The Robe By Henry Koster: The Invention Of Film

Prior to the invention of Television, studios depended on big stars, studio owned theaters and an contracted assembly line of movie production. Dark rooms with big screens drew crowds in the millions at the height of Hollywood. With Television’s inception, millions of viewers began tuning into these 12x12 inch boxes for an average five hours daily. Box office sales were hit hard by less movie attendees. Within a decade of the introduction of Television, box office sales are fractionalized. Hollywood will have to adapt format and content to attract audiences back into theaters. One of the most obvious, yet less realized affects of Television is the widescreen format we are familiar with today. Hollywood invented a new way of presenting films and Television couldn’t. “The Robe” directed by Henry Koster was on of the first to use Vistavision and Cinemascope to film movie; a film in widescreen and color engulfed audiences into the experience of film. Television’s limitations of size and sound at the …show more content…
Before Hollywood settled on widescreen cinematic presentations, they utilized different gimmicks to seduce audiences to theaters. The ultimate success of film would be the synergies [complex mutually advantageous business relationships] between film and Television. Hollywood movies had to create bigger stars, big screen presentations, larger than life melodramas, bigger effects and an increased pace of film. Television viewers were used to higher multitude of images, Hollywood had to create more compelling storylines with an increased amount of images resulting in a faster pace. The medium of movies became “the message” not just simple storylines and technical aspects; the director had to transfer an idea and mood combined with technical and narrative