New Museum Exhibit
Of Paramount Importance
Over the past 18 months the Hollywood Heritage Museum
has been carefully collecting a number of items pertaining to the early history
of Paramount Pictures. To tie in with the 90th Anniversary of the release of The
Squaw Man, an exhibit of these items, many one-of-a-kind, is now on
display.
The “official” birth of
Paramount is given by the studio as 1912, when co-founder Adolph Zukor started
his Famous Players Company in New York. In 1913, the other co-founders, Cecil
B. DeMille, Jesse L. Lasky, and Sam Goldfish (later Goldwyn) started the Jesse
L. Lasky Studios in Hollywood at the Jacob Stern barn, where the museum is
located today. On December 27, 1913, they started production there, at Selma
Avenue and Vine Street, on The Squaw Man, which was released in March
1914.
Paramount Pictures Distribution Co. was formed in 1914 by
W. W. Hodgkinson, and by 1915 was distributing the two producing companies’
films. In 1916, the two would merge to form Famous Players-Lasky Co., and then,
led by the aggressive Zukor, they bought Paramount. Hence the ads from 1915
through the 20s would often show various combinations of the names. Goldfish
left shortly after the merger in 1916 to form Goldwyn Pictures with Edgar
Selwyn and would then adopt the company name as his own, a combination of
Goldfish and Selwyn.
The actual merging of the elements that became Paramount
Pictures as we know it today began in 1916 with the individual pieces created
between 1912 and 1915. DeMille had a plaque made for the barn calling it the “Birthplace of Paramount Pictures,” and who are we to argue with C.B.? The
Squaw Man was also the first feature film produced in Hollywood, features
having been around since only 1912, so its release in 1914 was of tremendous
importance to the histories of Paramount, Hollywood, and the movies in general.
This exhibit will look back at this early history, which was of “Paramount” importance.
In addition to our collection of DeMille props and weapons
from The Ten Commandments (1956), The Crusades, King of Kings (1927),
Cleopatra (1934), The Sign of the Cross, and Samson and
Delilah, we’ve added new items. These include an original release poster
from Samson and Delilah (one of only two items on loan to the museum)
and a rare poster advertising the world premiere of The Crusades (1935)
at Loew’s Astor Theater in New York City, with an art deco Richard the
Lion-hearted illustrated in outline.
Another rarity is a collection of Paramount Week posters,
a program started in 1919. During the first week in September until at least
the early 1940s, theaters that featured Paramount movies participated in this
annual promotion. Original posters from Paramount Weeks in 1922, 1926, 1936,
and 1939 are on display, along with a very rare Paramount Distribution poster
from 1915 or 1916, created prior to the merger. Each design is different and
reflects the style of the time. The rare nature of these posters is caused not
just by their age, but that they were used to promote films for one week only
and then discarded (a regular film poster could be saved for a later screening
or go to another theater). The Crusades poster is the only one known to
exist, even more surprising is that it survived at all, as it was made for one
theater and only one day!
Magazine ads were another popular method of marketing the
Paramount name and film programs. On display are ads from 1915 to the ’40s
covering a wide range of subjects. Some highlight the extensive Paramount
theater chain, while others speak of the quality and wholesomeness of a movie
by Paramount. After sound came in, ads changed to highlight a particular film
or star. In all cases there is outstanding artwork and graphics used for the
ads, most of which are 10” x 13.5”. The ad copy itself is often funny in
today’s comparisons, but at the same time heroic in how the movies and Paramount
portrayed their merits to society at the time. To see how much the world has
changed in 80 years, for better or worse, these ads are a marvelous time
capsule, both in their content and their artistic design.
Other materials are on display from sheet music for
Paramount’s “silent” movies to promotional items (including fans handed out to
cool patrons in pre-air-conditioned theaters), original advertising samples
from 1929-30, movie programs and photographs. Movie herald’s handed out to
patrons as they entered the theater to “explain” the film and promote coming
attractions are also on display. Recent arrivals include several from 1914-1918
such as an original 1914 herald for The Squaw Man. Another new
acquisition was an original photograph of the interior of the Barn as the
Paramount Studio gym from circa 1928, the oldest photo we have seen of the
interior, as well as the most complete view of it.
A special case is filled with a tribute to Paramount’s
greatest star, Bob Hope. Included are original photos of Bob “wrestling” in the
Barn during its gym days, USO photos, ads for films and endorsements made to
promote companies and his latest Paramount release and unique magazine articles. Also on display is a very rare set of
recordings, in their original book/binder that Bob Hope recorded for the armed
forces, a different album for each branch of the service, along with the
Capitol Records newsletter touting their release, his first on Capitol. Also
included is a large (16”) Armed Forces Radio Network recording, which was sent
to Network stations during WWII with Bob Hope comedy routines, still in its
original protective sleeve. Records of this size and age are rare due to their
fragility and the military had no requirements to save these after the war. All
of these records are in mint condition. An additional “item of interest” is a
large 3-sheet (81” x 41”) poster of Bob Hope’s hit film Here Come The Girls (1953)
on loan from the Debbie Reynolds Collection.
The exhibit also
benefits from a collection of several items from the studio of an original
founder, Samuel Goldwyn, later to become Warner-Hollywood Studios, now called “The Lot” (before Goldwyn it was the Pickford-Fairbanks and United Artists
studios). This generous donation includes items from the early 1930s such as
movie lights, a lighting dimmer board, all labeled “SG”, and a reflector light
and stand from the Mirisch Company. To this we have added a 1923 Goldwyn Week
poster that appears to have emulated the Paramount Week idea.
A note on all of our posters. They have been
professionally cleaned, deacidified, and archivally mounted on linen backing.
Careful restoration was done to repair any damage with printing faults kept
intact. All restoration work has been performed by Hollywood Movie Poster Gallery
in Van Nuys. Many other items, old and new are on display at the museum, so if
you haven’t visited us before or if you haven’t been back in a while, now is
the time. Remember, members and a guest are admitted free and parking is free.
What better deal is there?
Special thanks to Bob Hope’s daughter, Linda Hope, and the Bob and Dolores Hope Foundation for providing the grant to help with the exhibit. Originally planned as a display case on Bob Hope, we decided to expand on that idea as Hope was Paramount’s biggest star for over 20 years. Hence the overall exhibit on Paramount from its earliest days to the Hope era, ending when Paramount became “Hope-less.” The Hope grant helped to make this exhibit possible both in idea and content, and Hollywood Heritage is deeply grateful to Linda Hope and the Hope family and staff for their support with this exhibition, which is of Paramount importance.