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WORK TITLE: From the Headlines to Hollywood
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.chrisyogerst.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://washington.uwc.edu/bio/chris-yogerst * http://uwc.edu/bio/chris-yogerst * https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-yogerst-ph-d-51002038/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1983.
EDUCATION:University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, B.A., 2008; Regent University, M.A., 2011, Ph.D., 2015.
ADDRESS
CAREER
June Tailor Inc., Richfield, WI, sales representative, 2005-09; Concordia University-Wisconsin, Mequon, instructor, 2013-16; University of Wisconsin Colleges, associate lecturer in communication, Madison, 2011-14, lecturer, 2014-15, assistant professor of communication, 2015–. Also works as a social media manager for Legends, LLC, beginning 2014.
WRITINGS
Contributor to books and encyclopedias, including Laughing in the Face of Undeath: Comic Horror on Screen, Roman & Littlefield, 2016; and Hooray For Hollywood: The Cultural Encyclopedia of America’s Dream Factory, Rowman & Littlefield, 2016. Contributor to periodicals, including the Atlantic, Journal of Film and Video, Journal of Religion & Film, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Senses of Cinema. Also contributor to the PJ Media Lifestyle Web site.
SIDELIGHTS
Chris Yogerst is a film historian and educator whose interests include film genre and authorship and Hollywood history during the Golden Age. Yogerst also developed a course titled “Superheroes and Society,” which focuses on the cultural history of comic books. He regularly presents and national conferences and contributes to book and periodicals. In his first book, From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros., Yogerst provides a cultural history of the Warner Bros. studio, from the time of the Great Depression up to World War II. In the process, Yogerst makes the case that Warner Bros. was the leading studio to use edgy and extremely honest films to present a view of America that was more gritty than the usual Hollywood films produced by other studios.
Yogerst draws from a wide range of sources for his book, from newspaper accounts and studio archives to fan and film periodicals, legal documents and some of the Warner brothers’ speeches. Yogerst begins the book with a brief preface examining the early history of Warner Bros., including the story of the Warner brothers who founded the studio. He points out that the first film produced by the studio, titled My Four Years in Germany, laid the foundation for how the studio would operate, most often buying the film rights to a popular book that already had drawn interest from the public.
In the book’s introduction, Yogerst details how Warner Bros. established their dominance in the industry in the 1920s. He points out that the brothers and the studio emphasized that it had to provide more than light entertainment but rather would produce many films depicting the struggles of the average American. Harry Warner, in particular, established the studio’s mandate that it was the studio’s duty to educate the public and foster key values such as religious tolerance, free speech, and freedom of the press. To do so, the studio often drew from the major headlines of the day. “When we look at Warner Bros.’ movies of the 1930s we can see that the studio was engaging in a tense and polarized culture (not unlike our own today),” Yogerst noted in an interview for the Speakeasy Web site, adding: “Popular culture can become an important outlet for cultural fear, frustration, and fascination.”
Warner Bros. would go on to oversee the first talking, dialogue-driven film in which the actors could be heard talking. “Warner Bros.’ success with sound inaugurated the company’s reign as a socially relevant studio by attracting audiences with technological innovation and culturally pertinent films, such as the headline-driven gangster narrative Lights of New York (1928),” writes Yogerst in From the Headlines to Hollywood. Yogerst goes on to detail how, during the Great Depression, Warner Bros. emphasized films that addressed the incredible social and economic problems brought about by the stock market crash of 1929. The studio also continued to draw from newspaper headlines to create films, whether the headlines were about mob violence or the economic despair that was felt throughout the country.
Yogerst goes on to examine many of the films that came out of the Warner Bros studio with special attention being made to how the films connected directly with audiences. Among the films discussed are The Public Enemy, Little Ceasar, The Life of Emile Zola, and Confessions of a Nazi Spy. Yogerst notes the edgy nature of many of these films led Warner Bros. to have numerous confrontations with industry censors, as well as various government officials. For example, he details how just prior to World War II Warner Bros. was charged, along with other studios, with undermining the government’s neutrality policy concerning what was happening with the burgeoning war in Europe. Yogurts also examines how the studio’s stars helped to establish the studio’s legacy. David Pitt, writing for Booklist, called From the Headlines to Hollywood “a shrewd look” at both the Warner Bros. studio and “the film industry’s birth and early years.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, September 1, 2016, David Pitt, review of From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros., p. 26.
Publishers Weekly, July 11, 2016, review of From the Headlines to Hollywood, p. 55.
ONLINE
Chris Yogerst Home Page, https://www.chrisyogerst.com (April 3, 2017).
Speakeasy, https://hqofk.wordpress.com/ (September 20, 2016), review of From the Headlines to Hollywood.
University of Wisconsin Colleges Web site, http://uwc.edu/ (April 3, 2017), author faculty profile.*
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Film Historian
University of Wisconsin Colleges Regent University
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I teach film, communication, and popular culture courses for the University of Wisconsin Colleges.
Experience
University of Wisconsin Colleges
Assistant Professor of Communication
Company NameUniversity of Wisconsin Colleges
Dates EmployedMay 2015 – Present Employment Duration1 yr 11 mos
I teach intro to film studies, public speaking, popular culture and media, and intro to mass communication.
See less See less about Assistant Professor of Communication, University of Wisconsin Colleges
Concordia University-Wisconsin
adjunct instructor
Company NameConcordia University-Wisconsin
Dates EmployedJan 2013 – Jun 2016 Employment Duration3 yrs 6 mos LocationMequon, Wi
See description See more about adjunct instructor, Concordia University-Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Colleges
Lecturer
Company NameUniversity of Wisconsin Colleges
Dates EmployedJul 2014 – May 2015 Employment Duration11 mos
See description See more about Lecturer, University of Wisconsin Colleges
University of Wisconsin Colleges
Associate Lecturer
Company NameUniversity of Wisconsin Colleges
Dates EmployedJun 2011 – Jul 2014 Employment Duration3 yrs 2 mos Locationwashington county, wisconsin
See description See more about Associate Lecturer, University of Wisconsin Colleges
June Tailor Inc
Sales Representative
Company NameJune Tailor Inc
Dates EmployedJun 2005 – Jan 2009 Employment Duration3 yrs 8 mos LocationRichfield, Wisconsin
See description See more about Sales Representative, June Tailor Inc
Education
Regent University
Regent University
Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Field Of Study Communication with emphasis on film history
Dates attended or expected graduation 2011 – 2015
Activities and Societies: Popular Culture Association, University Film and Video Association, Film & History
Dissertation: "Ripped From the Headlines: How Warner Bros. Turned News Into Celluloid, 1930-34"
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Regent University
Regent University
Degree Name M.A. Field Of Study Film Studies
Dates attended or expected graduation 2009 – 2011
See description See more about Regent University, M.A.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Degree Name B.A. Field Of Study Film Studies, English
Dates attended or expected graduation 2005 – 2008
Accomplishments
Chris has 11 publications11
Publications
See publication From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros.
publication titleFrom the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros.
publication descriptionMore than any other studio, Warner Bros. used edgy, stylistic, and brutally honest films to construct a view of America that was different than the usual happy Hollywood fare. The studio took seriously Harry Warner’s idea that their films had a duty to educate and demonstrate key values of free speech, religious tolerance, and freedom of the press. This attitude was most aptly demonstrated in their films produced between 1927-41—a period that saw not only the arrival of sound in film, but the Great Depression, the rise of crime, and increased concern about fascism in the lead up to World War II.
publication descriptionRowman & Littlefield
publication date2016
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
See publication Generation Like: Social Media and the Search For Validation
publication titleGeneration Like: Social Media and the Search For Validation
publication descriptionPJ Media/PJ Lifestyle
publication dateFeb 28, 2014
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
publication titleFaith Under the Fedora: Indiana Jones and the Heroic Journey Towards God
publication descriptionThe Journal of Religion & Film
publication date2014
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
See publication Stop Calling Superheroes 'Fascist'
publication titleStop Calling Superheroes 'Fascist'
publication descriptionThe Atlantic Monthly
publication dateDec 3, 2013
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
See publication Was Hollywood Friendly With Hitler?
publication titleWas Hollywood Friendly With Hitler?
publication descriptionPJ Media/PJ Lifestyle
publication dateOct 25, 2013
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
See publication Beating Present Shock: 5 Secrets to Survive 12st Century Technology Overdose (Part II)
publication titleBeating Present Shock: 5 Secrets to Survive 12st Century Technology Overdose (Part II)
publication descriptionPJ Media/PJ Lifestyle
publication dateOct 4, 2013
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
See publication Beating Present Shock: 5 Secrets to Survive 21st Century Technology Overdose (Part I)
publication titleBeating Present Shock: 5 Secrets to Survive 21st Century Technology Overdose (Part I)
publication descriptionPJ Media/PJ Lifestyle
publication dateSep 28, 2013
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
publication title"The Hollywood Sign" (Review)
publication descriptionThis review of Leo Braudy's excellent book was published in the spring/summer 2013 issue of the journal.
publication descriptionJournal of Film and Video
publication dateJun 2013
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
See publication Politicizing Ourselves to Death: Is the Culture War Over?
publication titlePoliticizing Ourselves to Death: Is the Culture War Over?
publication descriptionPJ Media/PJ Lifestyle
publication dateNov 8, 2012
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
See publication The Philosophy of the Western edited by Jennifer L. McMahon and B. Steve Csaki (Review)
publication titleThe Philosophy of the Western edited by Jennifer L. McMahon and B. Steve Csaki (Review)
publication descriptionSenses of Cinema
publication dateJun 2011
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
publication titleRules for Surviving a Horror/Comedy: Satiric Genre Transformation from Scream to Zombieland
publication descriptionLaughing in the Face of Undeath: Comic Horror on Screen (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016)
Authors
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
Chris Yogerst
Assistant Professor
UW-Washington County
Communications-Theatre Arts
christopher.yogerst@uwc.edu
(262) 335-5250 x314
Office Hours / Schedule
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:00-1:00 and by appointment.
Classes Taught
CTA 150 - Introduction to Film
CTA 201 - Introduction to Mass Communication
CTA 103 - Introduction to Public Speaking
CTA 218 - Popular Culture and Media
CTA 298 - Superheroes and Society
Statement
Chris teaches courses in film, communication, and popular culture for the UW Colleges. Research interests include film genre and authorship as well as Hollywood history during the Golden Age. His book, From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros., came out in 2016. Current research is dedicated to a follow-up book on Warner Bros., as well as a project on Rod Serling and censorhsip. Chris regularly presents at national conferences and is currently the Hollywood Studio System area chair for the Film & History national conference. His work can be found in The Journal of Religion & Film, Senses of Cinema, the Journal of Film and Video, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and The Atlantic Monthly.
Links
Lecture on Pre-War Germany and Hollywood (November 2nd, 2015)
Amazon Author Page
Personal Website
Publications
Books:
From the Battlefield to the Blacklist: Warner Bros. on the Frontlines (in progress)
From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros. (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016).
Peer-Reviewed Journals:
“Superhero Films: A Fascist National Complex or Exemplars of Moral Virtue?” Journal of Religion & Film (Scheduled for publication in 2017).
“Affirmation of Myth and Nostalgia in The Shootist (1976) and True Grit (2010),” published in the The Quint: an Interdisciplinary Quarterly from the North; summer 2015.
“Faith Under the Fedora: Indiana Jones and the Heroic Journey Towards God,” published in the Journal of Religion & Film; October 2014.
Peer-Reviewed Journals In-Progress:
“Hughes, Hawks, and Hays: “The Monumental Censorship Battle Over Scarface (1932)” in consideration at The Journal of American Culture.
“Rod Serling’s Vast Promised Land: Battling the FCC and Fighting for Mature Television 1959-1966” in progress for submission at the Journal of Historical Film, Radio, and Television.
Book Chapters:
“Rules for Surviving a Horror-Comedy: Satiric Genre Transformation from Scream to Zombieland.” Chapter in The Laughing Dead: The Horror-Comedy Film from Bride of Frankenstein to Zombieland. (Rowman & Littlefield 2016).
Forthcoming Book Chapters:
“Aristotle and the Wild West: The Western as Rhetorical Device.” Classics and the Western, edited by Sue Matheson. (Due out 2018 from MacFarland Press).
“Individuation and the Psychology of Rebirth.” Wonder Woman Psychology, edited by Dr. Travis Langley and Mara Wood (Due out April 2017 from Sterling Publishing).
Encyclopedia Entries:
Entries for Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Hollywood and World War II, the Hollywood Sign, and Warner Bros. for Hooray For Hollywood: The Cultural Encyclopedia of America’s Dream Factory” (Rowman & Littlefield 2016).
Book/Film Reviews in Academic Journals:
Menus for Movieland: Newspapers and the Emergence of American Film Culture, 1913–1916 (Book Review), forthcoming in Film & History.
“Los Angeles Plays Itself (Film Review),” published in Film & History; summer 2016.
“The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon (Book Review)” published in The Journal of Film and Video; Spring/Summer 2013 issue.
“The Philosophy of the Western (Book Review)” published in issue 59 of Senses of Cinema; June 2011.
Popular Press:
“In An Always-On World, Maybe We Don’t Need to Watch It All – Right Now.” Published March 23rd, 2015 in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“Stop Calling Superheroes Fascist.” Published December 3rd, 2013 in The Atlantic Monthly
Education
B.A., Film studies and English, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
M.A., Critical studies in film and television, Regent University
Ph.D., Communication with an emphasis on American film studies, Regent University
Professional Memberships
Popular Culture Association
Society for Cinema and Media Studies
Film & History
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.
As an assistant professor of communication for the University of Wisconsin Colleges, Chris teaches courses in film, communication, and popular culture. In addition, he teaches American film history for Concordia University Wisconsin.
Research interests include film genre and authorship as well as Hollywood history during the Golden Age. In addition, Chris developed a course for the UW Colleges titled "Superheroes and Society" that covers the cultural history of the iconic genre. Chris was invited to present on his class at the 2016 Comic-Con International conference in San Diego alongside Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology), Michael Uslan (comic writer and producer of Batman films 1989-present), Paul Levitz (former president of DC Comics), Paul Zehr (Becoming Batman), and Hannah Means-Shannon (editor at Dark Horse comics).
Current research will be released in a new book that focuses on the cultural history of the Warner Bros. studio during the Great Depression and lead up to World War II, titled From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros. Future research will consist of a follow-up book that chronicles the studio’s social impact from 1942-1956.
Chris regularly presents at national conferences and is currently the "Hollywood Studio System" area chair for the Film & History national conference. His work can be found in The Journal of Religion & Film, Senses of Cinema, the Journal of Film and Video, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and The Atlantic Monthly.
Chris holds a B.A. in film studies and English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as well as both an M.A. in film studies and Ph.D. in communication from Regent University.
Chris Yogerst, Ph.D.CV -2017EDUCATIONRegent University(2015) Virginia Beach, VASchool of Communication and the ArtsPh.D. -Communication Regent University (2011) Virginia Beach, VASchool of Communication and the ArtsM.A. -Critical Studies in Film and TelevisionUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2008) Milwaukee, WisconsinB.A. -Film Studies (major), English (minor)ACADEMIC POSITIONSUniversity of Wisconsin Colleges, Department of Communication Assistant Professor (2015-present)Lecturer (2014-2015)Associate Lecturer (2011-2014)Concordia University Wisconsin, Department of Communication Instructor (2013-2016)PROFESSIONAL POSITIONSTh3 Legends, LLC. (2014-present):Social Media Manager
2SCHOLARSHIPBooks:From the Battlefield to the Blacklist: Warner Bros. on the Frontlines(in progress)From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros.(Rowman & Littlefield, 2016).Peer-Reviewed Journals:“Superhero Films: A Fascist National Complex or Exemplars of Moral Virtue?” Journal of Religion & Film(Scheduled for publicationin 2017). “Affirmation of Myth and Nostalgia in The Shootist (1976) and True Grit (2010),” published in the The Quint: an Interdisciplinary Quarterly from the North; summer 2015.“Faith Under the Fedora: Indiana Jones and the Heroic Journey Towards God,” published in the Journal of Religion & Film; October 2014.Peer-Reviewed Journals In-Progress:“Hughes, Hawks, and Hays: “The Monumental Censorship Battle Over Scarface(1932)” in consideration at The Journal of American Culture.“Rod Serling’s Vast Promised Land: Battling the FCC and Fighting for Mature Television 1959-1966” in progress for submission at the Journal of Historical Film, Radio, and Television.Book Chapters:“Rules for Surviving a Horror-Comedy: Satiric Genre Transformation from Scream to Zombieland.” Chapter in The Laughing Dead: The Horror-Comedy Film from Bride of Frankenstein to Zombieland. (Rowman & Littlefield 2016).Forthcoming Book Chapters:“Aristotle and the Wild West: The Western as Rhetorical Device.” Classics and the Western, edited by Sue Matheson. (Due out 2018 from MacFarland Press). “Individuation and the Psychologyof Rebirth.” Wonder Woman Psychology, edited by Dr. Travis Langley and Mara Wood (Due out April 2017 from Sterling Publishing).
3Encyclopedia Entries:Entries for Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Hollywood and World War II, the Hollywood Sign, and Warner Bros. for Hooray For Hollywood: The Cultural Encyclopedia of America’s Dream Factory” (Rowman & Littlefield 2016).Book/Film Reviewsin Academic Journals:Menus for Movieland: Newspapers and the Emergence of American Film Culture, 1913–1916(Book Review), forthcoming in Film & History.“Los Angeles Plays Itself(Film Review),”published in Film & History; summer 2016.“The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon(Book Review)”published in TheJournal of Film and Video;Spring/Summer 2013 issue. “The Philosophy of the Western(Book Review)”published in issue 59 ofSenses of Cinema; June 2011.Popular Press:“In An Always-On World, Maybe We Don’t Need to Watch It All –Right Now.” Published March 23rd, 2015 in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.“Stop Calling Superheroes Fascist.” Published December 3rd, 2013 in The Atlantic MonthlyPersonal Website:“ManyOpinions, But Little Tolerance: What Warner Bros. Co-Founder Harry Warner Can Teach Today’s Political Culture.” November 3, 2016.“Programmed for Outrage: How Digital Media Helped Usher in an Era of Anger.” August 15, 2016. “Batman Through the Ages: The Caped Crusader During Years of War, Censorship, and Urban Crime.” July 27, 2016.“Why Are Superheroes So Popular?It’s Simple –They Represent Us.” May 16, 2016.“Battling Classroom Narcissism in the Age of Smartphones.” January 29, 2016.“Depression of the Frontier: Overlooked Westerns from Warner Bros., 1930-1935.” November 9, 2015.“Making Sense of the ‘Panic Broadcast,’ War of the Worlds(1938).” October 30, 2015.
4AWARDS/GRANTS2016 -University of Wisconsin Colleges Summer Research Grant, $4,000.PRESENTATIONSInvited Lectures:Lecture on From theHeadlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros.at Book Soup in Los Angeles, California.October 16th, 2016.Lecture series at Cedar Ridge Community in West Bend, WI. One hour-long lecture on the history of Warner Bros. every Tuesday in April, 2016. Campus Talks:“Batman Through the Ages: The Caped Crusader Through Years of War, Censorship, and Urban Crime” Part of the “Scholar Sip” lecture series at the University of Wisconsin –Washington County (September 6th, 2016).“Hollywood and Hitler: German Allies or Fascist Fighters?” –Part of the “Community Lecture Series” at the University of Wisconsin –Washington County (November 4th, 2015).“From Headlines to Hollywood: Warner Bros. during the Great Depression” –Part of the “Scholar Sip” lecture series at the University of Wisconsin –Washington County, February 11th, 2015.National Academic Conferences:“World War II, Warner Bros., and the Hollywood Canteen” at the 2016 Film & Historyconference (Milwauke, WI).“Teaching Batman as Cultural History” at Comic-Con International, July 24th2016 (San Diego, CA).“Fighting with Celluloid: Warner Bros. and Fascism Before World War II” at the 2015 Film & Historyconference (Madison, WI).“Gunfighters Still Exist? The Effects of Progress in The Shootist” at the 2015 Popular Culture Associationconference (New Orleans, LA).“From Headlines to Hollywood: How Warner Bros. Turned Newspapers into Celluloid, 1930” at the 2014 Film & Historyconference (Madison, WI).
5“Depression on the Frontier: Warner Bros. Westerns, 1930-1935” at the 2014 Popular Culture Associationconference (Chicago, IL).“Barton Finkas Writer’s Apocalypse” at the 2013 University Film and Video AssociationConference (Orange County, CA).“Riding Off Into the Darkness: The Western as Negative Genre Construct,” at the 2013 Popular Culture Associationconference (Washington, DC). “(500) Days of Summer, Rhetoric, and the Art Film,” at the University Film and Video Associationconference in August of 2012 (Chicago, IL).“Reaffirming Nostalgia of the Western,” at the Popular Culture Association conference in April of 2012 (Boston, MA).“Genre Hybrids: The Future of Film Genre Study,” at the University Film and Video Associationconference in August of 2011 (Boston, MA).SERVICE TO PROFESSIONFilm & History(2014-present)Area Chair(“Hollywood Studio System”)and assistant to the organizer.OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICEAdvisor for PTK (an honors society) at University of Wisconsin-Washington County (2015-present). Board member and media manager of a non-profit organization calledHistoric West Bend Theatre, Inc. (2016-present).PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPSPopular Culture AssociationSociety for Cinema and Media StudiesFilm & HistoryTEACHINGAreas of Expertise:American film history History of popular culture
6History of media censorship (film, comics, and popular culture)Film and media theoryRhetoric of digital media20thcentury mass communication historyFilm genre and authorshipClasses Taught:Introductionto Mass Communication Introductionto Film StudiesPublic Speaking Popular Culture and Media Superheroes and Society Theory and Rhetoric of Digital Culture Introductionto Graduate Communication Studies American Film History MEDIA COVERAGEDecember 2016 -Leonard Maltin listed From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros.as a “new and notable” book: http://leonardmaltin.com/new-and-notable-film-books-for-december/
Chris Yogerst
Chris Yogerst
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Chris Yogerst, Ph.D., is assistant professor of communication for the University of Wisconsin Colleges where he teaches courses in film, communication, and popular culture. In addition, he teaches American film history for Concordia University Wisconsin.
Chris regularly presents at national conferences and is currently the "Hollywood Studio System" area chair for the Film & History national conference. His work can be found in The Journal of American Culture, The Journal of Religion & Film, Senses of Cinema, the Journal of Film and Video, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and The Atlantic Monthly.
Additional publications include a chapter titled "Rules of Surviving a horror/Comedy: Satiric Genre Transformation from Scream to Zombieland" in "The Laughing Dead: The Horror-Comedy from Bride of Frankenstein to Zombieland" (2016) as well as entries on Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Hollywood and World War II, the Hollywood Sign, and Warner Bros. in the upcoming "Hooray for Hollywood: a Cultural Encyclopedia of America's Dream Factory" (2016).
Follow Chris on Twitter: @chrisyogerst
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From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros
David Pitt
Booklist. 113.1 (Sept. 1, 2016): p26.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
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Full Text:
From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros. By Chris Yogerst. Oct. 2016. 232p. Rowman & Littlefield, $38 (9781442262454); e-book, $37.99 (9781442262461). 791.430.
In its early years, which were also the early years of Hollywood, Warner Brothers was a film studio known for both gritty movies, often about crime and punishment (Little Caesar and The Public Enemy), and for award-winning, glossier films (The Life of Emile Zola and The Story of Louis Pasteur). What set the studio apart from its competitors? In this perceptive study, Yogerst suggests it was the approach: Warner Brothers told stories that managed to speak directly to their audience. The author backs up his thesis by looking at numerous movies, showing how the films' themes and even sometimes their scripts drew on issues being talked about in the media and in public discourse. It was a shrewd business model that paid off big-time, and the book is a shrewd look not just at one of the original Golden Age movie studios but also at the film industry's birth and early years.--David Pitt
Pitt, David
From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros
Publishers Weekly. 263.28 (July 11, 2016): p55.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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Full Text:
From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros.
Chris Yogerst. Rowman & Littlefield, $38 (232p) ISBN 978-1-4422-6245-4
This thorough, if workmanlike, account of the early history of Warner Bros, demonstrates how the movie studio developed into a major Hollywood player between 1927 and 1941. Film historian Yogerst examines these early years in a straightforward fashion, detailing how the studio maneuvered through two decades fraught with immense change and upheaval while building a brand that has endured for nearly 100 years. Drawing on newspaper accounts, film periodicals, legal documents, and the studio's vast archives, the author examines the historic significance of Warner Bros.'s output. He also chronicles its numerous run-ins with industry censors and government officials; in the period before the U.S. entered WWII, a Senate subcommittee charged Warner Bros, and other studios with opposing the country's policy of neutrality. Finally, Yogerst shows how the success of the studio's headline-driven social dramas and its roster of stars, including Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, and James Cagney, established a lasting legacy. But despite the exciting subject matter, this meticulous accounting unreels much like the staid newsreels once played before feature films. It has facts and figures aplenty but lacks much of the passion and excitement found in Warner Bros.'s best movies. (Oct.)
Book Review: From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros.
My friend Chris Yogerst is a writer and assistant professor who teaches film, media, and popular culture. He’s written an interesting new book, From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros. In it, he examines the period from the studio’s first sound pictures to 1941, with a focus on the policies and production methods that enabled them to rapidly and profitably adapt “last night’s newspaper headlines” and hot-button issues into popular media. The book’s opening section provides background on the Warner family and the birth of the studio, along with the basics of that recognizable Warner Bros.’ house style–realistic, gritty, newsy and daring. We learn about the ways the company sought book rights and mined headline events and sensational material to position themselves as the studio most in touch with the audience, “the voice of upcoming movements,” socially relevant filmmakers with street cred, industry pacemakers. They were in the business of entertainment and escapism, but as industry coverage from that era shows, they were increasingly over this period regarded as cultural watchdogs and influencers who seemed to uniquely, consistently understand and reflect the public’s problems and concerns.
This book reads like a biography of Warner Bros. as told through several representative films, the subjects they chose to adapt, the ways they did so, the battles they picked and the controversies they faced. Yogerst looks closely at the real events that inspired these movies, their impact on audiences, and as markers in the studio’s growth. The obstacles and rewards of bringing taboo, difficult or forbidden material to the screen, along with the push to expand their audiences, makes for some fascinating reading, and it begins with the underworld tale Lights of New York (1928), a “perfect combination of new technology and edgy storytelling,” the first of many that hit the sweet spot of the sensational mixed with the social. Many key movies/issues are likewise discussed in depth, including: the “taxi” wars (in the aptly titled Taxi), prison/institution reform (I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, Mayor of Hell), optimism in FDR and The New Deal (Heroes for Sale and some musicals), freedom of speech/press, and bigotry (Black Legion). As WW2 approached, Warner Bros. were ahead of the curve in pivoting to address global concerns, and called “the only studio with any guts.” In making movies like Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), they were motivated by a greater responsibility to educate people about the presence, effects and dangers of prejudice, antisemitism and nationalism.
night2
Yogerst writes about the studio’s responses to criticism that they glamorized criminals in their “bread and butter” genre, gangster films. Harry Warner said these movies always showed that crime never pays; they also featured G-Man heroes or redeemable criminals with an honourable streak, or, as in Night Nurse (1931), showed us underworld figures defending society in its own ways and by its own “laws.” Yogerst describes how the studio transferred some of their patented gangster/rebel appeal to its westerns, costume/period films and even a Shakespeare adaptation. Even under the limits of the Production Code, they continued to push boundaries by mocking moral crusaders and sticking to risque subject matter.
Harry Warner had such a strong faith in new technology, and a firm belief in the potential of movies to reflect main street concerns and be a transformative cultural force. Warner Bros. may have been the only company without a newsreel, but they were considered the best at capitalizing on and dramatizing the news (and generously used headlines in their movies). This book provides an educational and accessible look at how they developed that talent and reputation, along with some great stories about real people and events, the making and reception of the fabulous films we enjoy as a result. It would also make a great introduction to any film newbie who thinks old studio product is hopelessly dated or tame.
Chris Yogerst was kind enough to answer some of my questions and share thoughts on his work:
Q: What would you say was the “seed” idea for this book? Was there one specific movie, event or story that captured your interest and started you looking deeper into this period and this studio?
Chris Yogerst: From the Headlines to Hollywood has several origins for me. First, my interest in the history of Warner Bros. began with my appreciation for Martin Scorsese. I’ve long been a big fan of his work and when I learned that he was deeply influenced by the studio’s classic gangster films it made me curious to learn more. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with the films of James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Barbara Stanwyck, and the rest of the early Warner stars. I began writing about the artistic influence of films like The Public Enemy and G-Men on Scorsese’s work when I was a master’s student.
This brings me to the next reason for this work, which is my interest what is often called the Hollywood Studio Era. The more I learned about the history of every studio the more enthralled by the history I became. I read books like Thomas Schatz’s The Genius of the System, Douglas Gomery’s The Hollywood Studio System: A History, and Tino Balio’s Grand Design. These are all excellent books that should be read by every fan of American film history. Each of these studies deals with Hollywood as a whole, which only leaves so much room to focus on a single studio. What I wanted was more depth on the Warner Bros. films and production practices that, for me, stood out from the others in many ways.
Finally, when I began digging for information on Warner Bros. I learned that their films mirrored the real world in interesting ways. Many books refer to how Warner Bros. films are “ripped from the headlines,” but very few spend time showing how they did that. For this study I looked at not just the films and studio archives, but the newspapers of the day as well as public speeches given by Jack and Harry Warner that provide insight into why they were interested in this headline-driven production method. Originally, this book was going to cover the studio into the 1950s but when I began to find vast amounts of great material I knew it had to be more than one book. This also allowed me the space to begin the book with an overview of the Warner family and their beginnings in the industry before really taking off in 1927. I ended the book at the end of 1941 because that marked the insurgence of many war films, which is where my next book begins and continues to 1956.
Q: I learned a lot about the real-world inspiration for many of these movies, and enjoyed reading about things like the real “Nails” who was killed by a horse (as seen in The Public Enemy), a Nazi attack on a studio employee, the lawsuit from the KKK (about patent violation of all things) over Black Legion, or Howard Hughes taking issue with the similarities of Warner’s The Dawn Patrol to his Hell’s Angels. What was your favourite source material or “making of” story in the book?
CY: They Won’t Forget (based on the Leo Frank case). Reading through the newspaper archives regarding the trial and lynching of Leo Frank was fascinating. I found dozens of articles from 1913-1915 and read them in historical order so I could get a sense of what it was like to learn about this case as someone reading at the time. When I finished the last articles and learned that the story ended with frontier justice, I was completely floored. Of course anyone who was coming of age during those years and saw They Won’t Forget in the 1930s would have certainly made the connection to the Frank case and seen it’s relevance in a pre-World War II society.
Q: Did you gain a new appreciation for someone you now consider an underrated star, filmmaker or other figure at Warner Bros.?
CY: Yes! Ruby Keeler. She was often cast next to a larger starlet and was always a great supporting character. However, there are many films in which she is a true scene-stealer. It’s too bad she didn’t work in Hollywood longer.
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One of the main goals for this book was also to provide additional coverage on Jack and Harry Warner who were vocal figures in the industry in many areas beyond filmmaking (their brother Sam died in 1927 and Albert was more of a quiet partner). From what I’ve learned about Harry Warner, it’s clear to me that he may be one of the most respectable figures in film history. Both as a studio president and family man, Harry led by example in ways that many studio moguls (inducing his brother Jack) could not.
Q: Which of the films discussed in the book do you think Warner Bros. did the best job on, in terms of addressing an issue and creating a culturally important piece of art?
CY: While I feel that all of the films I looked at had some amount of cultural significance, there are certain ones that are impossible to forget after watching them. A short list of unforgettable early Warner Bros. films would be The Public Enemy, I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, Three on a Match, Gold Diggers of 1933, Black Legion, and They Won’t Forget. Each one of these films cuts deep into an issue that was pressing at the time. From crime to the massive economic crisis to the rise of the new KKK known as the Black Legion and the unrest in Europe, these films are amazing pieces of art that accomplish exactly what they set out to do. These films were already entertaining and shocking to me before to me before researching the time period. The more I learn about this era the more incredible these films became.
Q: What would you hope is the main takeaway from this book, and what are your thoughts on why classic movies are important to explore and appreciate?
CY: Most of all, I believe we can learn more from film history than just production practices and Hollywood gossip. This is why I’ve always been drawn to cultural history – it’s the context of the films that give them weight. When we look at Warner Bros.’ movies of the 1930s we can see that the studio was engaging in a tense and polarized culture (not unlike our own today). Popular culture can become an important outlet for cultural fear, frustration, and fascination. We can look at old films and easily spot the differences from one era to another in terms of style, architecture, dialogue, etc. However, when we look closer, classic films may show us that past generations have dealt with similar issues that we may be facing today. Right now a huge issue is racism and prejudice, which is similar to the Warner’s (and Hollywood’s) focus on fighting anti-Semitism and any other form of religious persecution in the 1930s. I always tell my students that movies are a window into another time period (James Stewart described movies more eloquently as “pieces of time”). When looking back at film history with a critical eye, we can learn that while time has passed we can still relate to a generation that lived before we were even born.