Its b unit production supervised by val lewton was

RKO - Bankrupt by 1933, but reorganized by a series of corporate entities. Its B unit
production, supervised by Val Lewton, was responsible for very creative low-budget films
by Jacques Tourneur and Robert Wise
Little 3 or Minors
Studios with few or no theaters. Not vertically integrated
1. Universal - Focused mostly on cheap B-films for 2nd run theaters. Primarily in horror
genre. Double-bills came into existence when Depression caused decreased movie
attendance, and 2 movies were shown for the price of one. Will create a huge demand
for B films
2. Columbia - Founded by Harry Cohn in 1924. Frank Capra is studio's largest star and his
1934 It Happened One Night serves as prototype for new genre: screwball comedy
3. United Artists - both Columbia and UA depended on borrowing stars from other studios,
avoiding long term contracts, minimizing costs. UA depended on leasing other studios
facilities and technicians as well.
Poverty Row
- Below minors were studios that only made B films for double bills to meet increased
demands. By 1935 85% of all U.S. theaters are offering double bills
- B films were rented to exhibitors at a flat rate = low risk investment
- Monogram, Republic, and Grand National were most important B-studios
Continued Censorship - The MPPDA’s new Production Code
- 1927 Dont’s and Be Carefuls not followed closely
- Censorship pressures continue to be felt
Payne Fund Studies
- 1928: William H. Short, with a large profit grant from the Payne Fund, conducts
nationwide study of influence of motion pictures on children
- Became Payne Fund Studies by nationally known psychologists, sociologists and
researchers between 1929-1932

Consequences: Payne studies mobilizes anti-Hollywood movement among American bishops of
Roman Catholic Church, resulting in large censorship board The Legion of Decency
Response: Will Hayes creates the Production Code Administration (PCA) approved by MPPDA.
Appoints prominent catholic laymen Joseph I. Breen to run it. Creates the Production Code. By
1934, code is enforced with strong penalties for releasing non-approved films. The MPPDA was
created by the studios for the studios specifically to create the do’s don'ts be careful into
production code. Act as a censorship board.
Italian Cinema and Neorealism (1930’s-1940’s)
Facism: recovering italian film industry
1927: Mussolini puts government agency LUCE in charge of distributing government controlled
documentaries and newsreels
1934: General Direction of Cinema created as censorship board for all italian films & run by
Luigi Freddi.
1935: Creation of state film school (centro sperimentale) and national government office for
cinema (ENIC) to distribute films through government owned film chain
1937: Cinecitta (new government owned film studio) formed
Cinema During Facist Regime
- Italian market saturated with Hollywood films
- Italian studios adopt Hollywood style for use in domestic product known as White
Telephone Films
- So called for the inclusion of white telephones (indicative of wealthy bourgeoisie status)
- These were genre films made with high production value as escapist entertainment to
compete with Hollywood productions
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