Poverty Row Studios, 1929–1940

An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies, with a Filmography for Each

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by Michael R. Pitts

Type

Studies

Subject

Studio > Hollywood

Keywords

Hollywood, Studio, 1930s, B-movies, Poverty Row

Publishing date

2005

Publisher

McFarland & Co

1st publishing

1997

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 542 pages
6 x 9 inches (15 x 23 cm)

ISBN-10
ISBN-13

0-7864-2319-6
978-0-7864-2319-4

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Book Presentation:
From the beginning of the sound era until the end of the 1930s, independent movie-making thrived. Many of the independent studios were headquartered in a section of Hollywood called “Poverty Row.” Here the independents made movies on the cheap, usually at rented facilities where shooting was limited to only a few days. From Allied Pictures Corporation to Willis Kent Production, 55 Poverty Row Studios are given histories in this book. Some of the studios, such as Diversion Pictures and Cresent Pictures, came into existence for the sole purpose of releasing movies by established stars. Others, for example J.D. Kendis, were early exploitation filmmakers under the guise of sex education. The histories include critical commentary on the studio’s output and a filmography of all titles released from 1929 through 1940.

About the Author:
Michael R. Pitts has written more than 40 books on motion picture history and entertainment and has also compiled more than three dozen volumes of local history and genealogy. He lives in Chesterfield, Indiana.

Press Reviews:
"a useful source for a little-known subtopic of film history"—Choice
"much useful information that cannot be found elsewhere"—Film Quarterly
"superb…handsome tome…monumental…amazing"—Wrangler’s Roost
"Pitts is clearly an expert in this field"—ARBA; "fills an important gap…valuable"—Past Times
"a solid work…recommended"—Classic Images
"hard to put down…. Lots of never before seen pictures"—Serial Report
"fascinating…a rich eighty-page index makes this reference work a handy tome"—Screen
"a must have reference book!"—Trail Dust
"an amazing job"—Cliffhanger
"excellent"—Westerns & Serials
"monumental"—Under Western Skies
"illustrations are astounding…a ‘must-have’"—Little Shoppe of Horrors
"excellent…superb…heartiest recommendation"—Western Clippings

See the publisher website: McFarland & Co