Assignment Task:
Let's look at what some people consider to be the Golden Era of Hollywood, those years from 1929 - 1945. This was an era where the studio system was at its most stable. This is remarkable given that there were challenges of the Great Depression, the coming of sound and World War 2.
Film is a Business:
Let's take a look at another important aspect of film history -- the business of film, esp. the birth, development and evolution of the studio system. One of the things that stimulated the growth and expansion of cinema was how it created an institution about itself. Emerging at the time of laze-fair capitalism's boom, the studio system was the way in which production/distribution/exhibition were harnessed and controlled for maximization of profit. The studio/business system in "Hollywood" seemed to be cyclical -- moving back and forth between stability and instability, and a struggle between the few who want to control the many. Likewise, there were practices developed that enhanced and solidified studio control over the industry - like block booking and blind bidding.
What elements in business practice (1908 - 1945) do you think best allowed the studio system to prosper and remain stable? Who was instrumental in the major studios rise to power?