Warner Bros: The Making of an American Movie Studio

by David Thomson

Behind the scenes at the legendary Warner Brothers film studio, where four immigrant brothers transformed themselves into the moguls and masters of American fantasy

Warner Bros charts the rise of an unpromising film studio from its shaky beginnings in the early twentieth century through its ascent to the pinnacle of Hollywood influence and popularity. The Warner Brothers—Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack—arrived in America as unschooled Jewish immigrants, yet they founded a studio that became the smartest, toughest, and most radical in all of Hollywood.
 
David Thomson provides fascinating and original interpretations of Warner Brothers pictures from the pioneering talkie The Jazz Singer through black-and-white musicals, gangster movies, and such dramatic romances as Casablanca , East of Eden , and Bonnie and Clyde . He recounts the storied exploits of the studio’s larger-than-life stars, among them Al Jolson, James Cagney, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Humphrey Bogart, James Dean, Doris Day, and Bugs Bunny. The Warner brothers’ cultural impact was so profound, Thomson writes, that their studio became “one of the enterprises that helped us see there might be an American dream out there.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, History, Biography, Business, Media Tie In, Audiobook

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

David Thomson, renowned as one of the great living authorities on the movies, is the author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, now in its fifth edition. His books include a biography of Nicole Kidman and The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood. Thomson is also the author of the acclaimed "Have You Seen . . . ?": A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films. Born in London in 1941, he now lives in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted this to be something it was not. It's not a linear narrative on the history of a studio but rather a series of critical essays. Worth knowing this before diving in. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Bette Davis.

My full review here: http://www.outofthepastblog.com/2017/...

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of the book and the cover photograph of the four Warner brothers is misleading, as this is not a history of Warner Bros. Instead, it’s a movie critic’s reprise of the movies produced by Warners over the years and gossip and opinion about the actors and directors involved in them.

Many movie buffs may enjoy this series of film riffs, as at points author David Thomson has witty observations. For example, referring to Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep, he writes, “It does not matter whether Bogart and Bacall were happy together in life (I hope they had their moments), because they have 114 minutes of splendor in the film.” But I was suspicious that these might have been retreads of columns he has written over the years, and they certainly don’t constitute a book with well organized themes.

The book glosses over the four brothers who, with the exception of Jack, the author seems to find boring. Harry, an older brother, is mentioned mainly as a foil in terms of personality to Jack and at the end of the book there is a description of how Jack shortchanged Harry when the studio was sold. The falling out between the brothers was complete.

Thomson observes, “I doubt the editors of this series [entitled Jewish Lives] would proceed to print a full account of what might be plain or empty lives.” This was written in reference to the ancestors of the four brothers, but reveals the author’s own lack of interest in the principals of the studio themselves. Early chapters touch upon how the family, initially through Sam Warner obtaining an Edison projector, seized on movies only after attempting other business ventures in Baltimore, Canada, Pittsburgh, and Youngstown. But then the brothers are virtually forgotten until the final chapter of the book dealing with Jack’s betrayal of brother Harry.

Some of the financial ups and downs of the studio are briefly referenced without elaboration beyond stating that the early years were touch and go. Thomson seems to have no interest in the business side of Warner Bros or, more surprisingly, of exploring in depth how this studio in the 1930s became “the most socially conscious or leftist studio outside the Soviet Union” with films such as Heroes for Sale, Angels with Dirty Faces, I am a Fugitive from the Chain Gang, and They Drive by Night.

Consequently, as other reviewers have observed, the author’s narrative can be rambling and disjointed. We get summaries and assessments of the many films made by Warner Bros, along with tidbits about stars such as Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Jimmy Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart. Director Michael Curtiz is greatly admired by Thomson. But there is no well organized analysis of the creative uniqueness of Warner Bros.

This a quick and undemanding read, and many readers will enjoy Thomson’s take on specific movies or on personalities such as Bette Davis, Jimmy Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Joan Crawford. However someone else will have to write a definitive book on “The Making of an American Movie Studio.”

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is too scattered as others have said. Is it a biography? Is it a history of movie making? Is it a series of movie reviews? I lost patience waiting to get to the parts about the brothers.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomson writes about the four Warner brothers that built a film studio, the stars they hired and some of the famous films they made. I really enjoyed this book. There are other longer books about them but if you want a book that just gives the basics, some interesting facts and what happened to the brothers this is the one for you!

[Cathy Biggers · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book may have more impact to someone growing up in the 20's and 30's but I found it difficult to get through. While I know Hollywood is VERY Democratic in its politics, it was still very revealing to see the author include Donald Trump's name negatively throughout several chapters in this book. Not sure what that has to do with the Warner Brothers story - but it still seemed rather far afield. There was definitely family history here, but other than detailing many of the Warner Brothers big hits, it seemed dull and lackluster to me.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can only imagine what it must be like to have David Thomson's mind. He seems to have possibly every movie ever made, or close enough, filed in there somewhere. So when he talks about an early Warners movie, My Four Years in Germany, said to have defined the studio's identity, he then ties its tone to Sergeant York and The Green Berets and the entire corpus of Warners war films for the next half-century, or only those Warners war films that fit the bill. He's encyclopedic on gangster films and musicals and Rin Tin Tin. You leave this, or I do, at least, with a list of 30-40 movies I saw once and kind of remember, or have always meant to see, or sort of heard of, or on occasion have never heard of before.

Is it a coherent "Jewish lives" book in a series generally much more direct in its address of this subject? Not on your life, and for most of its length barely at all--we essentially get some theorization about the Jewishness of movies, and of brothers, and of this company run by Jewish movie-making brothers, at the start and end...but you don't go to David Thomson for a straightforward chronology and history. You go to him for the endless depths of reference, for the aphorisms, for the poetic compression of his takes. If that's what you're looking for, this is a great place to start.

[Jeri · Rating 3 out of 5]

As others have pointed out, the book (which clocks in at a mere 180 pages of text), is an odd amalgam of biography, film history and Hollywood gossip. Rather than a linear narrative, the chapters each center around a key WB film and its impact on the studio and major stars. A bit disjointed to read, and I wanted more about the brothers themselves, but Thomson's style is always engaging and if the book doesn't actually make it to a four in my über-subjective and ever-changing ratings system, it's definitely more than a three.

Alas, the vagaries of Goodreads allow for no such nuance.

Addendum: Plus, seriously, only 4-5 photos in the entire book? Obviously, a cost-saving measure. But come on...

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this a biography of four brothers (this is the Jewish lives series), the story of a great movie studio, or a work of film criticism that helps us understand what has defined the Warner brand throughout the years? David Thomson can't really make up his mind, and I guess that's why I liked this book so much. Thomson just writes about whatever he finds interesting and hopes we will too.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting approach to biography writing. The author tells the story of the Warner Brothers through the themes in the movies produced by their studio - sibling rivalry through East of Eden, Jack Warner's business dealings through gangster movies, the Second World War though Casablanca etc. The cartoons receive only a "passing nod." Unfortunately, this approach leaves out a lot of biographical detail. For example, the brothers' three surviving sisters are introduced in a single sentence, dismissed as unimportant and then never mentioned again. An interesting book but light on biographical detail.

[J.J. Lair · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the first few pages I learned a lot about the Warner Brothers themselves. The youth, parents and first productions. The book goes into the stars of the studio. There are specifics but not many. I don’t know why John Wayne avoided Jack Warner. The Jimmy Cagney issues come up. I didn’t know Bette Davis had some fights with the Warners. Bugs Bunny gets a few pages.

[GlenK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather than a history of the four brothers Warner and the film studio bearing their name, this slim volume reads more like a valentine to a time (the 1930’s and 1940’s) and a place. It is quite entertaining and a quick read and is highly recommended.

[Jana McBeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as I knew nothing about the start of Warner Bros. I thought it had a lot of really interesting facts and was very worth reading.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomson is always interesting and has a lot of backstory here on the beginnings of the Warner Brothers studio. Interesting for anyone looking for Hollywood history.

[Martin Kilkenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

As both a movie fanatic and Burbank resident, I found this deep dive into the origins, beginnings and growing pains of Warner Bros., that "studio down the street and around the corner," to be absolutely fascinating, sweet catnip for someone like me. I went into this knowing nothing about the brothers behind the logo. I had no idea there were four of them, and that three of the four were born in Poland while the youngest, Jack, was Canadian born. David Thomson is a film critic and scholar whom I've been reading for a couple decades now, and his breezy, fun, self-effacing style matches perfectly with the spirit of the times about which he's writing. Reading this origin story, you feel like you get to know not just Jack, and oldest brother Harry a little, but also the stars who helped make the studio, and who were in turn made by it: Al Jolson, Jimmy Cagney, Joan Blondell, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, just to name a few. All feature prominently as protagonists of their own stories whose narrative arcs intersect with that of the studio. And don't forget directors and producers, the folks who make things happen, like pre-20th Century Fox Daryl Zanuck, Hal Wallis, the do-no-wrong Michael Curtiz, Mervyn LeRoy. In just under 200 pages David Thomson tells an epic sweep about a studio that finds itself and achieves phenomenal success in spite of so many things that could have gone wrong, and with no shortage of headstrong personalities and secret agendas to reckon with.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I was not a fan of Warner Bros: The Making of an American Movie Studio by David Thomson. First, Thomson did not introduce any of the brothers individually; he just jumped right in with talking about the studio. Second, he had to list everyone's ethnicity or nationality before saying anything else about them. Third, he spoiled the entire plot of movies (with no warning) that I had planned on seeing someday. Fourth, he did not go in chronological order - he jumped around from decade to decade and film to film. Fifth, there were no pictures. Sixth, sometimes it was hard to determine if the information was about the actor personally or the role that they played in a movie. I did like that it had some interesting anecdotes about the golden age of Hollywood and the beginnings of the film industry itself (I just wish they had been told in order!) This would be a good book for people interested in Jewish moguls and Hollywood - it turns out it's a part of a series called Jewish Lives, and Thomson went into major detail about the influence that Jewish people had on the early days of film.

[Danny Marcalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book on Warner Bros, which I have read and for the second time not exactly what I wish a book on that famous studio would be.

It's less a history/biography of the studio, than a collection of different aspects of the studio, which themes, which stars, sorted in chronoliThis is the second book on Warner Bros, which I have read and for the second time not exactly what I wish a book on that famous studio would be.

It's less a history/biography of the studio, than a collection of different aspects of the studio, which themes, which stars, sorted in chronological order. Some of them are good, others not as interesting.

I also think it lacks focus. Sometimes it is about the jewishness of the studio, sometimes it's about the treatment of it's staff.

I have yet to read a great book on Warner Bros. However, I had some fun reading this.

3,5/5

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although I was very interested in reading this book, as some of my favorite films/actors worked for the Warner Bros., I just could not read this book!

I barely finished reading the "Introduction," and only because I started to skim the pages; then, I started to skim the pages of the first chapter and finally gave up.

What could have been a very interesting story was completely ruined by the author's boring style of writing. He also must have had the option to include many more pictures of the actors than the very few he elected to publish.

What a disappointment!

[Aaron Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not quite what it says on the box, but it uses the concept of a family/studio biography as a chance to riff on families, studios, "the pictures," movie stars, movie stars who also happened to be actors, the messiness of collaboration, and the glorious messiness of the world that all these things try to distract us from. Thomson is a great movie fan, with a cheerful insolence about the thing he loves most. Reading this book was like having many stiff drinks with a smart, garrulous friend who knows a lot about a lot. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Ginny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought based on NYT book review - which is hit and miss. This one was a miss. Some of the stories on Boggie and Bette were good. But too quick. And you didn’t even get to see a biography of the WARNER Bros. It was like someone said do a short summary of everything - which is what this was. Not a good read.

[Kristopher Pistole · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a general overall summation of the Warner Bros history that felt kind of disjointed rather than a specific detailed biography of the brothers proper. Also David Thomson is great i'm sure, but really wish someone else had read this. His tone is slow and dry throated and you can hear him turn pages which is distracting.

[Aiman Adlawan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting to know how these brothers built a great company. They were from polish decent and immigrated to united state. They did not have formal education and at some point they were fostered by their aunties. It was a easy read. The book was focused more on how the brand was made as the title says. 180 pages should not be enough for this story. There were so many characters.

[Jack Laschenski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really a biography.

It is a psychiatric examination of the Warner movies from 1920 to 1954b by a film critic.

Did the movies shape the American phyche or vice-versa.

Why do we love gangster movies???

[Barbara Phillips-Farley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The latest book in the Jewish Lives series, this short book skims through many years and many careers. At times the author waxes poetic, and at times he makes claims that seem somewhat outlandish. However, I did enjoy it. I wished for more photos.

[Nick Sanders · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped reading halfway through. More a literary experiment than a history of a studio, or the biography of four brothers starting a breakthrough film studio. I'm curious to know more about Hollywood, or movie moguls, or both. But this book isn't that.

[Michele Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating take on the Warner Bros studio, focussing on the key films it made over the years. Thomson’s discussion on these films and their stars was a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood “biographies”. I really enjoyed this book.

[Mike Barat · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest I stopped reading this book very early on. I didn't read enough of this book to know if this was good or bad. I stopped very early on because something about the pace of this book bothered me to the point where I just could no longer read this book.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Thompson is always fun to read. Thanks to the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto for carrying this special edition, and thanks to my wonderful partner for buying it for me!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A stimulating history of Warner Bros as a studio during the Golden Era, but not so great as a biography of the Warners themselves.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primarily a survey of the important stars and films of the Jack Warner era. Thomson has trod this ground before in various books but he is always a pleasure to read.