In the early 1900s, the American film industry was a chaotic battleground of patent lawsuits as Thomas Edison fought to eliminate his competitors. His struggle for control culminated in December 1908, when he formed the Motion Picture Patents Company with nine other firms. Known as the Edison Trust, this group used aggressive tactics against independent filmmakers, seizing any unlicensed cameras or projectors it could find. The Trust forced anyone who wanted to make a movie to pay a fee. It even limited films to one or two reels, believing audiences lacked the attention span for anything longer. For ambitious filmmakers, the East Coast was becoming impossible.
How Hollywood Was Built
How independent filmmakers escaping Thomas Edison's patent trust settled in Hollywood, built the studio system and feature films, and came to dominate world cinema after the First World War.
Chapter 1
The Edison Trust
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did filmmakers move to Hollywood?
Early filmmakers moved to Hollywood primarily to escape the Motion Picture Patents Company, or 'Edison Trust'. This East Coast monopoly used aggressive legal and physical tactics to control the industry. Hollywood offered distance from the Trust's lawyers, along with abundant sunshine and diverse filming locations.
What was the first movie studio in Hollywood?
The first permanent movie studio in Hollywood was the Nestor Motion Picture Company, opened by David Horsley on October 27, 1911. He converted a rented roadhouse called the Blondeau Tavern on Sunset Boulevard into a functional film stage.
Was the Hollywood sign always a symbol for the movies?
No, the sign was originally a temporary real estate advertisement. Erected in 1923, it initially read 'Hollywoodland' to promote a new housing development. It was only intended to last 18 months, and the 'LAND' portion was not removed until 1949.
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