Antitrust Rulings Force Film Studios to Divest Theaters
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History II: Business and Commerce Series
- Categories: Arts, Economics, Law, Legal History, Courts
- Subcategories: Entertainment, Entertainers, Business, Court Cases, Rulings, Appeals, Films, Movies, Motion Pictures, Supreme Court, U.S.
- Curriculum: American History 1901-1950
- Geographical Location: Washington, D.C., Hollywood
- Date: May 3, 1948
Article abstract: A 1948 ruling by the United States Supreme Court found that major studio ownership of theater chains violated federal antitrust laws and forced the major studios to divest studio-owned theaters.
Summary of Event
During the 1930’s, the motion picture industry was dominated by five major firms, Radio-Keith-Orpheum, Warner Bros., Paramount, Loew’s, and Twentieth Century-Fox, that produced, distributed, and exhibited motion pictures. Three other minor firms—Columbia, United Artists, and Universal—produced and/or distributed...
[The entire page is 2330 words long]