The Last Tycoons — Season 1, Episode 4: The American Way
Documentary • 53 min • 1 season, 8 episodes
Episode synopsis
In American studios, producers weren't constantly hunting for financing, and unlike under French law, directors didn't necessarily get final cut. Jacques-Éric Strauss's introduction to production came when Fox studio head Daryl Zanuck threw the script for The Sicilian Clan on the floor and told him it was the worst thing he'd ever read...then financed it anyway. Some adopted American vertical integration methods, producing and distributing while also running labs and cinemas—a scheme that pit creative producers against corporate bigwigs.
About The Last Tycoons
An eight-part series on the history of French cinema from the postwar era to New Wave and beyond. Unearths the stories behind the films’ creation through live and archival interviews with the producers of the films in the series, as well as colleagues, family members, and experts on French cinema. Interlaced throughout is footage from a wealth of classic French films.