The film industry was affected by World War II; movie theater attendance rose dramatically. By 1930, eight large companies dominated the film industry. The Big Five were Paramount, Loew's, Fox, Warner Bros., and RKO. The Little Three were Universal, Columbia, and United Artists. It is amazing how Universal has become one of the top film industries today. It is also shocking that almost all of these companies are still on top of the film industry. .
Sound and the Depression significantly changed the way theaters presented movies. By 1930 most theaters showed only filmed entertainment. Due to the Depression managers had to bring in extra income so they decided to sell candy, popcorn, etc. Attendance expanded during World War II but the double feature and concession stands remained. I think they should have put concession stands in the theaters to begin with. Right away they would have extra income and they wouldn't have to rely on just the movie. .
During the 1930's and 1940's advances in filmmaking continued. Methods of sound recording improved steadily. By 1932 actors no longer had to move gingerly or to slowly enunciate their dialogue. Many early sound films contained camera movements, but to execute them, filmmakers often had to shoot silent and add sound later or create elaborate means to move the camera booth. The solution was a camera support that was both strong and mobile. In 1932 the Bell & Howell Rotambulator was introduced. This could raise the camera vertically and the operator could pan, tilt, or track easily. Color filmmaking was the most striking innovation of this era. Technicolor's ability to produce bright, saturated colors suggested that, for some film, the extra cost was justified. I don't understand why they didn't deal with the extra cost to begin with. Color would have made movies much more interesting to watch. Back projection was a good idea to save money, but I feel that in old movies this technique appears to be very fake.
