The Birth of Hollywood

Since the early 1900s, the image of Hollywood as the home of cinematic dreams has become a worldwide phenomenon. Motion-picture companies flocked to Los Angeles, beginning with silent movies and then developing the ‘talkies’. By the early 1930s, the Hollywood film industry was at the height of its Golden Age, with huge numbers of actors, writers, and directors heading to the West Coast. In this guide, we will explore the impact of Hollywood on Broadway and discuss how Hollywood’s early years have been represented onstage, in both plays and musicals.

Terminology

• Talkies: Films with a soundtrack, as opposed to a silent film.

Key Dates & Events

• 1908 - The Count of Monte Cristo became the first film to be completed in Hollywood.
• 1922 - Hollywood director William Desmond Taylor was murdered.
• 1922 - Merton of the Movies opened on Broadway at the Cort Theatre.
• 1927 - The Jazz Singer, the first full-length motion picture with sound, was released.
• 1952 - The film Singin’ in the Rain’ was released by MGM. It was adapted for the stage in 1983.
• 1974 - Mack and Mabel opened on Broadway, starring Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters.
• 1993 - Sunset Boulevard premiered in London.