Timeline: 1920 to 1929

In Germany, UFa begins building Europe’s most modern sound–film studios.   Bringing together the Radio Corporation of American, the Keith Orpheum theater chain, and American Pathè, a new motion picture company is founded. Radio–Keith–Orpheum, or RKO, has chosen as its logo a giant radio tower perched atop the world, to…

Great Britain enacts “The Quota Act”. It stipulates that 7.5% of the films screened in domestic theaters must be made in Great Britain.   The success of the sound film, “The Jazz Singer”, throws the movie business into turmoil.   Many movies begin to be made in multiple versions: silent…

Eastman Kodak begins to aggressively promote the use of its panchromatic negative film stock to movie professionals. The panchromatic film, unlike the older orthochromatic stock, is capable of reproducing proper tonal values across the full visible color spectrum, including red, but until now had been more expensive than the older…

The Hungarian film director, Mihaly Kertesz, arrives from Europe to begin making films at Warner Bros. He is to be known as Michael Curtiz.   Using their new Vitaphone sound system, Warner Bros. presents a two and a half hour program consisting of a number of musical shorts and the…

D.W. Griffith reaches an agreement that releases him from his contract with United Artists.   Samuel Goldwyn signs a contract with United Artists to supply from two to four films a year.   Warner Bros. takes over the Vitagraph Company of America. As part of the agreement, Warner Bros. inherits…

Harry Cohn, his brother Jack Cohn, and Joe Brandt found Columbia Pictures.   Marcus Loew, the head of “Loew’s Inc.” and “Metro Pictures”, and Louis B. Mayer, the head of “Goldwyn Pictures Corporation”, merge their companies to form Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer (MGM). While Marcus Loew continues as president of the parent company…

The German director, Ernst Lubitsch, has come to Hollywood to pursue his career. His first film, produced by Mary Pickford, is “Rosita”.   Significant Films: Universal releases, The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, starring Lon Chaney. Cecil B. DeMille’s, “The Ten Commandments”, is released. It is two and a half hours…

Studios located in and near Hollywood are now producing 84% of the films being made in the U.S.   The famous film comedian, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, is finally cleared of all charges in the death of a young actress. However, he is nearly bankrupt and Paramount Pictures pulls all of…

The Capitol Theater in New York City seating 8,000, becomes the biggest cinema in the world.   The number of films made by German production companies rises to 600.   The famous film comedian, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, is arrested on a charge of homicide, causing a nationwide scandal.   Paramount…

The theater chain, Loew’s Incorporated, takes over Metro Pictures Corporation.   Louis B. Mayer sets up Louis B. Mayer Productions Incorporated in New York.   Mary Pickford marries Douglas Fairbanks.   D.W. Griffith sells shares in the new “D.W. Griffith Corporation” in order to finance his new studios at Mamaroneck…