The American film industry is certainly among the most developed industries in the nation and the world. The collapse of the studio system, the rise of television and the blacklist significantly impacted the film industry into what it is today. Examining how exactly the three impacted the industry would heighten our understanding and view of the American film industry.
The collapse of the Studio System could be attributed to the Supreme Court rulings which made significant changes in the film industry. The 1943 Havilland decision led to the abrogation of the seven-year-contracts. Subsequently, multiple-picture deals that allowed an actor to participate in two or three films simultaneously became the norm of the industry. James Stewart was the first actor to benefit from the deal and this influenced other actors to leave the studio contracts to start selling their services on a picture basis to the highest paying bidder. This system is still used in the American film industry today. In 1947 the Supreme Court ruled that block booking violated the anti-trust laws and as a result, every film had to be sold based on its distinctions. The selling out of studio theaters opened a fair market for the majors, where theaters could now play any film and all the majors had to favorably compete in a transparent marketplace. The collapse of the Studio System defined the film industry into what it is today and its impact can be identified.
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The Blacklist controlled the future of the American film industry. Under Reagan, the blacklist directly impacted everyone within the industry creating a hysterical and persecution climate where friends betrayed friends and enemies took advantage of the contentious atmosphere to progress in their careers and the expense of other actors. The blacklist aimed at eliminating communists or communist sympathizers. Many movies such as the Sniper , On The Waterfront and I married a Communist that majored on communist themes became famous. However much these films were ridiculous, they were taken seriously by a nation determined to bring to an end the idea of communism. The blacklist certainly defined the type of movies people were to expect in the future and the community that would possibly work in the film industry. Such movies are still produced today including The Blacklist TV series premiered in 2013.
The rise of television threatened the film industry. By 1939, there were fewer than one million television sets countrywide but later rose fivefold within ten years. It was clear and it was certainly true that television would be a household item that nearly every American would have. Consequently, the studios were struggling to lure back theater viewers who could now watch films in the comfort of their homes. New industries that provided viewers with a variety of shows, sports programming and TV series sprang up. The studios declined their production due to the lower profits caused by the pull of TV. Instead, studios resorted to music recording, movies, and TV series. The film's average ticket price was also lowered in an attempt to lure more viewers to the theaters/ cinemas. The film industry that had worked its way up began to decline until today where only a few cinema halls are available. Few people occasionally go to the cinemas to watch a movie except on weekends when it is boring to stay at home. The rise of television impacted the film industry positively by increasing the production of TV series and music records and negatively by leading to the decline of theaters and cinemas.
The collapse of the studio system, the rise of television and the blacklist substantially impacted the film industry. The collapse of the Studio System allowed actors to participate in two or three films simultaneously and established the idea of every film being sold based on its merits. The blacklist determined the film industry community and the types of movies to expect in the future. The rise of TV not only led to increased production of movies and TV series but also led to the decline of theaters and cinemas.
