Celebrating the centenary of one of the US’ leading Hollywood Studios, the four part docuseries narrated by Morgan Freeman plots chronologically the genesis of one of the founders of the Golden Age of Cinema.
Informative rather than investigative, there’s little salacious gossip or controversies attached to the Studio itself. From its early years founded by the four Polish Wonsal brothers in 1923 to its many takeovers and mergers in the last 50 years or so, Warner Bros. Studios has remained a force in the presentation of films and support of careers.
Inevitably, the four parter surfs through the company’s history. From the early successes of the films of Rin Tin Tin to the advent of talkies to the purchase of movie houses, under the leadership of the brothers, the Studio built a foundation for success. The release of The Jazz Singer in 1927 signaled the beginning of the era of talking pictures but eldest brother Sam died the night before the premiere. It was youngest brother, the legendary Jack Warner, who rose to prominence within the company and steered the company to its global success.
Talking heads from the likes of Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Baz Luhrmann, Oprah Winfrey, Ke Huay Quan, Alfonso Cuarón and any number of clips from the archives of 100 years of filmmaking provide a wealth of information and insight. Business takeovers, mergers and buyouts over the years are explained. The contract controversies of 1940s between studios and stars are inevitably raised as is Jack Warner’s ‘naming names’ to the HUAC hearings under McCarthy (including Howard Koch, the writer of the company’s Casablanca). All is presented, all quickly moved on as director Leslie Iwerks packs in a fascinating if unchallenging mass of information.
Rating: 69%
Director: Leslie Iwerks (The Pixar Story, Citizen Hearst)
An Opinion or Two 