Twentieth Century Pictures

Twentieth Century Pictures operated for just over two years but had a significant impact on Hollywood. Founded in 1933 by Joseph Schenck, who had recently left as president of United Artists, and Darryl F. Zanuck, the production chief who had recently left Warner Bros. over a salary dispute during the Depression, the company was partially funded by Schenck's brother Nicholas at Loew's. The founders leased space at the Samuel Goldwyn lot and secured distribution through United Artists, aiming to demonstrate that a lean, hit-driven independent studio could outperform the major studios.

Zanuck's strategy focused on speed, star power, and a keen sense for current and prestigious material. During its short existence, the company produced films such as *The House of Rothschild*, the Wallace Beery film *The Bowery*, *The Mighty Barnum*, *Cardinal Richelieu* starring George Arliss, and the well-produced *Les Misérables*, several of which were nominated for Best Picture. The studio achieved an unusually high success rate for a new company.

However, success required a more permanent foundation. Zanuck sought a stake in United Artists to secure the company's future, but co-owner Mary Pickford refused to grant Twentieth Century stock, fearing dilution of the existing partners' shares. Offended, Schenck resigned from United Artists and began searching for a new distributor and studio facilities. The logical choice was the struggling Fox Film Corporation, a major studio burdened by debt and the collapse of its founder.

The 1935 merger was effectively a reverse takeover disguised as a rescue. Fox provided the theaters, studio space, and exhibition power, while Twentieth Century contributed momentum and management. The deal was finalized on May 31, 1935, and the new company was named Twentieth Century-Fox, with the newer company's name listed first. Schenck became chairman and Zanuck head of production, leading the combined studio for many years. The independent studio that had lasted only two years thus outlived itself, its identity absorbed into one of the major studios of Hollywood's Golden Age.