Watch: Warner Bros’ 100 Years of Storytelling Oscars Montage Video
by Alex Billington
March 13, 2023
Source: YouTube
“One studio, and countless stories… Every story, no matter its size, is worthy of being told.” This weekend during the 95th Academy Awards ceremony, the Burbank-based movie studio Warner Bros aired another promo video for its 100th Anniversary celebration. Back in December, the iconic Hollywood corporation kicked off their 100th birthday party with a much longer “sizzle reel” video, featuring footage from movies from their past and upcoming releases. This version that aired during the Oscars is similar, cut down to only 90 seconds (hey it’s expensive to buy time during the Oscars). This is part of their big “Celebrating Every Story” campaign – with local events, screenings of WB favorites, and much more over the next few months. WB first incorporated on April 4th, 1923 as “Warner Brothers Classics of the Screen” and launched with the movie Where the North Begins starring the dog Rin Tin Tin in 1923. I love that this video includes a shot of Gizmo from Gremlins – he’s truly a beloved, classic Warner Bros character. Check out the WB spot below.
Founded in 1923 by four brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner, the company established itself as a leader in the American film industry for decades. The company’s name originated from the founding Warner brothers (originally born Wonsal, Woron and Wonskolaser before Anglicization): Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner. Harry, Albert and Sam emigrated as young children with their Polish-Jewish mother to the United States from Krasnosielc, Poland, in October 1889, a year after their father emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. As the studio prospered, it gained backing from Wall Street, and in 1924 Goldman Sachs arranged for a major loan. With this new money, the Warners bought the pioneer Vitagraph Company which had a nationwide distribution system. During the transition from silent to talkies, WB was actually the studio that decided to release The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson in 1927, known as the iconic movie that forever changed Hollywood, ending the silent era once and for all. The rest is history, as they say.
You can also rewatch the original 100 years sizzle reel that debuted in December for another #WB100 video.
