One of the big movie studios that often pushes out high-quality movies and TV shows is Warner Brothers.
Because Warner Brothers is also behind some great animated movies and shows, it’s sometimes easy to believe that the studio is owned by Disney. This is especially true when considering how many studios and intellectual properties Disney has bought thus far.
Here’s some facts about Warner Brothers and whether Disney owns it or not.
Is Warner Brothers Owned by Disney?
It can be simple to assume that Warner Brothers is owned by Disney because the studio has produced numerous excellent animated films and television shows. Given how many studios and intellectual properties Disney has so far acquired, this is particularly true.
No, Disney does not own Warner Brothers. It’s a separate studio from Disney and has its own various intellectual properties. Although Disney doesn’t own Warner Brothers currently, it did almost buy a part of Warner Brothers. Back in 2021, Disney was considering buying the DC Comics part of the studio. The offer fell flat, however, and Disney hasn’t pursued the idea since. Considering that Disney owns Marvel, the idea that they also could have owned DC could have led to some mind-bending crossovers.
Warner Brothers is part of the WarnerMedia Studios & Networks Group. Its studio is independent of Disney, and it boasts a variety of unique intellectual properties. Disney nearly acquired a portion of Warner Brothers, despite the fact that it does not already control the company.
Also, Disney was considering purchasing the DC Comics division of the studio back in 2021. Disney, however, hasn’t explored the idea since the deal fizzled. Interestingly, Disney owns Marvel, therefore the possibility that they also owned DC may have resulted in some bizarre crossovers. A member of the WarnerMedia Studios & Networks Group is Warner Brothers.
Who Started Warner Brothers?
As its name might suggest, it was a group of brothers who started the film studio.
The original Warner Brothers creators were the Warner brothers themselves, Harry, Albert, Samual, and Jack Warner. Most of the brothers lived briefly in Poland before their family immigrated to the United States. Their father, in particular, was a Polish cobbler and peddler. His name was Benjamin Eichelbaum, but the sons decided to change their names to Warner.
The brothers first showcased their interest in movies by showing them at traveling shows. They’d take the movie reels that they could afford and set themselves up in a makeshift theatre. After they finished showing the movie, they’d pack up and head on to the next town. They showed movies from Ohio to Pennsylvania, making the rounds. Once they had enough money, they started to buy movie theatres. In 1903, they started buying up theatres. This enabled them to stay in one place and let the theatres generate money for them. With their theatres in place, they were able to transition into film distribution. It was about 10 years later, in 1913, when they started to produce their own films.
The Origin of Warner Brothers Studios
Although the brothers had always had an interest in movies, they didn’t start producing films until 1913. They made the trip to Hollywood, California where they established their production headquarters. In 1923, Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. became official. Harry Warner, the eldest brother, took the lead as president of the company. He kept his headquarters in New York City. Albert Warner became the studio’s treasurer. He was in charge of sales and distributing films and resources. The youngest two brothers, Sam and Jack, managed the studio in Hollywood.
Warner Brothers Studios did not invent movies with sound, but they did play an integral role in their evolution. When Warner Brothers first got started in the business, silent films were king. Although some studios had dabbled with sound, they had been complete failures. There was an almost passionate refusal to include sound in movies. There were several reasons for this. For one, the experiments from the past showed that audiences and studios did not appreciate movies with sound. They were financial disasters that ran some studios into the ground. There was also the cost of transitioning movie theatres into using sound.
At that time, movie theatres weren’t independent. Studios owned them and only showed their produced films in those theatres. The studio would have to take on the cost themselves if they wanted to make the transition. The cost of doing so drove most away. There was also the question of what was going to happen to the musicians who played in the theatres. During silent movies, theatres had orchestras or musicians playing along with the movie. If movies suddenly had sound, then their services wouldn’t be needed anymore. There was also the question of what to do with actors and actresses whose entire identity revolved around the silent cinema. They weren’t trained for talking or dialogue. It could put them out of work, too. All these reasons kept most studios from wanting to
pursue movies with sound. Warner Brothers, however, had an interest in it. They partnered with Bell Telephone Laboratories to create Vitaphone. Through Vitaphone, they were able to synchronize sound with a movie.
They started their experiment off small. Their first film with sound, Don Juan, was released in 1926 and featured music rather than dialogue. Everything else was silent except for the musical score. The film met some success, so Warner Brothers produced another film. In 1927, they released The Jazz Singer. This was the first film that featured synchronized dialogue. Unfortunately, Sam Warner died just 24 hours before the movie premiered. Despite that, The Jazz Singer was a success. Warner Brothers had proven that talkies were the future of cinema.
What Are Some of Warner Brothers Studios’ Big Hits?
With the introduction of talking films, Warner Brothers saw a lot of success. During the 1930s, they were producing about 100 films a year. They even ended up owning 360 theatres in the US with another 400 across the world. During that time, Warner Brothers had some big hits. In particular, they started the gangster craze for mafia-related films. Some of their biggest hits were Little Caesar, The Public Enemy, and Scarface (1932). They also had musicals led by Busby Berkeley. They produced several action-packed movies that featured Errol Flynn. Perhaps one of the most famous things to come out of the 1930s, in particular, was the release of its animated short film series called The Looney Tunes. The Looney Tunes was a direct competitor to the animated films from Disney.
It’s often why the two studios are sometimes confused with one another or why one believes that one studio owns another. The Looney Tunes have persisted to this day with several films and TV shows released including them. The 1940s and 50s also saw releases of famous films. Some of the biggest hits included Casablanca, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Rebel Without a Cause. At this time, Warner Brothers were looking at getting into television. In the 1950s, in particular, it was more and more common for everyday families to have TVs in their homes.
They released a few shows in the ’50s like Cheyenne, Maverick, and 77 Sunset Strip. It was also during the 1950s that Jack Warner became the new president of the studio. He had been serving as Vice President until then. When his elder brother retired, he took over the role. He’d continue as President until 1972 when he retired.
Did Warner Brothers Invent Movies With Sound?
Though they didn’t create sound in movies, Warner Brothers Studios did play a significant part in their development. Silent films ruled the industry when Warner Brothers originally got their start. Despite some studios’ attempts, those attempts at sound were a total failure. Films without sound were rejected with a fervor that bordered on passion. This could be attributed to a number of factors. One reason for this is that previous studies revealed that audiences and studios did not prefer silent films. Some studios went bankrupt as a result of these financial catastrophes. Costs associated with converting movie theatres to sound were also incurred. Those were the days before independent movie theatres. The theatres were owned by the studios, who only screened their own films there.
If the studio wanted to make the switch, they would have to cover the expense themselves. The cost of doing so kept the majority away. What would happen to the musicians who performed in the theaters was another concern. In theatres showing silent films, orchestras or musicians would play background music. Their services would no longer be required if movies started to have sound.
There was also the issue of what to do with actors and actresses whose entire existence was centered around silent film. They weren’t taught how to communicate or engage in discourse. Additionally, it might make them unemployed.
Does Warner Brothers Studios Only Make Movies
Up until the late 1960s, Warner Brothers had focused solely on the film and TV show business. They had produced a few more great films like My Fair Lady and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
That changed in 1967. At that point, Elliot and Ken Hyman had acquired Warner Brothers. They renamed it Warner Brothers–Seven Arts. They sold it soon after to the Kinney Corporation. The Kinney Corporation had an interest in other areas of media besides film and TV. Headed by Steven J. Ross, the new Warner Brothers started. Ross renamed The Kinney Corporation to Warner Communications. Warner Brothers became Warner Brothers Inc. Besides movies and TV, they started to produce video games, music, and even comic books.
Conclusion
Warner Brothers played an important role in the evolution of movies and TV. Because of its success and its animation studio, it’s often confused about being a subsidiary of Disney. However, like Dreamworks and Universal, Warner Brothers is not owned by Disney.
The film studio was founded by a group of brothers, as its name might imply. The Warner brothers—Harry, Albert, Samual, and Jack—were the original creators of Warner Bros. Prior to their family’s immigration to the United States, most of the brothers spent some time there. Particularly, their father was a Polish cobbler and street vendor. Benjamin Eichelbaum was his name; nevertheless, the sons chose to have their names changed to Warner. The brothers originally displayed their love of movies by exhibiting them at roadside events. They would create a makeshift theatre out of the movie reels they could afford. Following the screening, they would pack up and move on to the following town. Moving about, they screened films from Pennsylvania to Ohio. When they had enough cash, they began to purchase movie theatres. They started acquiring theatres in 1903. This made it possible for them to remain put while the theatres took care of their financial needs. After establishing their theatres, they were able to move on to film distribution. They began making their own films in 1913, which was around ten years later. The development of movies and television was significantly influenced by Warner Brothers. It frequently gets confused about being a division of Disney due to its success and its animation studio. Warner Brothers is not, however, a part of the Disney empire, unlike Dreamworks and Universal.
