Poverty Row Studios, 1929-1940: An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies, with a Filmography for Each

by Michael R. Pitts

From the beginning of the sound era until the end of the 1930s, independent movie-making thrived. Many of the independent studios were headquartered in a section of Hollywood called "Poverty Row." Here the independents made movies on the cheap, usually at rented facilities where shooting was limited to only a few days. From Allied Pictures Corporation to Willis Kent Production, 55 Poverty Row Studios are given histories in this book. Some of the studios, such as Diversion Pictures and Cresent Pictures, came into existence for the sole purpose of releasing movies by established stars. Others, for example J.D. Kendis, were early exploitation filmmakers under the guise of sex education. The histories include critical commentary on the studio's output and a filmography of all titles released from 1929 through 1940.

542 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

MICHAEL R. PITTS has written or co-authored numerous books on entertainment, including Kate Smith: A Bio-Bibliography; Western Movies; Hollywood and American History; Famous Movie Detectives; Famous Movie Detectives II; Famous Movie Detectives III; Hollywood on Record; The Bible on Film; Charles Bronson; Poverty Row Studios 1929-1940; The Rise of the Crooners; Radio Soundtracks; Horror Film Stars ; the CD-ROM Television and Film: An Annotated Bibliography of Research Materials; Columbia Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films; Allied Artists Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films, and RKO Radio Pictures Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films.
With Mr. Parish he has written several entries in The Great . . . Pictures series. In addition he has contributed to many other published books and his magazine articles have been published in the U.S. and abroad. He wrote columns on record collecting for Classic Images and The Big Reel. With degrees in history and journalism he also has a certificate in American Genealogy and has compiled more than thirty volumes of local history and genealogy.