Which is your favorite Golden Age movie studio

[Widebrim]

It is a little hard to compare Monogram with Republic, as it was the merger of Monogram, Mascot, Liberty, Majestic, Chesterfield, and Invincible which created Republic Pictures. Monogram, and the others, ceased to exist after 1935 with the creation of Republic. However Monogram's "B" Western unit continued to operate almost with out interruption after the merger. As did Mascot's serial unit.

Doug

If you mean that Mascot's serial unit, now a part of Republic Pictures, continued to operate, that is true. (Nat Levine gave Herbert Yates almost everything he had at the time of the merger, including his formula for making successful serials.) Regarding Monogram, you probably know that it was resurrected in '37 by W. Ray Johnston and Trem Carr, and ceased to exist in late '52, when it formally become Allied Artists. One thing that helped the "new" Monogram Pictures was the acquisition of Tex Ritter, who had previously been with Grand National. And any outfit that produced and released nine Bela Lugosi horror films in three years is quite a studio in my book!

 

[Widebrim]

The majour studio that captures my heart most would be Warner Bros. From what I've seen of Paramount, they would most likely win my heart also, but since they don't give a rat's behind about their old products I will never know.

I'm also a huge fan the "poverty row" studios, like Monogram. Those studios had a very "homey" feel to them. I love watching these low-budget flicks late at night, all snug in bed. And the dresses are more along the lines of my very own patterns (not unobtainable gowns!)

I can relate to that! (Except the part about the dresses...)

 

[Hey_Laaaaaady!]

I used to like MGM...until I heard about how awful they were to their stars. I still like their movies, mostly...I like Paramount only because they have Martin/Lewis, Edith Head and Audrey Hepburn. The others I'm rather fuzzy on, I'd have to do some research.

 

[Chas]

TOHO. The Seven Samurai and Gojira, etc etc. I also like Republic for the JD films from the 50s and 60s. But they all had their moments.

 

[Widebrim]

Interesting that only four studios have votes so far. MGM is only two behind Warner Brothers...

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

UFA (Universum Film AG), Germany's "Universal Studios" which produced classics like Metropolis (1926), Woman in the Moon (1929). On an interesting note the former UFA studios at Neubabelsberg, near Berlin is now Studio Babelsberg and Filmpark Babelsberg, a Universal Studios-like theme park. In recent years films such as Enemy at the Gates and Valkyrie were filmed there.

 

[Atomic Age]

Interesting that only four studios have votes so far. MGM is only two behind Warner Brothers...

I think that might have as much to do with the availability of their classic films as anything else. MGM, Warner and RKO have huge portions of their classic library available to modern audiences, you can't say the same of Paramount for instance.

Also interesting to note that 3 of those 4 studio libraries are are now all owned by the same company. MGM, Warner and RKO are all owned by Warner.

Doug

 

[Widebrim]

UFA (Universum Film AG), Germany's "Universal Studios" which produced classics like Metropolis (1926), Woman in the Moon (1929). On an interesting note the former UFA studios at Neubabelsberg, near Berlin is now Studio Babelsberg and Filmpark Babelsberg, a Universal Studios-like theme park. In recent years films such as Enemy at the Gates and Valkyrie were filmed there.

Many German directors cut their teeth at UFA.

I think that might have as much to do with the availability of their classic films as anything else. MGM, Warner and RKO have huge portions of their classic library available to modern audiences, you can't say the same of Paramount for instance.

Doug

Valid point.

 

[Marla]

First off, fantastic idea for a thread! Each person's choice seems to reveal something about their personality. RKO is my favorite studio of the era because of the diverse variety of films it released. RKO was clunky at times and didn't always put out blockbusters, but its catalog is a good cross-section of the types of movies that were being made in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

My favorite RKO films are:
King Kong (1933)
Top Hat (1935)
Swing Time (1936)
Shall We Dance (1937)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

 

[Anthony K]

"More stars than there are in the heavens"

Look at that line-up!

I picked Warner Bros. The Adventures of Robin Hood, their classic gangster films and film noirs, easily win me over.

 

[Widebrim]

Wow, Columbia and Republic finally got a vote each! Come on Monogram, Fox, and Paramount!

 

[jamespowers]

Wow, Columbia and Republic finally got a vote each! Come on Monogram, Fox, and Paramount!

Columbia was mine oh great poll master. The Three Stooges convinced me. Nyuk, nyuk.

 

[Widebrim]

Columbia was mine oh great poll master. The Three Stooges convinced me. Nyuk, nyuk.

Eye-poke...

 

[Fletch]

Columbia would probably have done better, but who in hell would want to vote for Harry Cohn?

He was the meanest SOB in the business for 35 years and proud of it.

 

[jamespowers]

Columbia would probably have done better, but who in hell would want to vote for Harry Cohn?

He was the meanest SOB in the business for 35 years and proud of it.

Another good reason to vote for Columbia.
I like a man who commands respect---or failing that FEAR. lol

 

[Widebrim]

Another good reason to vote for Columbia.
I like a man who commands respect---or failing that FEAR. lol

I hear that he even scared Moe...

 

[jamespowers]

Eye-poke...

"Why I oughta..."
[video=youtube;Xg_3qEf3ahU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg_3qEf3ahU[/video]

 

[Widebrim]

Speaking of Republic ('though nobody really was), I just picked up their 1936 serial, Undersea Kingdom, with Ray Corrigan; Lon Chaney, Jr. has a small role, too. Republic serials are fairly easy to find in thrift stores (where I found this two-VHS set); I wish the same were true about Mascot, Columbia, and Universal (although I was able to pick up a used VHS copy of Columbia's Batman and Robin a while back).

 

[Widebrim]

First off, fantastic idea for a thread! Each person's choice seems to reveal something about their personality. RKO is my favorite studio of the era because of the diverse variety of films it released. RKO was clunky at times and didn't always put out blockbusters, but its catalog is a good cross-section of the types of movies that were being made in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

My favorite RKO films are:
King Kong (1933)
Top Hat (1935)
Swing Time (1936)
Shall We Dance (1937)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1939)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)
It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

Great films, with King Kong arguably being the best American monster film ever made.

 

[Widebrim]

Still no votes for Paramount, Fox, or...Monogram . "Is there no pity for the widow's son?"