The Brothers Warner (2007)

Director:

Cass Warner

Writer:

Cass Warner

Release Date:

25 September 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | History

Plot:

An intimate portrait and saga of four film pioneers--Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack who rose from immigrant poverty through personal tragedies persevering to create a major studio with a social conscience.

Plot Keywords:

Immigrant | Warner Bros. Studios | Film Studio | Film History | Brother Brother Relationship

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Dennis Hopper	...	Himself - Actor
Sherry Lansing	...	Herself - Former President, Paramount Pictures
Debbie Reynolds	...	Herself - Actor
Haskell Wexler	...	Himself - Filmmaker
Norman Lear	...	Himself - Producer
George Segal	...	Himself - Actor
Angie Dickinson	...	Herself - Actor
Samuel Goldwyn Jr.	...	Himself - Film Producer
Tab Hunter	...	Himself - Actor
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	...	Himself - Actor
Frank Pierson	...	Himself
Robert Greenwald	...	Himself - Filmmaker
Betty Warner Sheinbaum	...	Herself - Harry's daughter, Mother of Cass
Michael Birdwell	...	Himself - Historian (as Dr. Michael Birdwell)
Steven J. Ross	...	Himself - USC Film Professor / USC History Professor
Stephen Farber	...	Himself - Film Historian / Author
Johanna Blakey	...	Herself - Entertainment Researcher at The Norman Lear Center (as Johanna Blakey PhD)
Nancy Snow	...	Herself - Author / Professor
Leo Braudy	...	Himself - USC Film Historian
Lois McGrew	...	Herself - Harry's former Secretary
John Steel	...	Himself - Albert's Grandson
Lita Heller	...	Herself - Sam's daughter
Eddie Bockser	...	Himself - 55 Year Warner Bros. Employee
Harry M. Warner	...	Himself (archive sound) (also archive footage)
Albert Warner	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sam Warner	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jack L. Warner	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Jack Warner Snr.)
Jack Warner Jr.	...	Himself (also archive footage) (archive sound)
Bette-Ann Warner	...	Herself (voice)
Jim Meskimen	...	Himself (voice)
Cass Warner	...	Herself - Host / Narrator (as Cass Warner Sperling)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lina Basquette	...	Herself - Sam's wife (also archive footage)
Joan Crawford	...	Herself (archive footage)
Roy Edward Disney	...	Himself (as Roy Disney Jr.)
Heinrich Himmler	...	Himself (archive footage)
Frank Sinatra	...	Himself (archive footage)
Benjamin Warner	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lewis Warner	...	Himself (archive footage)

Directed by
Cass Warner		(as Cass Warner Sperling)

Writing credits
Cass Warner		(as Cass Warner Sperling)

Produced by
Eliza Steel	....	associate producer
Cass Warner	....	producer

Original Music by
David Richard Campbell		(as David Campbell)

Cinematography by
Arlene Nelson		(director of photography) (as Arlene Donnelly Nelson)

Film Editing by
Kate Amend
Stephan Malik		(co-editor)

Production Management
A.J. Ullman	....	post-production supervisor (as AJ Ullman)

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Doug Ball	....	sound
Alan Barker	....	sound
Rick Brush	....	sound
D.W. Ferranti	....	sound (as Dan Ferranti)
Wes Kobernick	....	sound engineer
Anthony Krajchir	....	sound engineer
John Lusitana	....	sound (as John Lusitiana)
Steven Romero Jr.	....	dialogue editor
Steven Romero Jr.	....	sound re-recording

Camera and Electrical Department
Joan Churchill	....	additional cinematographer
Shana Hagan	....	additional cinematographer
Larry Malloy	....	additional cinematographer
Gay Ribisi	....	still photographer
Massimo Zeri	....	additional cinematographer

Animation Department
Brad Burkhart	....	animator
Brad Burkhart	....	digital artist
Daniel E. Smith	....	animator
Daniel E. Smith	....	digital artist

Editorial Department
James Betteridge	....	graphics
Joseph K. Chen	....	editorial assistant
Luke Guidici	....	on-line editor
Nate Holbrook	....	editorial assistant
Mindy Johnson	....	post-production coordinator
John Sellars	....	color correction
Drew Vaeth	....	editorial assistant

Music Department
Tom Brechtlin	....	musician: drummer
David Richard Campbell	....	music leader (as David Campbell)
David Richard Campbell	....	musical arrangements (as David Campbell)
David Richard Campbell	....	orchestrator (as David Campbell)
Steve Churchyard	....	music mixer
Larry Corbett	....	musician: principal cello
Rose Corrigan	....	musician: bassoon
Mario De Leon	....	musician: violin
Earl Dumler	....	musician: oboe (as Earle Dumler)
Dan Fornero	....	musician: trumpet
Matt Funes	....	musician: viola
Armen Garabedian	....	musician: violin
Gary Gray	....	musician: clarinet
Alan Grunfeld	....	musician: violin
Ali Helnwein	....	assistant to composer
Alyssa Park	....	musician: concert mistress
Vladimir Polimatidi	....	musician: violin
Shanti D. Randall	....	musician: principal viola (as Shanti Randall)
Bettie Ross	....	musician: pianist
Rick Shaw	....	musician: bass cello
Bobby Shulgold	....	musician: flute (as Robert Shulgold)
Buck Snow	....	music mixer
Audrey Solomon	....	musician: violin
Rudy Stein	....	musician: cello
Philip Vaiman	....	musician: violin
John Wittenberg	....	musician: violin

Other crew
Laurie Alexander	....	production assistant
Benny Blocc	....	intern
Andrew Bloch	....	voice coach (as Andy Bloch)
Amy K. Bostrom	....	production assistant (as Amy Bostrom)
Rebecca E. Bozzo	....	production assistant (as Rebecca Bozzo)
Jacob Burack	....	production assistant
Kathleen Bush	....	intern
Rebecca Cebulsky	....	production assistant (as Rebecca Cebulski)
Ruili Chen	....	production accountant
Crystal Cupp	....	production assistant
Andrew Cybulska	....	transcriber
Joanne Dorn	....	production accountant
Eric Elder	....	intern
Brian Elkins	....	intern
Brian Elkins	....	transcriber
Dave Emmendorfer	....	production assistant
Barry Ennis	....	clearances
Barry Ennis	....	researcher
Josh Franer	....	intern
Josh Franer	....	production assistant
Barbara Gregson	....	clearances
Barbara Gregson	....	researcher
Molly Hahn	....	intern
Mark Jonathan Harris	....	story consultant
Julie Heath	....	clearances
Julie Heath	....	researcher
Stacy Lander	....	production assistant
Emily Moore	....	production assistant
Eric R. Negandank	....	intern
Stephan S. Placial	....	production assistant
Stephen S. Placial	....	intern
Diego Robles	....	production assistant
Tiffany Roohani	....	production assistant
Shane Scrimager	....	production assistant
Mollie Sheridan	....	intern
Diana Siegel	....	intern
Kristen Renee Smith	....	production assistant (as Kristen Smith)
Amy Willoughby	....	intern (as Amy L. Willoughby)

Thanks
Ted Adams	....	special thanks: for his loving support
Glenn Aveni	....	special thanks
Lucia Bay	....	special thanks
Doug Blake	....	special thanks
Sean Burke	....	special thanks
Vivian Byrne	....	special thanks
David Charmatz	....	special thanks
Deborah Chenoweth	....	special thanks (as Debbie Chenoweth)
Ned Comstock	....	special thanks
Jean Dale	....	special thanks
Randall P. Dark	....	special thanks
Johanna Demetrakas	....	special thanks
Ray Erlenborn	....	special thanks
Katie Flint	....	special thanks
Nathan Gardels	....	special thanks
Benjamin Goldhirsh	....	special thanks
Lee Guttman	....	special thanks
Jim Hardy	....	special thanks
Jesse Haskell	....	special thanks
Cole Hauser	....	special thanks
Salome Heusel	....	special thanks
David Holmes	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Kanski	....	special thanks
Chris Larsen	....	special thanks
Karen Lavender	....	special thanks
Robert Lopez	....	special thanks
Dick Mason	....	special thanks
Mike Medavoy	....	special thanks
Monica Melsbury	....	special thanks
Gordon Morris	....	special thanks (as Gordy Morris)
Marissa O'Neal	....	special thanks
Paula Paiewonsky	....	special thanks
Bernard Percy	....	special thanks
Roberta Perry	....	special thanks
Howard Prouty	....	special thanks
Lee Purcell	....	special thanks
Lucia Ribisi	....	special thanks
Brad Roberts	....	special thanks
Eddie Schmidt	....	special thanks
Terry Semel	....	special thanks
Betty Warner Sheinbaum	....	special thanks
Stanley K. Sheinbaum	....	special thanks
Analee Simon	....	special thanks
Daniel Smith	....	special thanks
Morgan Spurlock	....	special thanks
Bunny Steel	....	special thanks
John Steel	....	special thanks
Kitty Steel	....	special thanks
Alicia Tunberg	....	special thanks
Virginia Vincent	....	special thanks
Debbie Walch	....	special thanks
Jay Walch	....	special thanks
Leslie Ward	....	special thanks
Ralph Woolsey	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Warner Sisters Productions

Other Companies

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)  special thanks (as The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts & Sciences)
• Agency Edit  acknowledgement
• Animated Story Boards  animation
• Brooks Institute of Photography  special thanks
• Budget Films  archival footage provided by (as Budget Films, Inc.)
• Casablanca Restaurant  special thanks
• Christopher Gray Post Productions  dubbing services
• Disney Enterprises  archival footage provided by
• Gary Conklin Films  archival footage provided by
• Getty Images  archival footage provided by
• Gregory Orr Productions  archival footage provided by
• HTV / Illuminate  post production services (as HTV/Illuminate)
• Historic Films  archival footage provided by
• Icon Television Music  acknowledgement (as Icon Television Music, Inc.)
• International Documentary Association (IDA)  special thanks (as International Documentary Association)
• Law Offices of Donaldson & Hart  legal affairs (as Donaldson & Hart)
• Library of Moving Images  archival footage provided by
• Mad Hatter Studios  special thanks
• Masters & Masterworks Productions  archival footage provided by
• Mercury Sound Studios  sound re-recording facility (as Mercury Sound Studios, Inc.)
• Motion Picture and Television Fund Home  special thanks (as Motion Picture & Television Fund)
• Mulholland Productions  special thanks: Jane
• Producer's Library Service  archival footage provided by (as Producers Library)
• SPPN Images  archival footage provided by (as SPPN Images, Inc.)
• Sabucat Streamline  archival footage provided by (as Sabucat)
• Video Tape Library  archival footage provided by
• WPA Film Library  archival footage provided by
• Warner Bros. Entertainment  archival footage provided by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (film clips and archive photographs) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Cap d'Antibes, Antibes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Company:

Warner Sisters Productions

Trivia:

Betty Warner Sheinbaum is credited two different ways on screen, first as "Mother of Cass," and second as "Harry's daughter."

Goofs:

Factual errors: Cass Warner Sperling's commentary states that the 1927 film "The Jazz Singer," starring Al Jolson, grossed more than any movie made to that time and remained the all-time box-office champ until the release of "Gone With the Wind." It was actually Jolson's next film, "The Singing Fool," that set the box-office record that lasted until "Gone With the Wind."

Movie Connections:

Features Giant (1956)

Soundtrack:

That's What the Well-Dressed Man in Harlem Will Wear

Just the sort of film I like...but unfortunately a bit too short.

This documentary is about the Warner Brothers and their studio. However, unlike other documentaries about film studios, this was more like a home movie in many ways--with one of the granddaughters of the original Warner Brothers narrating and talking with some family members about their recollections (in addition to all the film historians who comment). This gives it a rather intimate feel but also made you wonder how objective the production was. For example, I often find that autobiographies are FAR less interesting than biographies because they tend to tell the tale from a far from neutral point of view. Now I am NOT saying this film does this exactly. There is quite a bit of dirt in the film about the animosity between Jack and Harry--making Harry sound like a swell guy and Jack akin to Satan. But I did wonder about the film at times--especially concerning Harry Warner's adoption of his niece, Lina. What would a neutral party say about all this?

There were a lot of neat facts about the studio. I loved learning how the KKK sued Warner for their depiction in "Black Legion"! Or, how the studio was the first to refuse to sell movies in Germany and made the first anti-Nazi film from Hollywood--even when the nation was firmly in the isolationist camp. Interestingly, the film really didn't focus so much on the stars of the day--but more on the day to day behind the scenes events. I liked this, as if you want to see more about Cagney or Bette Davis, a documentary about them would make a lot more sense.

Overall, this is the sort of film that movie lovers like myself love--especially those who adore Hollywood during the classic years of the 1920s-40s. Fascinating--as it's filled with wonderful little stories and facts that film buffs will love. My only real problem with the film is that there is just too much material for a film that's just a bit over 90 minutes long. A mini-series would really due more justice to the history of this amazing studio.

Oddly, while the documentary was filled with a lot of film clips, some of them were of pretty poor quality--particularly the grainy and washed out one from "Giant". I am really not sure why this was the case.