Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood

Season 1 Episode 3: The Dream Merchants (1920-1928)

The Hollywood studio system flowered in the 1920s, headed by strong-willed leaders -- most of them immigrants and small-time entrepreneurs and many of them Jewish. Each studio had its own house style. MGM, headed by Russian-born Louis B. Mayer with Irving Thalberg as his "boy wonder" production head, was super-glossy. Warner Bros., eventually to be led by brother Jack, provided grit, while Paramount, headed by Hungarian-born Adolph Zukor, lent glamour. Laemmle's Universal Pictures produced lavish spectacles and a series of fantastic dramas starring Lon Chaney. The movies' influence grew more powerful, affecting real life in terms of fashion, attitudes and behavior.

Genre:

Documentary

Seasons:

1

Episodes:

7

Cast:

Christopher Plummer, Paul Israel, Terry Borton

Quality:

HD

Duration:

60 min

First Air:

2010

Rating:

5.4