Research Paper

The Warner Brothers

Imagine waking up bored on a Saturday morning because there’s nothing to do or watch for your entertainment. Well thanks to the work of the Warner Brothers that wouldn't have to happen. Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack Warner first started their journey in film production with a store they rented in Pennsylvania during 1903. Many years later they had their company incorporated in the year of 1923 with already having made films it was a bigger and better experience for them. Two years after the company was incorporated, they bought a company that would make their films ¨First of its kind¨. They purchased the Vitagraph company which had an invention that could add sound to moving pictures. Their first film ¨The Jazz Singer¨ using the Vitagraph was a hit in the film industry, especially since it was the debut of a film with moving pictures, releasing sound. Along the way they've made hit animated series and films that many may have seen and their company continues to add onto their success being a top film production company one film at a time (Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack Warner).

Early Life and Childhood

Born in separate years, 1881-1892 in Krasnosielc Poland and London, Canada the four Warner brothers Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack were the sons of Benjamin and Pearl Leah Eichelbaum. They had four other siblings (Harry Warner Biography, Life, Interesting Facts). Their parents were Polish Jews and their father Benjamin had a job as a shoemaker. Being a Jewish Immigrant Family, the four brothers had anglicized names that sounded like their Yiddish ones (Sam Warner). Their father had been to America twelve years before he took the rest of the family to live there (Warner Brothers). Though they had to move to different places from time to time, so that their parents could have more job opportunities. They lived most of their time in Baltimore after getting there from Germany on a steamship, then left to Canada for two years. Which came back to Baltimore, then eventually to Ohio, the place where the four brothers attended Rayen High School whereas Albert stayed in school the longest there eventually dropping out. Their time in Ohio was also spent helping their family by working in their fathers shoe repair and meat business which was their source of income while living there. Which also had been where two of the brothers Albert and Harry opened a bicycle shop and eventually tried to open a bowling alley that ended up unsuccessful (Albert Warner).

Beginnings

At the start of their careers they had been renting a store in New Castle, Pennsylvania in the year of 1903 after Sam purchased the brothers a Kinetoscope to show films at carnivals. Continuing to do so until they had enough to buy the store in Pennsylvania (Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack Warner, Sam Warner). During the time they had first started screening films in their store, the price of doing so was starting to rise. Which was what made the brothers want to start exploring movie production. The work they put into their movies paid off, when one of their films was a great success, that gave them a good push to start off their careers in the industry (Harry Warner Biography, Life, Interesting Facts). When the time came that the four brothers were all working at the company together, Jack had been the one of the brothers who was already working there. Which were his contributions that helped shape the business's future. Later on he had gotten Harry and Albert to help him with work for their business (Jack L Warner Biography). Near the time of the 1960’s the brothers had to expand to television to hold onto their spot as one of the top film producing companies. In response to losing a 13-year suit from the U.S government (Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack Warner).

Accomplishments

During the year of 1925 Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack bought the Vitagraph company which was a beneficial investment for them. This investment was a part of making one of the films that played a bigger part in their success,¨The Jazz Singer¨ that was released in 1927. Which was made using the machine from the company they bought the Vitagraph, that added sound to the moving film. Making it a groundbreaking release in the movie industry back then, due to being the first movie with moving pictures that talked (Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack Warner). Before the brothers found that Vitagraph could sync sound with moving pictures. They had planned to make ¨The Jazz Singer¨ silent with a musical score. Although many other film companies decided to all share a sound system. While the Warners invested in the Vitaphone to add to their films, which ended up paying off (How the Warner Brothers ended up establishing the sound for the film industry). After its hit release, made the four brothers' work and presence known in the filmmaking industry. Some of the brothers' other accomplishments included making their film “My Four Years in Germany” which profits from it went towards buying a studio to produce more films. A couple years after ¨The Jazz Singer¨s release they acquired the Stanley Company of America, which had control of 250 cinemas in America. Which was a great opportunity for them to release more of their films that they had made and were continuing to create, while on the journey to release more hit films and become a bigger company in the film industry (Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack Warner). While also having made the first moving film with sound “The Jazz Singer” and having 70,500+ different shows and series in their library including: Television series, films and animated titles (Warner Bros.). Though, through all the brothers’ successes they had gone through an experience losing a 13-year suit from the U.S government, leaving them no choice but to expand their entertainment onto television to keep their business and careers in film production alive (Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack Warner).

Impact on the World

The Warner Brothers made a positive impact on people of the world. All of the

entertainment that they've made including films, shows and cartoons. Had inspired many people of the world with joy and determination in their bad times. Releasing many types of films and cartoons since 1923. The Warner Brothers tried to make the people that had been or were watching their productions, not to feel alone, or have doubt about how they felt. Or when the times of war were going on, they were seen as the most patriotic due to how many anti-nazi films they produced in times like these. With all their contributions to the world, the brothers gave inspiration to the people of the world. Even when someone just wanted to watch cartoons, the brothers' work gave that to people, also by their establishment of sound for the movie industry. All of these impacts they made to many people all over the world, through their work that they wanted to make as good as possible. Using what they had and what they could use, for one reason only. To make a positive impact on the world, which was why they wanted to produce films in the first place (Kriegisch).

Lessons learned from their lives

The Warner Brothers were innovative in tough times. Like when the Great Depression first struck and money was low, they hired new stars for more entertainment. Or the time they overdrew too much money, so to fix their problem they occupied almost 50 theaters in Pennsylvania to bring in some more. They thought of their options, solutions, resources and used them to benefit (Albert Warner). I can apply these traits to my lifestyle and things that I do. Using my resources and ideas to solve problems I have in my life. They were creative thinkers and did what they could to improve things. Which is what I can be like to benefit myself. The brothers were people to look up to because they made movies and shows to entertain people, but inspired them as well while doing so. Helping others out positively is a good trait for someone to have. Which is exactly what the Warner Brothers did for many people of the world, making them people to look up to.

Works Cited

“Albert Warner.” Prabook, prabook.com/web/albert.warner/1722744

“Harry, Albert, Sam & Jack Warner.” Jewish Virtual Library, www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/harry-albert-sam-and-jack-warner-warner-brothers

“Harry Warner Biography, Life, Interesting Facts.” SunSigns.org, www.sunsigns.org/famousbHarry Warner Biography, Life, Interesting Facts birthdays/d/profile/harry-warner/

¨How Warner Brothers ended up establishing the sound for the film industry.¨ Enhanced.Media, enhanced.media/blog/2019/4/23/how-warner-brothers-ended-up-establishing-the-sou nd-for-film-industry

“Jack L Warner Biography.” TheFamousPeople, www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/jack-l-warner-45565.php

“Sam Warner.” Hollywood Walk of Fame, walkoffame.com/sam-warner/

Kriegisch, Tyler.¨Warner Bros. - Impact on Society.¨ Pennsylvania State University, , php.scripts.psu.edu/users/y/f/yfd5020/Group%20Project%20-%20Assignment%207.html

“Warner Bros.” California Museum, www.californiamuseum.org/inductee/warner-bros

¨Warner Brothers.¨ Ohio History Central, ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Warner_Brothers