The Brothers Warner
About the Film
The Brothers Warner, an AMERICAN MASTERS presentation premiering nationally Thursday, September 25, 2008 on PBS (check local listings), is an intimate portrait and epic saga of the four film pioneers who founded and ran the Warner Bros. studio for over 50 years.
Narrated by family member Cass Warner Sperling (Harry Warner’s granddaughter), the 60-minute film gives an insider look at these original Hollywood independent filmmakers and their varied personalities and business sense: the little-known major player, Harry Warner; Albert or “Honest Abe”; visionary Sam; and volatile Jack. Rare archival footage, family photos, and documents trace their scrappy rise from nothing, along with the personal tragedies and professional battles they overcame along the way.
From opening their first storefront theater by hanging a sheet on the wall and borrowing chairs from a funeral parlor to creating one of the top studios in America, these four brothers built an empire on a dream and revolutionized Hollywood, and were the first to use mass media to “educate, entertain, and enlighten.”
Visit Warner Sisters online to learn about Cass Warner Sperling’s production company.
To order The Brothers Warner on DVD, call 1-800-336-1917.
Filmmaker interview: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/the-brothers-warner/filmmaker-interview-cass-warner-sperling/450/
Go here to see clips from the film: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/the-brothers-warner/video-scenes-from-the-film/430/
This article is from: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/the-brothers-warner/about-the-film/441/
Showing posts with label Hollywood History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hollywood History. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
PBS's "American Masters" puts a spotlight on Hollywood history
http://www.scrippsnews.com:80/node/36464
Spotlighting the Warner brothers
Submitted by SHNS on Fri, 09/19/2008 - 13:23.
By ROB OWEN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
television
PBS's "American Masters" puts a spotlight on Hollywood history next week, specifically the Warner Bros. studio and its 85-year legacy.
"You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story" (9 p.m. EDT Tuesday through Thursday) offers a five-hour chronicle of the studio and its films.
At a July PBS news conference in Beverly Hills, "American Masters" executive producer Susan Lacy called Warner Bros. "a media dynasty that would come to reflect and critique America's cultural and social trajectory through the 20th century and beyond."
In addition to "You Must Remember This," written and directed by Richard Schickel ("The Men Who Made the Movies") and featuring studio stars such as Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson and George Clooney, a more intimate second program looks back at the Warner brothers themselves.
Airing as a one-hour version of her 90-minute documentary, Cass Warner Sperling's "The Brothers Warner" (10 p.m. Thursday, PBS) tells the story of the brothers from Youngstown, Ohio.
Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner, doesn't dwell on the brothers' origins, instead focusing on the studio they built and the clashes between figurehead Jack Warner and older brother Harry. Brother Albert is the family peacekeeper and Sam served as a producer on Warner Bros. films, including Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer."
"I was fortunate enough to have my grandfather in my life for the first 10 years of my life," Sperling said last month during a conversation at the WQED station in Pittsburgh. "There's always somebody in your life who you don't just forget and who creates some kind of impression on you, and he was that for me."
Sperling's father, Milton, worked on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., as a writer/producer and he'd share stories around the dinner table about the brothers' battles. At the time, filmmaking went on six days a week, and Sperling would go to the lot with her father on Saturdays.
"I would see this incredibly booming, creative empire going on," she said. "How is it that two guys -- Jack and Harry, who really appear not to like each other very much -- are running this business? It always fascinated me."
Sperling said no one else in the family made a point of chronicling the family history.
Documentaries about individual Warners have been made in the past, including Sperling cousin Gregory Orr's 1983 doc "Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul," but Sperling said this is the first film to look at the family.
In "The Brothers Warner," Sperling even uncovers their real last name, which was simplified to "Warner" when the family immigrated to America.
Sperling, 60, first wrote a book, now titled "The Brothers Warner," that was first published in 1993 as "Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story." Now she's made this documentary -- the full 90-minute version is available for purchase at WarnerSisters.com -- and is developing a dramatic film based on this family tale of clashing personalities and betrayal.
(Contact TV editor Rob Owen at rowen(at)post-gazette.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Spotlighting the Warner brothers
Submitted by SHNS on Fri, 09/19/2008 - 13:23.
By ROB OWEN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
television
PBS's "American Masters" puts a spotlight on Hollywood history next week, specifically the Warner Bros. studio and its 85-year legacy.
"You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story" (9 p.m. EDT Tuesday through Thursday) offers a five-hour chronicle of the studio and its films.
At a July PBS news conference in Beverly Hills, "American Masters" executive producer Susan Lacy called Warner Bros. "a media dynasty that would come to reflect and critique America's cultural and social trajectory through the 20th century and beyond."
In addition to "You Must Remember This," written and directed by Richard Schickel ("The Men Who Made the Movies") and featuring studio stars such as Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson and George Clooney, a more intimate second program looks back at the Warner brothers themselves.
Airing as a one-hour version of her 90-minute documentary, Cass Warner Sperling's "The Brothers Warner" (10 p.m. Thursday, PBS) tells the story of the brothers from Youngstown, Ohio.
Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner, doesn't dwell on the brothers' origins, instead focusing on the studio they built and the clashes between figurehead Jack Warner and older brother Harry. Brother Albert is the family peacekeeper and Sam served as a producer on Warner Bros. films, including Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer."
"I was fortunate enough to have my grandfather in my life for the first 10 years of my life," Sperling said last month during a conversation at the WQED station in Pittsburgh. "There's always somebody in your life who you don't just forget and who creates some kind of impression on you, and he was that for me."
Sperling's father, Milton, worked on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., as a writer/producer and he'd share stories around the dinner table about the brothers' battles. At the time, filmmaking went on six days a week, and Sperling would go to the lot with her father on Saturdays.
"I would see this incredibly booming, creative empire going on," she said. "How is it that two guys -- Jack and Harry, who really appear not to like each other very much -- are running this business? It always fascinated me."
Sperling said no one else in the family made a point of chronicling the family history.
Documentaries about individual Warners have been made in the past, including Sperling cousin Gregory Orr's 1983 doc "Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul," but Sperling said this is the first film to look at the family.
In "The Brothers Warner," Sperling even uncovers their real last name, which was simplified to "Warner" when the family immigrated to America.
Sperling, 60, first wrote a book, now titled "The Brothers Warner," that was first published in 1993 as "Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story." Now she's made this documentary -- the full 90-minute version is available for purchase at WarnerSisters.com -- and is developing a dramatic film based on this family tale of clashing personalities and betrayal.
(Contact TV editor Rob Owen at rowen(at)post-gazette.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Friday, October 24, 2008
BROTHERS WARNER - Washington Times
Tuning In
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Washington Times
Legacy explored
PBS' "American Masters" puts a spotlight on Hollywood history this week with an in-depth look at the Warner Bros. studio and its 85-year legacy.
"You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story" (at 9 tonight through Thursday, WETA-Channel 26 and WMPT-Channel 22) offers a five-hour chronicle of the studio and its films. Oscar winner Clint Eastwood narrates tonight's opening installment, titled "You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet (1923-35)," about the movie studio's first years, when its top star was a dog named Rin Tin Tin, and its gradual move into gritty fare.
In addition to "You Must Remember This," written and directed by Richard Schickel ("The Men Who Made the Movies"), PBS also will air Cass Warner Sperling's "The Brothers Warner" (10 p.m. Thursday), an intimate 90-minute look at the four brothers from Youngstown, Ohio.
Miss Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner, doesn't dwell on the brothers' origins, instead focusing on the studio they built and the clashes between figurehead Jack Warner and older brother Harry. Brother Albert — who was born in Baltimore — is the family peacekeeper, and Sam served as a producer on Warner Bros. films, including Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer." Sam Warner was the first brother to die, at age 40, the day before the landmark film was released.
"I was fortunate enough to have my grandfather in my life for the first 10 years of my life," Miss Sperling told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire reports
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Washington Times
Legacy explored
PBS' "American Masters" puts a spotlight on Hollywood history this week with an in-depth look at the Warner Bros. studio and its 85-year legacy.
"You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story" (at 9 tonight through Thursday, WETA-Channel 26 and WMPT-Channel 22) offers a five-hour chronicle of the studio and its films. Oscar winner Clint Eastwood narrates tonight's opening installment, titled "You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet (1923-35)," about the movie studio's first years, when its top star was a dog named Rin Tin Tin, and its gradual move into gritty fare.
In addition to "You Must Remember This," written and directed by Richard Schickel ("The Men Who Made the Movies"), PBS also will air Cass Warner Sperling's "The Brothers Warner" (10 p.m. Thursday), an intimate 90-minute look at the four brothers from Youngstown, Ohio.
Miss Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner, doesn't dwell on the brothers' origins, instead focusing on the studio they built and the clashes between figurehead Jack Warner and older brother Harry. Brother Albert — who was born in Baltimore — is the family peacekeeper, and Sam served as a producer on Warner Bros. films, including Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer." Sam Warner was the first brother to die, at age 40, the day before the landmark film was released.
"I was fortunate enough to have my grandfather in my life for the first 10 years of my life," Miss Sperling told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire reports
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
GROWING UP WARNER
New documentary aims to 'educate, entertain and enlighten'
By Jim Reed
MOST SATURDAYS AS A CHILD, Cass Warner accompanied her Oscar-nominated writer/producer father to the famed Warner Bros. studio lot. Now, decades later, she helps run her own film production company (Warner Sisters) and hosts the Starz cable network’s Conversations With Cass, a one-on-one interview show focusing on well-known actors and personalities.
Her latest project to comemmorate the cultural legacy of the Warners’ Hollywood dynasty (after a 1993 book that has been called “definitive”) is The Brothers Warner, a just-completed 90-minute documentary she wrote, directed and produced. It’s one of four featured docs at this year’s Savannah Film Festival.
Cass will accompany her film to the event, and we spoke in advance of her trip.
As a child, you were afforded an almost unimaginably cool perk: free reign of the Warner Bros. lot. Looking back at such a strange and fanciful opportunity, are you surprised you wound up working in the film industry, or are you more surprised that you did not?
Cass Warner: Growing up on the Warner Bros. lot was like being surrounded by a family of great musicians I heard the music being played all the time so to not partake in the joy of creating is hard to imagine. My father often worked out of the house. Seeing my interest, he would hand me a script to hold in his story meetings, even before I could read. Fortunately for me, people who worked at Warner Bros. worked on Saturdays, so I often went with my father to the lot and got to wander into any sound stage that didn’t have a red light flashing. It was better than going to the circus and I found it difficult not to marvel at the magic of this cooperative art form and the family feeling that happens on a set.
I experienced being an actress in the mid-’70s and realized the roles for women were not my cup of tea. I was motivated to write screenplays and had the good fortune of mentoring under my father and the master, Howard Koch of Casablanca fame. Writing led me to developing projects with friends and my independent production company, Warner Sisters, was born.
You’ve spearheaded the celebration and documentation of the legacy of the Warner brothers and their studio through both books and film. In doing this, have you found that by and large, people in the business are excited and happy to reminisce about their experiences working with Warners, or have you encountered any trepidation or outright refusals to participate in your efforts?
Cass Warner: Interviewing people has been one of my greatest pleasures. Folks who experienced working at Warner Bros. have been joyful about sharing their stories.
I understand that PBS will be airing a truncated version of this film as part of their American Masters series. Was it tough to decide what to leave out of the TV version?
Cass Warner: Yes, American Masters is now airing a 53-minute version of The Brothers Warner, I’m honored to say. I have the good fortune of working with the most wonderful Oscar-winning editor and fine human being a film maker could ever wish for. Kate Amend and I worked so well together that editing was not a chore but a pleasure.
How exactly does one go about cutting down a film that I assume they have slaved over to whittle down to just as they’d like it to be seen?
Cass Warner: Decisions, decisions, decisions — and not being afraid to make them and trusting one’s artistry. When you have a great editor like I did, making the decisions are a lot easier. I love the editing process as it’s like having a wonderful lump of clay that already has the form of your vision in it that you now get to put the finishing touches on.
How many times to date has the finished, full-length version of the film been seen by a public audience?
Cass Warner: About ten times.
What have the reactions been to the film?
Cass Warner: Fabulous! Getting the responses I am has made this whole journey so worthwhile. It’s inspirational!
Have you been involved in the Savannah Film Festival before?
Cass Warner: I have not been involved before, but am very much looking forward to having this opportunity. The festival has a great reputation, which is why I submitted my film to it.
How did you come to be involved?
Cass Warner: I heard about it at a festival seminar in Los Angeles. It got five stars as a festival.
Was there any particular revelation or insight which emerged in the process of making The Brothers Warner that had eluded your previous efforts to document the history and impact of the studio and your family?
Cass Warner: In the last 30 years of my research, there have been so many revelations that have emerged while discovering who these brothers were. My fascination with them as characters and my wish to understand their inner workings and reasons for doing what they did has led me into wonderful worlds of detail and insights.
Have those insights made a significant impact on the way you view the studio and its legacy?
Cass Warner: Because of the number of insights, I’d prefer people read my book or see my film, as there are really too many to isolate here. I am very proud to be from a family of filmmakers who loved their art form, and truly knew the value and power of using this medium to “educate, entertain and enlighten,” which was the original motto for their company.
Have you ever been to Savannah before?
Cass Warner: This will be my first time and I’m very much looking forward to it.
The Brothers Warner When: Mon., 9:30 am, Trustees Theater & Thurs., Oct. 30, 2:30 pm, Lucas Theatre Cost: $5 gen. public / $3 students, seniors & military / Free to SCAD students, faculty & staff w/ID
http://www.connectsavannah.comhttp://www.connectsavannah.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A10544
By Jim Reed
MOST SATURDAYS AS A CHILD, Cass Warner accompanied her Oscar-nominated writer/producer father to the famed Warner Bros. studio lot. Now, decades later, she helps run her own film production company (Warner Sisters) and hosts the Starz cable network’s Conversations With Cass, a one-on-one interview show focusing on well-known actors and personalities.
Her latest project to comemmorate the cultural legacy of the Warners’ Hollywood dynasty (after a 1993 book that has been called “definitive”) is The Brothers Warner, a just-completed 90-minute documentary she wrote, directed and produced. It’s one of four featured docs at this year’s Savannah Film Festival.
Cass will accompany her film to the event, and we spoke in advance of her trip.
As a child, you were afforded an almost unimaginably cool perk: free reign of the Warner Bros. lot. Looking back at such a strange and fanciful opportunity, are you surprised you wound up working in the film industry, or are you more surprised that you did not?
Cass Warner: Growing up on the Warner Bros. lot was like being surrounded by a family of great musicians I heard the music being played all the time so to not partake in the joy of creating is hard to imagine. My father often worked out of the house. Seeing my interest, he would hand me a script to hold in his story meetings, even before I could read. Fortunately for me, people who worked at Warner Bros. worked on Saturdays, so I often went with my father to the lot and got to wander into any sound stage that didn’t have a red light flashing. It was better than going to the circus and I found it difficult not to marvel at the magic of this cooperative art form and the family feeling that happens on a set.
I experienced being an actress in the mid-’70s and realized the roles for women were not my cup of tea. I was motivated to write screenplays and had the good fortune of mentoring under my father and the master, Howard Koch of Casablanca fame. Writing led me to developing projects with friends and my independent production company, Warner Sisters, was born.
You’ve spearheaded the celebration and documentation of the legacy of the Warner brothers and their studio through both books and film. In doing this, have you found that by and large, people in the business are excited and happy to reminisce about their experiences working with Warners, or have you encountered any trepidation or outright refusals to participate in your efforts?
Cass Warner: Interviewing people has been one of my greatest pleasures. Folks who experienced working at Warner Bros. have been joyful about sharing their stories.
I understand that PBS will be airing a truncated version of this film as part of their American Masters series. Was it tough to decide what to leave out of the TV version?
Cass Warner: Yes, American Masters is now airing a 53-minute version of The Brothers Warner, I’m honored to say. I have the good fortune of working with the most wonderful Oscar-winning editor and fine human being a film maker could ever wish for. Kate Amend and I worked so well together that editing was not a chore but a pleasure.
How exactly does one go about cutting down a film that I assume they have slaved over to whittle down to just as they’d like it to be seen?
Cass Warner: Decisions, decisions, decisions — and not being afraid to make them and trusting one’s artistry. When you have a great editor like I did, making the decisions are a lot easier. I love the editing process as it’s like having a wonderful lump of clay that already has the form of your vision in it that you now get to put the finishing touches on.
How many times to date has the finished, full-length version of the film been seen by a public audience?
Cass Warner: About ten times.
What have the reactions been to the film?
Cass Warner: Fabulous! Getting the responses I am has made this whole journey so worthwhile. It’s inspirational!
Have you been involved in the Savannah Film Festival before?
Cass Warner: I have not been involved before, but am very much looking forward to having this opportunity. The festival has a great reputation, which is why I submitted my film to it.
How did you come to be involved?
Cass Warner: I heard about it at a festival seminar in Los Angeles. It got five stars as a festival.
Was there any particular revelation or insight which emerged in the process of making The Brothers Warner that had eluded your previous efforts to document the history and impact of the studio and your family?
Cass Warner: In the last 30 years of my research, there have been so many revelations that have emerged while discovering who these brothers were. My fascination with them as characters and my wish to understand their inner workings and reasons for doing what they did has led me into wonderful worlds of detail and insights.
Have those insights made a significant impact on the way you view the studio and its legacy?
Cass Warner: Because of the number of insights, I’d prefer people read my book or see my film, as there are really too many to isolate here. I am very proud to be from a family of filmmakers who loved their art form, and truly knew the value and power of using this medium to “educate, entertain and enlighten,” which was the original motto for their company.
Have you ever been to Savannah before?
Cass Warner: This will be my first time and I’m very much looking forward to it.
The Brothers Warner When: Mon., 9:30 am, Trustees Theater & Thurs., Oct. 30, 2:30 pm, Lucas Theatre Cost: $5 gen. public / $3 students, seniors & military / Free to SCAD students, faculty & staff w/ID
http://www.connectsavannah.comhttp://www.connectsavannah.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A10544
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Four young men who caught lightning in a bottle...
Film Review: The Brothers Warner (2008 Documentary)
Written by Gary Sweeney
If you could spend a day asking people what they thought when they heard “Warner Brothers”, you’re likely to get answers ranging from Bugs Bunny to Elmer Fudd. The WB logo has become synonymous with memorable personalities, unforgettable characters, and timeless films. What you’d be hard pressed to find, however, is someone who can name all four original brothers, or any of them for that matter. That’s exactly what Cass Warner, the granddaughter of Harry Warner, did as part of her new documentary, The Brothers Warner. In an almost comical fashion, she took to the streets with a microphone and questioned random strangers. The tongue-in-cheek approach was effective, yet a solemn reminder that few people of today understand the vision of those early film pioneers.
This 90-minute look at the humble beginnings of Warner Brothers gives new meaning to the word determination. Four brothers (Harry, Jack, Abe, and Sam) saw opportunity in the growing popularity of moving pictures. Their personalities, while very different, worked well in combining the various elements which would comprise their ultimate success. The film traces their childhood, upbringing and their ambition in a changing world through photographs and Cass Warner's heartfelt narration. Harry Warner's authentic love for his work is evident in the following quote: "It is not the challenge of dollars, it is the challenge of ideals and ideas. If the producers of pictures see only the dollar, I believe, those production efforts will fail". In those few words, he manages to capture the essence of every great classic released by the studio in its long history. The Brothers Warner is an intimate look at an empire, and four young men who caught lightning in a bottle.
Click here to purchase the documentary on DVD!
From: http://www.midnightpalace.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199
Written by Gary Sweeney
If you could spend a day asking people what they thought when they heard “Warner Brothers”, you’re likely to get answers ranging from Bugs Bunny to Elmer Fudd. The WB logo has become synonymous with memorable personalities, unforgettable characters, and timeless films. What you’d be hard pressed to find, however, is someone who can name all four original brothers, or any of them for that matter. That’s exactly what Cass Warner, the granddaughter of Harry Warner, did as part of her new documentary, The Brothers Warner. In an almost comical fashion, she took to the streets with a microphone and questioned random strangers. The tongue-in-cheek approach was effective, yet a solemn reminder that few people of today understand the vision of those early film pioneers.
This 90-minute look at the humble beginnings of Warner Brothers gives new meaning to the word determination. Four brothers (Harry, Jack, Abe, and Sam) saw opportunity in the growing popularity of moving pictures. Their personalities, while very different, worked well in combining the various elements which would comprise their ultimate success. The film traces their childhood, upbringing and their ambition in a changing world through photographs and Cass Warner's heartfelt narration. Harry Warner's authentic love for his work is evident in the following quote: "It is not the challenge of dollars, it is the challenge of ideals and ideas. If the producers of pictures see only the dollar, I believe, those production efforts will fail". In those few words, he manages to capture the essence of every great classic released by the studio in its long history. The Brothers Warner is an intimate look at an empire, and four young men who caught lightning in a bottle.
Click here to purchase the documentary on DVD!
From: http://www.midnightpalace.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
TV Preview: PBS show spotlights Warner Bros. dynasty
Sunday, September 21, 2008
By Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lake Fong/Post-Gazette
PBS's "American Masters" puts a spotlight on Hollywood history this week, specifically the Warner Bros. studio and its 85-year legacy.
"You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story" (9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, WQED) offers a five-hour chronicle of the studio and its films.
At a July PBS news conference in Beverly Hills, "American Masters" executive producer Susan Lacy called Warner Bros. "a media dynasty that would come to reflect and critique America's cultural and social trajectory through the 20th century and beyond."
In addition to "You Must Remember This," written and directed by Richard Schickel ("The Men Who Made the Movies") and featuring studio stars such as Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson and George Clooney, a more intimate second program looks back at the Warner brothers themselves.
'American Masters:You Must RememberThis -- The Warner Brothers Story'
When: 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, WQED.
Narrator: Clint Eastwood.
'American Masters:The Brothers'
When: 10 p.m. Thursday, WQED.
Narrator: Cass Warner Sperling.
Airing as a one-hour version of her 90-minute documentary, Cass Warner Sperling's "The Brothers Warner" (10 p.m. Thursday, WQED) tells the story of the brothers fromYoungstown, Ohio, who opened their first movie theater in New Castle.
Cass Warner Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner, made "The Brothers Warner."
Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner, doesn't dwell on the brothers' origins in Western Pennsylvania, instead focusing on the studio they built and the clashes between figurehead Jack Warner and older brother Harry. Brother Albert is the family peacekeeper and Sam served as a producer on Warner Bros. films, including Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer."
Because of the Warner Bros. connection to Western Pennsylvania -- Harry once worked at the Kaufmann's Downtown -- Sperling developed a connection with WQED when she created a film festival at Slippery Rock University in 2000. She brought "The Brothers Warner" to WQED before "American Masters" picked up the documentary for national airing last month.
"I was fortunate enough to have my grandfather in my life for the first 10 years of my life," Sperling said last month during a conversation at WQED in Oakland. "There's always somebody in your life who you don't just forget and who creates some kind of impression on you, and he was that for me."
Sperling's father, Milton, worked on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., as a writer/producer, and he'd share stories around the dinner table about the brothers' battles. At the time, filmmaking went on six days a week, and Sperling would go to the lot with her father on Saturdays.
"I would see this incredibly booming, creative empire going on," she said. "How is it that two guys -- Jack and Harry, who really appear not to like each other very much -- are running this business? It always fascinated me."
Sperling said no one else in the family made a point of chronicling the family history. Documentaries about individual Warners have been made, including Sperling cousin Gregory Orr's 1983 "Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul," but Sperling said this is the first film to look at the family.
In "The Brothers Warner," she even uncovers their real last name, which was simplified to Warner when the family immigrated to America.
Sperling, 60, wrote a book, now titled "The Brothers Warner," that was first published in 1993 as "Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story." Now she's made this documentary -- the full 90-minute version is available for purchase at WarnerSisters.com -- and is developing a dramatic film based on this family tale of clashing personalities and betrayal.
Contact TV editor Rob Owen at rowen@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1112.
First published on September 21, 2008 at 12:00 am
By Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lake Fong/Post-Gazette
PBS's "American Masters" puts a spotlight on Hollywood history this week, specifically the Warner Bros. studio and its 85-year legacy.
"You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story" (9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, WQED) offers a five-hour chronicle of the studio and its films.
At a July PBS news conference in Beverly Hills, "American Masters" executive producer Susan Lacy called Warner Bros. "a media dynasty that would come to reflect and critique America's cultural and social trajectory through the 20th century and beyond."
In addition to "You Must Remember This," written and directed by Richard Schickel ("The Men Who Made the Movies") and featuring studio stars such as Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson and George Clooney, a more intimate second program looks back at the Warner brothers themselves.
'American Masters:You Must RememberThis -- The Warner Brothers Story'
When: 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, WQED.
Narrator: Clint Eastwood.
'American Masters:The Brothers'
When: 10 p.m. Thursday, WQED.
Narrator: Cass Warner Sperling.
Airing as a one-hour version of her 90-minute documentary, Cass Warner Sperling's "The Brothers Warner" (10 p.m. Thursday, WQED) tells the story of the brothers fromYoungstown, Ohio, who opened their first movie theater in New Castle.
Cass Warner Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner, made "The Brothers Warner."
Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner, doesn't dwell on the brothers' origins in Western Pennsylvania, instead focusing on the studio they built and the clashes between figurehead Jack Warner and older brother Harry. Brother Albert is the family peacekeeper and Sam served as a producer on Warner Bros. films, including Al Jolson's "The Jazz Singer."
Because of the Warner Bros. connection to Western Pennsylvania -- Harry once worked at the Kaufmann's Downtown -- Sperling developed a connection with WQED when she created a film festival at Slippery Rock University in 2000. She brought "The Brothers Warner" to WQED before "American Masters" picked up the documentary for national airing last month.
"I was fortunate enough to have my grandfather in my life for the first 10 years of my life," Sperling said last month during a conversation at WQED in Oakland. "There's always somebody in your life who you don't just forget and who creates some kind of impression on you, and he was that for me."
Sperling's father, Milton, worked on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., as a writer/producer, and he'd share stories around the dinner table about the brothers' battles. At the time, filmmaking went on six days a week, and Sperling would go to the lot with her father on Saturdays.
"I would see this incredibly booming, creative empire going on," she said. "How is it that two guys -- Jack and Harry, who really appear not to like each other very much -- are running this business? It always fascinated me."
Sperling said no one else in the family made a point of chronicling the family history. Documentaries about individual Warners have been made, including Sperling cousin Gregory Orr's 1983 "Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul," but Sperling said this is the first film to look at the family.
In "The Brothers Warner," she even uncovers their real last name, which was simplified to Warner when the family immigrated to America.
Sperling, 60, wrote a book, now titled "The Brothers Warner," that was first published in 1993 as "Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story." Now she's made this documentary -- the full 90-minute version is available for purchase at WarnerSisters.com -- and is developing a dramatic film based on this family tale of clashing personalities and betrayal.
Contact TV editor Rob Owen at rowen@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1112.
First published on September 21, 2008 at 12:00 am
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
An inside look into the Brothers Warner
By Ashlee Fairey
Sun Staff Writer
“The Brothers Warner,” a special presentation featured in the Aspen FilmFest, is a documentary portraying the four famous Warner brothers who founded the Warner Brothers Studio and transformed the silver screen.
It is about the “close-knit band of brothers (who) proved in their pioneering efforts to use mass media to ‘educate, entertain, and enlighten’ while being commercially successful.” The brothers’ motto echoes that of the Aspen FilmFest and can be seen as the embodiment of the festival’s ideals.
The film comes from a new voice: It is the first film by director Cass Warner, granddaughter of Harry Warner. As a child Cass Warner was very close to her grandfather. “He was a fine, kind human being,” she recalls. “He would come home with tales of behind of scenes.” These fantastic tales would create a lasting impression on the young, eager granddaughter.
When she reached her 20s, Warner realized those family legends were unrecorded and slowly slipping into murky memory. She took it upon herself to become the family archivist, a role that was essentially the first move towards the making of the movie. In 2003 she authored a book entitled “The Brothers Warner,” the namesake for the future film. The book was a rags-to-riches story that compiled the photographs and letters that Warner uncovered in her archival efforts.
Those same family archives were used in the film. The never-before-seen footage includes audio interviews with deceased family members, photographs and old home movies. These reveal, as Warner puts it, “guys who came from nothing, who never quit until they made their dream a reality. They made a fantastic team.” The director wanted the film to highlight their conscience, a rare virtue for filmmakers. Harry Warner once said, “It is not the challenge of dollars, it is the challenge of ideals and ideas. If the producers of pictures see only the dollar, I believe, those productions will fail.” They understood that “film is a powerful tool,” as his granddaughter says, and they used it wisely.
Considering director Cass Warner created a documentary on her own family, objectivity may seem an elusive outcome. But Warner describes herself as a fair person who concentrates on offering different points of view. She certainly basks her characters in a light of praise, but she feels the film also conveys character flaws. “I was raised on character-driven films,” Warner explains. “I want to know what makes them tic and why they do things.” The result: “a thorough, deep look at (the Warner brothers) as people.”
Directing a film about one’s own family can have great benefits as well. The making of “The Brothers Warner” was not only a journey through the lives of four extraordinary men, but became a self-exploration. “It helped me to understand my roots and myself,” she noted. “Through osmosis you get certain traits that you were witness to,” and through the camera lens Cass Warner was able to peer into a mirror. The road to the documentary’s creation was not smooth or speedy. “It has taken a long time to make. I have gambled everything,” the director said. The buzz of positive reviews, however, seems to have made it all worth while.
Cass Warner is also the niece of Lita Warner Heller, the honoree of a celebration dinner benefiting the Emerging Filmmaker Fund, and as Warner calls her, “a true lover of the arts.”
The showing of “The Brothers Warner” will be on Friday, Sept. 26, at 5:30 p.m. For tickets call 920-5770 or visit aspenshowtickets.com.
Sun Staff Writer
“The Brothers Warner,” a special presentation featured in the Aspen FilmFest, is a documentary portraying the four famous Warner brothers who founded the Warner Brothers Studio and transformed the silver screen.
It is about the “close-knit band of brothers (who) proved in their pioneering efforts to use mass media to ‘educate, entertain, and enlighten’ while being commercially successful.” The brothers’ motto echoes that of the Aspen FilmFest and can be seen as the embodiment of the festival’s ideals.
The film comes from a new voice: It is the first film by director Cass Warner, granddaughter of Harry Warner. As a child Cass Warner was very close to her grandfather. “He was a fine, kind human being,” she recalls. “He would come home with tales of behind of scenes.” These fantastic tales would create a lasting impression on the young, eager granddaughter.
When she reached her 20s, Warner realized those family legends were unrecorded and slowly slipping into murky memory. She took it upon herself to become the family archivist, a role that was essentially the first move towards the making of the movie. In 2003 she authored a book entitled “The Brothers Warner,” the namesake for the future film. The book was a rags-to-riches story that compiled the photographs and letters that Warner uncovered in her archival efforts.
Those same family archives were used in the film. The never-before-seen footage includes audio interviews with deceased family members, photographs and old home movies. These reveal, as Warner puts it, “guys who came from nothing, who never quit until they made their dream a reality. They made a fantastic team.” The director wanted the film to highlight their conscience, a rare virtue for filmmakers. Harry Warner once said, “It is not the challenge of dollars, it is the challenge of ideals and ideas. If the producers of pictures see only the dollar, I believe, those productions will fail.” They understood that “film is a powerful tool,” as his granddaughter says, and they used it wisely.
Considering director Cass Warner created a documentary on her own family, objectivity may seem an elusive outcome. But Warner describes herself as a fair person who concentrates on offering different points of view. She certainly basks her characters in a light of praise, but she feels the film also conveys character flaws. “I was raised on character-driven films,” Warner explains. “I want to know what makes them tic and why they do things.” The result: “a thorough, deep look at (the Warner brothers) as people.”
Directing a film about one’s own family can have great benefits as well. The making of “The Brothers Warner” was not only a journey through the lives of four extraordinary men, but became a self-exploration. “It helped me to understand my roots and myself,” she noted. “Through osmosis you get certain traits that you were witness to,” and through the camera lens Cass Warner was able to peer into a mirror. The road to the documentary’s creation was not smooth or speedy. “It has taken a long time to make. I have gambled everything,” the director said. The buzz of positive reviews, however, seems to have made it all worth while.
Cass Warner is also the niece of Lita Warner Heller, the honoree of a celebration dinner benefiting the Emerging Filmmaker Fund, and as Warner calls her, “a true lover of the arts.”
The showing of “The Brothers Warner” will be on Friday, Sept. 26, at 5:30 p.m. For tickets call 920-5770 or visit aspenshowtickets.com.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Cass saw the history of social activism that has run through her family.
Story,” into her first film, “The Brothers Warner.”
The movie shows today, at 5:30 p.m., at the Wheeler Opera House, as part of Aspen Filmfest, with Warner expected to attend. The screening will be followed by a dinner celebrating Aspenite Lita Warner Heller, a cousin of Cass’ who is featured in the film. Proceeds from the dinner will go to Aspen Film’s new Emerging Filmmakers Fund.
“Brothers Warner,” made through Cass Warner’s Warner Sisters company, plays partly as a personal reflection. Through home images and the memories of Warner and other family members, the film tells of the Polish-Canadian Jewish siblings who became fascinated with the emerging film technology and built a chain of theaters. It is another version of the American dream tale: immigrants taking extreme risks, dreaming big, and succeeding in expanding the business and artistic landscape.
“Being close to my grandfather, working to do something in his honor — that was a big purpose,” said Warner, whose late father, Milton Sperling, was a film producer and screenwriter. “I think it’s a great saga of family who had a dream and didn’t quit until they made it happen. You can’t quit if you have a dream, and every barrier is an incentive not to stop, to keep going.”
The documentary also works as a tale of ego and family strife. Jack Warner, the youngest of the studio founders, is recalled as a flamboyant figure, the brother most closely associated with the studio, and a back-stabber who acquired exclusive control in Warner Brothers after convincing his brothers to sell their stock in a sham business deal.
Cass Warner learned from this episode that film can be a potent tool not only for the viewer, but for the maker.
“He’s an interesting character,” she said of her great-uncle Jack, who died in 1978, “and I learned to love him as well as the rest of the family. I felt good about including him and forgiving him, rather than making him the enemy. I’ve always been interested in evaluating information for myself, to uncover who these characters were. Why they made these decisions was fascinating to me.
“Power is an interesting state of existence, and it’s a very delicate and potentially dangerous tool if you don’t know how to control it.”
Warner, the mother of four and grandmother of three, is intent on using her newfound power as a filmmaker. She has two projects in the works. “A Shade of Grey” she describes as a “To Kill a Mockingbird”-like story, seen through the eyes of two children. The project has several well-known actors attached to it whom Warner would not publicly identify. The other is “Dog Stories,” a four-person coming-of-age story which she might direct herself.
The documentary “The Brothers Warner” shows at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Wheeler Opera House as part of Aspen Filmfest.
stewart@aspentimes.com
The movie shows today, at 5:30 p.m., at the Wheeler Opera House, as part of Aspen Filmfest, with Warner expected to attend. The screening will be followed by a dinner celebrating Aspenite Lita Warner Heller, a cousin of Cass’ who is featured in the film. Proceeds from the dinner will go to Aspen Film’s new Emerging Filmmakers Fund.
“Brothers Warner,” made through Cass Warner’s Warner Sisters company, plays partly as a personal reflection. Through home images and the memories of Warner and other family members, the film tells of the Polish-Canadian Jewish siblings who became fascinated with the emerging film technology and built a chain of theaters. It is another version of the American dream tale: immigrants taking extreme risks, dreaming big, and succeeding in expanding the business and artistic landscape.
“Being close to my grandfather, working to do something in his honor — that was a big purpose,” said Warner, whose late father, Milton Sperling, was a film producer and screenwriter. “I think it’s a great saga of family who had a dream and didn’t quit until they made it happen. You can’t quit if you have a dream, and every barrier is an incentive not to stop, to keep going.”
The documentary also works as a tale of ego and family strife. Jack Warner, the youngest of the studio founders, is recalled as a flamboyant figure, the brother most closely associated with the studio, and a back-stabber who acquired exclusive control in Warner Brothers after convincing his brothers to sell their stock in a sham business deal.
Cass Warner learned from this episode that film can be a potent tool not only for the viewer, but for the maker.
“He’s an interesting character,” she said of her great-uncle Jack, who died in 1978, “and I learned to love him as well as the rest of the family. I felt good about including him and forgiving him, rather than making him the enemy. I’ve always been interested in evaluating information for myself, to uncover who these characters were. Why they made these decisions was fascinating to me.
“Power is an interesting state of existence, and it’s a very delicate and potentially dangerous tool if you don’t know how to control it.”
Warner, the mother of four and grandmother of three, is intent on using her newfound power as a filmmaker. She has two projects in the works. “A Shade of Grey” she describes as a “To Kill a Mockingbird”-like story, seen through the eyes of two children. The project has several well-known actors attached to it whom Warner would not publicly identify. The other is “Dog Stories,” a four-person coming-of-age story which she might direct herself.
The documentary “The Brothers Warner” shows at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Wheeler Opera House as part of Aspen Filmfest.
stewart@aspentimes.com
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