While audiences today know the major studios as the behemoths they are, most all of them had humble beginnings. This week, we’ll take a look at Twentieth Century Fox, which is currently scheduled to be acquired by The Walt Disney Company.
Twentieth Century Fox is actually the result of a merger between two studios- Twentieth Century Pictures and Fox Film Corporation. The older of the two studios was Fox Film Corporation, which was founded by William Fox.
Unlike other film moguls, William Fox wasn’t a showman. His skills were more entrepreneurial. He could have entered any field, but he chose show business, buying a small theater and parlaying it into a theater chain. Eager to get more films to exhibit, he created his own studio- the Fox Film Corporation- in 1915.
The studio was founded in New Jersey, but it quickly moved out west, chased away by Thomas Edison’s overzealous patent enforcement. The temperate climate found in Southern California, while not the biggest reason for the studio exodus, was icing on the cake. William grew his studio out west, setting up newsreel operations and becoming one of the first picture companies to fully embrace sound. William Fox’s operation was seemingly unstoppable. Mr. Fox was even investing in other studios- he purchased a large stake in MGM, which angered studio boss Louis B. Mayer.
Unfortunately, the MGM stock purchase and two crashes would severely weaken William’s empire. He was involved in a horrific automobile accident which was his fault, then the stock market crashed, further weakening his finances. A chain of events that would lead to a shotgun marriage between two movie studios.
