In 1888 a family of Jewish refugees from Poland crossed the ocean, settled in Ontario, and changed their name to Warner. In 1903 the three eldest brothers bought a movie projector and visited mining towns in Ohio and Pennsylvania, selling tickets to see they’re single, worn copy of The Great Train Robbery.
Eventually, it became clear to the brothers that they could make more money by making movies been showing them. So after adding younger brother Jack to the mix, they moved to California and founded what now the third oldest American movie studio. (Paramount and Universal are first and second.) The wily Jack Warner eventually took control of the studio, where he ruled with an iron fist, firing employees and actors with particular relish. In 1966 Jack Warner sold controlling interest in the studio to fellow Canadians Eliot and Kenneth Hyman.
