The key to the success of the Big Five studios during the Golden Age of Hollywood was that each studio controlled every aspect of the movie making process. The Big Five, which includes MGM, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., and RKO, produced, distributed, and exhibited the movies in their own theaters. However, the dominance of the Big Five studios limited the availibility that had surfaced in independent filmmakers. Because of vertical intergration, it was practically impossible for new filmmakers to have their movies made, much less seen by audiences. This lack the studios' new material and creativity threatened to make the movies of each studio indistinguishable to audiences. Yet, studios solved this dilemma utilizing the "studio system".
Using the studio system, each studio enlisted the same Hollywood stars so as to promote their movies. Stars were key to the success of the Classical Era, as it helped to bring in audiences as well as distinguish each studio from the next. Therefore, each studio began to specialize in a certain genre and develop its own style of movie that would fit its array of stars. If a studio had a star that was a dancer, then that studio would often make musicals. If a studio had a comedian under its roof, it would be sure to produce comedies. This helped audiences who were fans of specific genres and movie stars know which theaters to attend. This certainly helped moviegoers tell the difference between studios and made Hollywood less bland and more diverse.
For instance, Paramount paired singer Bing Crosby and comedian Bob Hope and followed in producing buddy movies in which the duo both starred. Paramount found huge success with Crosby and Hope's "Road to..." series. To serve as the perfect vehicle for crooner and the comedian, the series of movies included many songs and were full of joke telling. Audiences knew that a movie with Crosby and Hope would make use of both men's talents. Therefore, audiences who were fans of that genre or the two entertainers would be certain to attend and invest their money in Paramount theaters. Each studio could be defined by the style of movie they specialized in as well as the stars it had under its belt. Movies did not have top notch production if it had popular movie stars in them. Each studio could have moviegoers streaming through the theater doors if that studio had a wide array of Hollywood stars under its wings.
Road to Morocco:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_w3UG6C_Mo
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