This is an online class that begins on April 16th, 2026 and continues biweekly through June 11th. Online classes will be available to attend virtually on Thursday evenings at 8pm EDT/5pm PDT. Call recordings will be available to view afterward.
One of the oldest and most recognizable studios in Hollywood, Warner Bros. is considered a juggernaut of the entertainment industry. Since its formation in the early twentieth century, the studio has been a constant presence in cinema history, responsible for the creation of socially conscious films, blockbuster brands, and iconic superstars. All led from the top by a passionately driven family.
These days, the studio is best known as a media conglomerate with a broad range of intellectual property, spanning movies, TV shows, and streaming content. Despite popular interest in the origins of this empire, the core of the Warner Bros. saga cannot be found in its commercial successes. It is the story of four brothers―Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack―whose vision for Hollywood helped shape the world of entertainment as we know it.
In this online class, Chris Yogerst will guide you through the legendary story of the siblings traveling from their family’s humble origins in Poland, through their young adulthood in the American Midwest, to the height of fame and fortune in Hollywood. With unwavering resolve, the brothers soldiered on against the backdrop of an America reeling from the aftereffects of domestic and global conflict. The Great Depression would not sink the brothers, who churned out competitive films that engaged audiences and kept their operations afloat―and even expanding. During World War II, they used their platform to push beyond the limits of the Production Code and create important films about real-world issues, openly criticizing radicalism and the evils of the Nazi regime. At every major cultural turning point in their lifetime, the Warners held a front-row seat.
Paying close attention to the brothers’ identities as cultural and economic outsiders, we will examine how the Warners built a global filmmaking powerhouse while tackling social and political issues with courage and conviction. Equal parts family history and cinematic journey, The Warner Brothers is an empowering story of the American dream and the legacy four brothers left behind for generations of filmmakers and film lovers to come.
The films produced at Warner Bros. often reflected the mores of the brothers as they tackled the world’s affairs in their own lives. Films viewed/discussed may include:
Casablanca (1942), Black Legion (1937), The Public Enemy (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), A Face in the Crowd (1957), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Sergeant York (1941), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Mildred Pierce (1945), Storm Warning (1951), A Star is Born (1954), The Searchers (1956), My Fair Lady (1964), etc.
The Warner Brothers with Author/Historian Chris Yogerst
April 16-June 11
5 classes each about 1 hour (longer if discussion demands it)
Overview/introduction
One of the oldest and most recognizable studios in Hollywood, Warner Bros. is considered a juggernaut of the entertainment industry. Since its formation in the early twentieth century, the studio has been a constant presence in cinema history, responsible for the creation of socially conscious films, blockbuster brands, and iconic superstars. All led from the top by a passionately driven family.
The history of the studio is the history of the Warner family. You may be surprised at how closely the two are aligned. There will absolutely be talk of the Warner/Paramount merger as news develops but know that time on the final day will be reserved for this topic as well.
The class will follow along with material presented in my 2023 book The Warner Brothers, which is easily available on Amazon and independent retailers.
Schedule
Call 1 – April 16
Off week – watch films/read/discussion board
Call 2 – April 30
Off week – watch films/read/discussion board
Call 3— May 14
Off week- watch films/read/discussion board
Call 4 – May 28
Off week – watch films/read/discussion board
Call 5 – June 11
Syllabus
Day 1 – April 16 Origins of a film dynasty, sound, and family tragedy
Films discussed – My Four Years in Germany, The Jazz Singer
Read pages The Warner Brothers pages 1-74
Topics covered:
Warners’s origins in USA
First business ventures
Battle to survive in film distribution
Early production and transition to sound
The death of Sam Warner
Day 2 – April 30 Surviving the Great Depression, battling censors, becoming the “ripped from the headlines” studio, and more family tragedy
Films discussed –The Public Enemy, Gold Diggers of 1933, I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang.
Read The Warner Brothers pages 75-113
Topics covered:
The Great Depression and the first *almost* sale to Paramount
WB’s influence through “ripped from the headlines” moviemaking
The loss of Lewis Warner
Alignment with FDR
Dealing with tightening censorship rules
Day 3 – May 14 Fighting Nazis and censors and the US Senate
Films discussed – Black Legion, Confessions of a Nazy Spy, Casablanca, Mildred Pierce.
Read The Warner Brothers pages 114-178
Topics covered:
Pulling product from Nazi Germany
Anti-fascist films and censor implications
US Senate investigation into anti-Nazi motion pictures
Casablanca and WWII
Film Noir and Mildred Pierce
Day 4 – May 28 Fighting commies, censors, the US Senate (again)
Films discussed – Storm Warning, A Star is Born (1954), Rebel Without a Cause.
Read The Warner Brothers pages 179-248
Topics covered:
The Red Scare, the Blacklist and its complications
Postwar cinema (Storm Warning, A Star is Born)
Juvenile Delinquency, Rebel Without a Cause, and the US Senate (again)
Day 5 – June 11 Fighting each other, transition to New Hollywood, end of an era.
Films discussed – A Face in the Crowd, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, Bonnie & Clyde.
Read The Warner Brothers pages 248-300
Topics covered:
The tumultuous sale of Warner Bros. in 1956
Jack Warner on his own (My Fair Lady)
New Hollywood (Bonnie & Clyde)
We will also discuss the future as the WB board will have voted on April 23, and the antitrust discussion will have continued, maybe the merger will be blocked or delayed, who knows!!…there will be lots to discuss.
Possible special guest as well!
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To register, please complete the form below. Note that there are payment options through various providers (such as Klarna,) provided they are available in your region. Coupons are available to Chris Yogerst’s Substack and to CineJourneys members (see the founding member hub.)
REGISTER WITH THE FORM BELOW
Looking forward to this! Good timing with Criterion’s showing Mervyn Leroy’s gritty pre-code Warner Bros. films.
The page to register for the WB class beginning 4/16 says, “ You don’t have access to purchase this item.” I’m not sure why this is, I thought I joined something. Thanks!