Chris Yogerst, "The Warner Brothers" (UP of Kentucky, 2023)

Nov 28, 2025

Chris Yogerst, an associate professor and film historian, dives into the rich history of Warner Bros., showcasing the origin story of the legendary studio founded by the four Warner brothers. He discusses their immigrant roots and their resilience during the Great Depression, highlighting how they pioneered socially conscious films that challenged societal norms. Yogerst reveals their anti-fascist stance, including landmark films that confronted Nazi Germany, and evaluates their complex legacy in Hollywood. Get ready for an engaging exploration of a cinema powerhouse!

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INSIGHT

Reframing The Warner Narrative

Chris Yogerst reframed the Warner story to center the four brothers, not just Jack, filling gaps left by prior works.
He used new archives and family materials to recenter Harry Warner's significance in the studio's history.

INSIGHT

Built From Exhibition To Production

The Warners built expertise by progressing from exhibition to distribution to production over two decades.
That ground-up learning made them resilient and primed for rapid growth in the 1920s and 1930s.

ANECDOTE

Sam As The Family Mediator

Sam Warner acted as a mediator between Jack and Harry until his 1927 death, which later intensified family conflicts.
The Warners also endured other tragedies like Milton's early death and losses among sons who might've joined the company.

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One of the oldest and most recognizable studios in Hollywood, Warner Bros. is considered a juggernaut of the entertainment industry. Since its formation in the early twentieth century, the studio has been a constant presence in cinema history, responsible for the creation of acclaimed films, blockbuster brands, and iconic superstars.

In The Warner Brothers (UP of Kentucky, 2023), Chris Yogerst follows the siblings from their family's humble origins in Poland, through their young adulthood in the American Midwest, to the height of fame and fortune in Hollywood. With unwavering resolve, the brothers soldiered on against the backdrop of an America reeling from the aftereffects of domestic and global conflict. The Great Depression would not sink the brothers, who churned out competitive films that engaged audiences and kept their operations afloat―and even expanding. During World War II, they used their platform to push beyond the limits of the Production Code and create important films about real-world issues, openly criticizing radicalism and the evils of the Nazi regime. At every major cultural turning point in their lifetime, the Warners held a front-row seat. These days, the studio is best known as a media conglomerate with a broad range of intellectual property, spanning movies, TV shows, and streaming content. Despite popular interest in the origins of this empire, the core of the Warner Bros. saga cannot be found in its commercial successes. It is the story of four brothers―Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack―whose vision for Hollywood helped shape the world of entertainment as we know it.

Paying close attention to the brothers' identities as cultural and economic outsiders, Yogerst chronicles how the Warners built a global filmmaking powerhouse. Equal parts family history and cinematic journey, The Warner Brothers is an empowering story of the American dream and the legacy four brothers left behind for generations of filmmakers and film lovers to come.

Chris Yogerst is the author of Hollywood Hates Hitler! Jew-Baiting, Anti-Nazism, and the Senate Investigation into Warmongering in Motion Pictures and From the Headlines to Hollywood: The Birth and Boom of Warner Bros. He appeared on the New Books Network to discuss the book in 2020. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Journal of American Culture, Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television, and the Hollywood Reporter. He currently serves as an associate professor of communication in the Department of Arts and Humanities at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Joel Tscherne is an Adjunct History Professor at Southern New Hampshire University and an Associate Faculty member at University of Arizona Global Campus. His Twitter handle is @JoelTscherne.

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