Titans: The Rise of Hollywood

To outdo his rivals, Laemmle builds a massive film factory in Hollywood called Universal City.

As Hollywood goes from a dusty farm town to a bustling metropolis, the balance of power has shifted in favor of the stars. Now titans like Paramount’s Zukor are forced to pay huge contracts to top actors to keep them happy.

By 1925, Zukor’s Paramount Pictures, Laemmle’s Universal Pictures, and Mayer’s MGM are some of the most profitable businesses in the country. But the luckless Warner Brothers have stumbled upon a breakthrough technology that could shift the balance of power once again - sound.

The Warners' film 'The Jazz Singer' proves to the world that 'talkies' are here to stay. And every other titan has to spend millions to convert their studios over to sound.