Albert Warner

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Albert Warner bigraphy, stories - Film executive

Albert Warner : biography

23 July 1884 – 26 November 1967

Aaron "Albert" Warner (July 23, 1884Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), Warner Family Tree. – November 26, 1967) was an American film executive who was one of the founders of Warner Bros. Studios. He established the production studio with his brothers Harry, Sam, and Jack Warner. He served as the studio’s treasurer, until he sold his stock in 1956. Time Magazine. 8 December 1967.

The Great Depression

With the Wall Street Crash of 1929 officially marking the beginning of The Great Depression, Albert saw that the studio was in need of additional star power in order to survive. Following Albert’s advice, Jack and Harry Warner acquired three Paramount stars (William Powell, Kay Francis, and Ruth Chatteron) for studio salaries doubled from their previous ones. This move proved to be a success, and stockholders maintained confident in the Warners. In late 1929, Jack Warner would hire sixty-one-year-old actor George Arliss to star in the studio’s film Disraeli.Thomas (1990), p. 77. To everybody’s surprise, the film Disraeli was a success, and Arliss would win an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in the film and star in nine more films with the studio as well.

With the collapse of the market for musicals, Warner Bros., under production head Darryl F. Zanuck, turned to more realistic and gritty storylines, ‘torn from the headlines’ pictures that some said glorified gangsters; Warner Bros. soon became known as "gangster studio. The studio’s first gangster film Little Caesar was a great success at the box office.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 184. and Edward Robinson was cast a star in many of the wave of gangster films the studio produced after Little CaesarThomas (1990), pp. 77–79. The studio’s next gangster film, The Public Enemy,Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 185 would also make James Cagney arguably the studio’s new top star,Thomas (1990), pp. 81. and the Warners were now further convinced to make more gangster films as well.

Another gangster film the studio produced was the critically acclaimed I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, starring Paul Muni.Thomas (1990), pp. 83. In addition to Cagney and Robinson, Paul Muni was also given a big push as one the studio’s top gangster stars after appearing in the successful film I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 186. The film I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang got audiences in the United States to question the legal system in the United States. and by January 1933, the film’s protagonist Robert Elliot Burns-who was still imprisoned in New Jersey- and a number of different chain gang prisoners nationwide in the United States were able to appeal and were released. In January 1933, Georgia chain gang warden J Harold Hardy-who was also made into a character in the film- sued the studio for displaying "vicious, brutual and false attacks" against him in the film. After appearing in the film The Man Who Played God, Bette Davis would also become a top star for the studio as well.Thomas (1990), pp. 82–83. In 1933, the studio’s very successful film 42nd Street would revive the studio’s musicalsSperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 194. Most these new musicals featured Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell as the stars, and were mostly directed by Busby Berkeley.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 192.

By 1931, however, the studio would begin to feel the effects of the Depression as the general public became unable to afford the price for movie tickets.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 160. In 1931, the studio would reportedly suffer a net loss of $8,000,000.00. The following year, the studio would suffer an additional $14,000,000.00 net loss as well.

In 1933, relieve for the studio would come again after Franklin Roosevelt became US President in 1933 and was able to rebound the US Economy with the New Deal;Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 161. because of this economic rebound, box office profits for Warner Bros. existed once again. This same year, however, a blow would also occur as the studio’s longtime head producer Darryl F. Zanuck would quit, because: (1) Harry Warner’s relationship with Zanuck became strained after Harry was strongly against allowing Zanuck film Baby Face to step outside the Hays Code boundaries; and 2) the studio reduced Zanuck’s salary as a result of the financial woes the Great Depression gave the studio’s net profits, and Harry still refused to raise his salary in the wake of the New Deal’s rebound. Zanuck produced his letter of resignation to Jack Warner,Behlmer (1985), p. 12. and went on to establish his own company In the wake of Zanuck’s resignation, Harry Warner agreed to again raise the salary for the studio’s employees.