ABSTRACT
The fifth chapter describes the campaign to make movies ‘better than ever.’ This included the innovative Cinemascope widescreen format, which was used for the first time in the company’s sword and sandal film The Robe (Koster, 1952). Also successful and eye-catching, was a new generation of movie stars. For example, How to Marry a Millionaire (Negulesco, 1953), showcased rising star Marilyn Monroe on the wide screen. All About Eve (Mankiewicz, 1951), was part of an intriguing cycle of women’s films. Independent production and producers became more powerful than in previous decades. Darryl Zanuck, who in 1955 left his position as head of the studio to become an independent producer, and Jerry Wald were prominent examples. Their films often challenged American attitudes about sex and marriage. On the other hand, an older generation of filmmakers who dated back to the silent era could still get a big audience. Cleopatra (Mankiewicz, 1963) was made with a combination of old school show business values and the new ones of sexed-up stars and the ‘swinging sixties.’
