Warner Bros. celebrates a century in global entertainment business
Looky, looky, just found out that Disney is not the only media and entertainment company celebrating its 100th anniversary. So is Warner Bros. This was the small motion production company formed by brothers Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack Warner on April 4, 1923 in California that grew and grew.
As we all know by now, Warner Bros. grew up to become a global conglomerate that not only makes movies but is also in animation, television, video, music, games, etc. And all of those accomplishments that have impacted the lives of countless people all over the world are in view again to commemorate the past 100 years.
Warner made motion pictures. Just like its mascot Bugs Bunny, Warner built a reputation for being gritty, a bit on the dark side, naughty or at the very least, real. Please feel free to add to these lists.
The movies. Casablanca, Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings, Enter the Dragon, The Exorcist, Bodyguard, Goodfellas, All the President’s Men…
Television. I remember 77Sunset Strip a long time ago. Friends, ER, Full House, Gilligan’s Island, The West Wing, The Ellen Degeneres Show, 2 and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Pretty Little Liars…
Animation. The Loony Tunes, The Merrie Melodies, Sylvester & Tweety, The Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones; The Jetsons, The Powerpuff Girls, Scooby Doo, DC Heroes…
So many memorable characters led by Bugs Bunny. Canine superstar Rin Tin Tin, Harry Potter, Gandalf, Batman, Superman, HAL, Willy Wonka, Austin Powers, Neo, Joker, King Kong, Dirty Harry and also that creepy “Here’s Johnny” guy, Jack Torrance.
And the music. Because Warner is also no slouch in picking out songs that would be as memorable, maybe even more than the films where they were performed. Remember Warner pioneered talking pictures, that means movies with sound.
Warner put Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer and had him sing Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye. It was the first time that dialogue, music and songs were heard in synch with the action on the screen. The movie grossed over US$2M, a staggering sum for a picture made in 1927.
The greatest of theme songs though is no other but As Time Goes By, a composition by Herman Hupfeld used in the movie Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart as Rick says, “Play it Sam” and Dooley Wilson on the piano launches into the song for the beautiful Ilse, played by Ingrid Bergman. “You must remember this/ a kiss is still a kiss/ a sigh is just a sigh/ the fundamental things apply as time goes by…” And a legend was born. The song eventually became the Warner Bros. theme.
And there are many more unforgettable songs from Warner. Here are some of them in no particular order. Yankee Doodle Dandy; Secret Love from Calamity Jane; The High and the Mighty; Al Di La from Rome Adventure; The Days of Wine and Roses; Pure Imagination and Candy Man from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; Everything I Do (I Do It for You) from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
How Do You Keep the Music Playing from Best Friends; Best That You Can Do from Arthur; Can You Read My Mind from Superman; I’ll be There for You from Friends; Purple Rain; I Believe I Can Fly from Space Jam; The Prayer from Quest for Camelot; Summer of 42; Way Back into Love from Music and Lyrics; A Summer Place, We Don’t Need Another Hero from Mad Max; A Kiss from a Rose from Batman.
Three versions of the movie, A Star is Born, netted three great songs, The Man That Got Away by Judy Garland, 1954; Evergreen by Barbra Streisand, 1976; and Shallow by Lady Gaga in 2018.
And because Warner acquired the MGM film catalogue a few years ago, the centennial celebration now also includes songs from Singing in the Rain, An American in Paris and The Wizard of Oz, which includes the timeless Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland.
It was Warner which brought out the song Hurray for Hollywood. So now we can say, “Hurray for Warner Bros.” Thank you for everything that inspired a century.
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