Strictly Business Daily Variety – Inside Variety’s 120th Anniversary Issue: How We Tackled 12 Decades of Hollywood’s Highs and Lows
Dec 17, 2025
Trish Dietsch, deputy editor at Variety, played a pivotal role in creating the magazine's 120th anniversary package. She shares insights on organizing twelve decades of showbiz history, including the joy sparked by a long-lost photo of Liberace with Michael Jackson. Trish discusses selecting four stories per decade and the unique freedom to explore history creatively. They also touch on sourcing visuals from early entertainment eras and the collaborative effort behind the project, making it a fascinating reflection on Hollywood's highs and lows.
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Decade-By-Decade Story Framework
- Variety's 120th was structured by decade with four short stories per decade to map 120 years into digestible pieces.
- Editors used subject-matter assignments and historical expertise to make each short piece authoritative and revealing.
Marx Brothers Photo Solved A Visual Problem
- While researching vaudeville-era visuals, Trish found a 1905 photo of the Marx Brothers as children to illustrate early decades.
- That discovery convinced the team they could tell early-era stories visually even without obvious imagery.
Use Tone And Passion For Short Pieces
- Match tone and length deliberately to make short pieces feel deep and poetic, using existing strong examples as templates.
- Assign each short item to a writer already passionate about that topic to ensure quality within tight word counts.