent days right up to the point where the studio changed it's business model to suit syndication and most importantly, television. In between what stood out to me was the financial difficulties that Roach's studio faced to adapt from making shorts to making features - which in most cases was a failure (with the exception of the "Topper" series and perhaps, "Of Mice and Men". Roach always seemed to be a few steps behind the major studios and unable to keep up. The war years are covered as a point where the studio was "saved" being leased by government to churn out military training films. Another interesting facet of this books is the in-depth "lesson" the reader learns about how film distribution in the 20's and 30's worked - it is a complicated process! - fans of Laurel and Hardy of course might note that many prints of the shorts will have the MGM lion opening the credits as MGM was the key distributer for Roach (later it would be United Artists which proved to be a unsuccessful). About a third of the text is made up of a ton of notes and an appendix that lists films made at Roach's studios every year; there is also a rundown of how much each film cost, and if it made money or not! Wow! If you are interested in the fiscal operations of a movie studio, during Hollywood's "Golden Age" and more, this is a perfect volume for you.

[Trav S.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give it a high rating for what it is -- a very dry factual book about the BUSINESS end of the Hal Roach studios. It conveys little sense of the comedians or their films except in a sketchy way. Strictly for scholars or extremely hardcore fans. It certainly conveys important information not found elsewhere -- lots of primary research from company documents etc

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fluid, ultra-detailed exploration of the business end of movie making from its earliest days through the television era, all from the perspective of the Roach Studio, the ultimate second-tier production facility.

Don’t expect a glamorous Hollywood insider collection of celebrity gossip and behind-the-scenes making-of stories. This is a deep dive into the financial challenges that roach faced virtually every day if his life trying to keep his studio afloat, with voluminous facts about contract negotiations, distribution disputes and moviegoer responses.

Well written and interesting, but hardly a glitzy and fun success story, just the facts.

[John Raspanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I learned a lot about Hal Roach Jr - who has been maligned for years. The author gives him his due here.