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We already know the stories of Harry and Jack Warner (don’t we?? If not, now’s a good time to catch up on them!). But what about the OTHER Warner Brothers? Well, today we’re discussing another one of them – no, he wasn’t part of the famous Warner Brothers feud, but he was noteworthy in his own right. And he DID have his own unique family drama, just saying. Distinguished readers, meet Sam Warner.
1887 – 1927
Sam was born Szmuel Wonsal, one of 11 children, to a Polish-Jewish family. When Sam was 2 years old, his father moved the family to the U.S., changing their last name to “Warner”. Like his brothers Harry and Jack, Sam eventually acquired an anglicized first name. After trying to get steady work in Maryland (to no avail), Sam’s father moved the family once again, this time to Canada. 2 years later, they were back in the U.S., eventually settling in Ohio. They could have made a first-rate moving company, hm?? As a child, young Sam had a variety of odd jobs, but as a young man he would make a decision that changed his entire family’s future...
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In the early 1900s, Sam got a job as a projectionist at a local amusement park. He was fascinated by the new medium of film, and ended up buying a used Kinetoscope* from a projectionist who needed the money. After talking his family into sharing the cost, they bought the machine for $1000, which was a small fortune in the 1900s! A copy of the film “The Great Train Robbery” is said to have come with it, so Sam and brother Albert began touring with their new “show” at carnivals in Ohio and Pennsylvania. *A Kinetoscope is a device made for viewing short film clips, one person at a time (see above)
Eventually, brother Harry sold his current business (a bicycle shop) and with the money, he joined Sam and Albert in their new venture. They decided to open their own theater to show movies in, and within 5 years, they had successfully built an empire of several theaters and TWO film exchanges, which they sold for a hefty price to the General Film Company in 1910.
FRONT: Sam, actress Florence Gilbert, comedian Monty Banks, and Jack BACK: film exhibitor Joe Marks and racing pilot Art Klein
With the sale of their previous company, Sam and his brothers decided to get into film production as independent filmmakers with Carl Laemmle’s company, Independent Moving Pictures. After a few years, the brothers formed their own company, Warner Features. Brother Harry sent Sam to Los Angeles to establish a film exchange there, and Jack to San Francisco. With the profits of their first successful film in 1918 (“My Four Years in Germany”), the brothers established a studio near Hollywood, CA. Sam and Jack were made co-heads of production for the new studio. Throughout their lives, Sam was the peacemaker between Jack and Harry, so keeping the two together was a priority for Harry!
Sam, always being one to branch out and try new things, acquired a radio station in 1925. Shortly after, he started experimenting with synchronized sound for film. Once again, Sam did some smooth talking and convinced brother Harry to use the Western Electric sound system for their films. Harry wasn’t a fan of the idea at all – but after seeing a scary loss in profits, he changed his mind. But, Harry said, synchronized sound would only be used for music, not sound effects and certainly not dialog. OK, sure, Harry.
One big issue with the impending Western Electric partnership? The bigwigs in Western Electric were anti-Semitic. Simply put, they didn’t want to do business with Jews. Sam decided to have his Catholic (non-Jewish) wife attend a dinner that they attended with the Western Electric snobs – and she was wearing a gold cross necklace. Apparently that was all it took, and Warner Brothers were allowed to begin sound-on-film tests, which led to Sam and Jack producing the first-ever movie with a soundtrack in 1926 (“Don Juan”).
Sam, daughter Lita and wife Lina (1926)
For all the drama that went on between Jack and Harry, there was a heck of a lot of drama going on between Sam and well....everyone in the family, except Jack. In 1925 (geez what a year for Sam) at the age of 38, he met an 18-year-old dancer with the Ziegfeld Follies named Lina Basquette. He immediately proposed marriage and within a few months, they were Mr. and Mrs. Lina didn’t want to marry him, but her mother insisted she accept his proposal because, well...”rich Hollywood producer”. The thing is, at the time Warner Brothers was not doing well financially – and greedy mothers should mind their own business.
Well, the entire Warner clan (save Jack!) was appalled at Sam’s new bride – not so much because of the age difference or her occupation, but simply because she was Catholic. None of them would accept Lina as a member of the family and refused to acknowledge her existence. So if she was a Jewish cradle robbery-slash-Ziegfeld girl....that would have been OK. This family feud got so intense that it carried on long after Sam’s death, in regards to his money and the custody of their only daughter, Lita.
A program cover from the premiere of "Don Juan" (1926)
In 1926, Sam formed a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, known as Vitaphone, dedicated entirely to sound-on-film productions. He was also promoted to Vice President of Warner Brothers, and “Don Juan” made it’s debut. While it was successful, it was still not enough to cover the massive budget, and Sam’s other attempts at short films with sound also fell flat. Harry was not happy. Enter: Adolph Zukor. Adolph asked Sam to jump ship and come to work at Paramount – if he would bring Vitaphone with him. Sam agreed, as he was more than willing to get away from big brother Harry’s resistance to sound. But the whole deal came crashing down when....Rudolph Valentino suddenly died. His death lost Paramount a lot of money, which they had to focus on regaining – and they no longer had the funds to risk on a new venture with Vitaphone.
A poster for Sam's biggest (and last) triumph
In 1927, Harry finally weakened after seeing the bigger studios push Warner Brothers towards financial ruin. OK, little brother, you can do what you want. Sam began production on a new Vitaphone feature, “The Jazz Singer”. And this time, there was dialog. And this time, it was a hit! But sadly, Sam never got to see the fruits of his labor.
Towards the end of production of “The Jazz Singer”, Sam was getting frequent nosebleeds and headaches. Eventually, he couldn’t even walk straight. Sam was hospitalized, where they discovered that he had a severe sinus infection, caused by several abscessed teeth. ALWAYS take care of your teeth, people. He had also developed a brain infection. After several surgeries to remove the infection, Sam went into a coma. He passed away on October 5th, 1927 – the day before the premiere of “The Jazz Singer”. He was survived by his wife Lina, and their daughter Lita.
Sam's contributions to the film industry are remarkable - but even more so, his contributions to Warner Brothers itself. Without his persistence in sound, their studio may not have been able to survive the competition they faced from bigger studios.
Moral of the story: Don't be afraid to try new things.
....and see a dentist regularly.
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