The studio system that emerged in the 1920s controlled every aspect of filmmaking. Studios owned production facilities, contracted actors exclusively, and owned the theaters where films played. This vertical integration meant they controlled creation, distribution, and exhibition.

Stars were manufactured through carefully managed public images. Studios assigned names, created backstories, and dictated personal lives. Marilyn Monroe was Norma Jeane. Cary Grant was Archibald Leach. The dream factory did not just make films — it made people into products.