Editing Sam Warner (section)

===Formation of Warner Bros.===
In 1910, the Warner brothers pooled their resources and moved into film production.<ref name="Warner73">Warner and Jennings (1964), p. 73.</ref>  After they sold their business,<ref name="sperling46">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 46</ref> the brothers lent their support to filmmaker [[Carl Laemmle]]'s [[Independent Moving Pictures|Independent Moving Pictures Company]], which challenged the monopolistic control of the Edison Trust;<ref name="thomas29">Thomas (1990), p. 29.</ref> the brothers served as distributors for Laemmle's films in Pittsburgh.<ref name="sperling46" />  In 1912, Sam would help the brothers earn a $1,500 profit with his film ''Dante's Inferno''.<ref name="sperling4748">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 47-48</ref> In the wake of this success, Harry Warner, seeing Edison's monopoly threat grow, decided to break with Laemmle<ref name="sperling46" /> and had the brothers start their own film production company, Warner Features.<ref name="sperling51">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 51</ref>  After this occurred, Harry Warner, who now had an office in New York with brother Albert,<ref name="sperling54">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 54</ref> sent Sam and Jack to establish film exchanges in [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Francisco]];<ref name="thomas29" /> Sam would run the company's Los Angeles division while Jack ran the company's San Francisco division.<ref name="sperling54" />  The brothers were soon poised to exploit the expanding California movie market.<ref name="thomas29"/>  Their first opportunity to produce a major film came in 1918, when they purchased the film rights for My Four Years in Germany, a bestselling semi autobiographical account by Ambassador [[James W. Gerard]] that condemned German wartime atrocities.<ref name="thomas34-35">Thomas (1990), pp. 34–35.</ref>  Profits from the success of ''[[My Four Years in Germany]]'' gave the four brothers the opportunity to establish a studio in the area near [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]].<ref name="sperling66">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 66</ref>  In the new Hollywood studio, Warner became co-head of production along with his younger brother, Jack.<ref name="Warner100-101">Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 100–101.</ref>  In this capacity, the two brothers secured new scripts and storylines, managed film production, and looked for ways to reduce production costs.<ref name="thomas34-35" />

Between 1919 and 1920, the studio was not profitable.<ref name="sperling71">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 71</ref> During this time, banker Motley H. Flint—who, unlike most bankers at the time, was not [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]]—<ref name="sperling72">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 72</ref> helped the Warners pay off their debts.<ref name="sperling72" /> The brothers then decided to relocate their production studio from Culver City to Sunset Boulevard.<ref name="thomas38">Thomas (1990), pp. 38.</ref>  The studio would also rebound in 1921, after the success of the studio's film ''[[Why Girls Leave Home (1921 film)|Why Girls Leave Home]]''.<ref name="sperling73">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 73</ref> With the film's success, director [[Harry Rapf]] was appointed the studio's new head producer.<ref name="thomas38"/> On April 4, 1923, following the studio's successful film ''[[Where the North Begins]]'',<ref name="sperling76">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 76</ref> Warner Brothers, Inc. was officially established.<ref name="sperling77">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 77</ref>

One of the new company's first big stars would be the dog [[Rin Tin Tin]].<ref name="sperling81">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 81</ref>  By directing Rin Tin Tin, newcomer director [[Daryl Zanuck]]'s career would be greatly advanced.<ref name="thomas45">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|year=1990|pages=45|isbn=0-07-064259-1}}</ref>  In addition to Rin Tin Tin, the studio was also able to gain more success with German film director [[Ernst Lubitsch]], whose first film with the studio, ''[[The Marriage Circle]]'', reached the New York Times Ten Best Films List of 1924.<ref name="sperling83">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 83</ref> The film was also the studio's most financially successful film of the year<ref name="sperling83" /> and helped establish Lubitsch as the studio's top director.<ref name="sperling82">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 82</ref>  The Warners were also able to add another film to the New York Times Ten Best Films List with ''[[Beau Brummel (1924 film)|Beau Brummel]]''.<ref name="sperling84">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 84</ref>  Despite the studio's success, the Warners were unable to compete with Paramount, Universal, and First National (The Big Three),<ref name="+NHAR(*">{{cite news|title=Theatre Owners Open War on Hays|newspaper=The New York Times|pages=14|date=May 12, 1925}}</ref> and were soon threatened to be bought out by the end of 1924.<ref name="sperling8485">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), ''Hollywood Be Thy Name'' p. 84-85, Prima Publishing, ISN:1559583436</ref>

During this time, Harry Warner would provide more relief for the studio after he was able to purchase Brooklyn's [[Vitagraph Studios]].<ref name="sperling86">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), ''Hollywood Be Thy Name'' p. 86, Prima Publishing, ISN:1559583436</ref>  In 1925, Sam Warner had also acquired a radio station, [[KFWB]].<ref name="sperling89">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 89.</ref> After acquiring the radio station, Sam decided to make an attempt to use synchronized sound in future Warner Bros. Pictures.<ref name="sperling90">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 90.</ref>  After a visit to Western Electric's Bell Laboratories headquarters,<ref name="sperling92">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 92.</ref> Sam Warner urged his brother, Harry, to sign an agreement with [[Western Electric]] to develop a series of "talking" shorts using the newly upgraded [[sound-on-film]] technology, a sound-on-disc system for motion pictures.<ref name="thomas52-55">Thomas (1990), 52–55;</ref>  Harry Warner, however, objected to using synchronized sound in the studio's films.<ref name="sperling94">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 94.</ref>

By February 1926, the studio had suffered a net loss of $333,413.<ref name="Freedland27">{{cite book|last=Freedland|first=Michael|title=The Warner Brothers|year=1983|publisher=St. Martin's Press|pages=119|isbn=0-312-85620-2}}</ref>  Harry Warner ultimately agreed to use synchronized sound in Warner Bros. shorts if it was used only for [[soundtrack|background music]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |author2=Millner, Cork |author3=Warner, Jack |author4= Warner, Jack Jr. |title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|date=January 1998 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=94|isbn=0-8131-0958-2}}</ref>  Harry Warner then made a visit to Western Electric's Bell Laboratories in New York and was impressed.<ref name=thomas5354>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner|publisher=McGraw-Hill|year=1990|pages=54|isbn=0-07-064259-1}}</ref> One problem confronting the Warners though was that the high-ups at Western Electric were antisemitic.<ref name=thomas5354 />  Sam Warner, however, was able to convince the high-ups to sign with the studio after his wife Lina, who was not Jewish, wore a gold cross at a dinner they attended with the Western Electric brass.<ref name=thomas5354 />  Harry Warner then signed a partnership agreement with [[Western Electric]] to use Bell Laboratories to test the sound-on-film process.<ref>{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |author2=Millner, Cork |author3=Warner, Jack |author4= Warner, Jack Jr. |title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|date=January 1998 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=94–95|isbn=0-8131-0958-2}}</ref>  Warner and younger brother Jack then decided to take a big step forward and make ''[[Don Juan (1926 film)|Don Juan]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |author2=Millner, Cork |author3=Warner, Jack |author4= Warner, Jack Jr. |title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|date=January 1998 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=102|isbn=0-8131-0958-2}}</ref>

In May 1926,<ref name="S(*(">{{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,731079,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125031810/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,731079,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=November 25, 2010 | magazine=Time | title=Milestones: Oct. 17, 1927 | date=October 17, 1927 | access-date=May 23, 2010}}</ref> through the company's partnership with Western Electric, Sam formed a subsidiary known as [[Vitaphone]].<ref name="HBTHYNA66989io">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 95.</ref>  Through Vitaphone, the studio released a series of musical shorts and the feature-length ''[[Don Juan (1926 film)|Don Juan]]'' (which had a synchronized music track); upon establishing Vitaphone, Sam was also made Vice President of Warner Bros.<ref name="S(*(" />  Despite the money ''Don Juan'' was able to draw at the box office, it still could not match the expensive budget the brothers put into the film's production.<ref>{{cite book|last=Warner-Sperling|first=Cass |author2=Millner, Cork |author3=Warner, Jack |author4= Warner, Jack Jr. |title=Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story|date=January 1998 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky|pages=113|isbn=0-8131-0958-2}}</ref>  These vehicles received further tepid responses, and Harry grew increasingly opposed to the venture.

Around this time, Paramount head Adolph Zukor offered Sam a deal as an executive producer for his studio if he brought Vitaphone with him;<ref name="HBTHYNA1414">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 114.</ref> during the year, Harry had also become the company president.<ref name=milestones>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,863684-1,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011175648/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,863684-1,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 11, 2011|title=Milestones|date=1958-08-04|magazine=Time|pages=2}}</ref> Sam Warner, not wanting to take any more of brother Harry's refusal to move forward with using sound in future Warner films, agreed to accept Zukor's offer, but the deal between them died after Paramount lost money in the wake of [[Rudolph Valentino]]'s death.<ref name="HBTHYNA1414" /> By April 1927, First National, Paramount, MGM, Universal, and [[Cecil B. De Mille]]'s Producers Distributing (the Big Five studios) had put the Warners in financial ruin. Western Electric renewed the Warner-Vitaphone contract on the term that Western Electric was no longer exclusive, allowing other film companies to test sound.<ref name="thomas59">Thomas (1990), p. 59.</ref>  Harry Warner eventually agreed to accept Sam's demands.<ref name="HBTHYNA116">Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 116.</ref> The Warner brothers pushed ahead with ''[[The Jazz Singer]]'', a new Vitaphone feature based on a Broadway play and starring [[Al Jolson]]. ''The Jazz Singer'' broke box-office records, establishing Warner Bros. as a major player in Hollywood and single-handedly launching the talkie revolution.