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Variety (magazine): the story on HearLore | HearLore
Variety (magazine)
The first issue of Variety appeared on the 16th of December 1905, but its existence was born from a moment of professional rebellion. Sime Silverman had been fired from The Morning Telegraph for writing a scathing review of an act that had paid $50 for an advertisement. Rather than accept defeat, Silverman borrowed $1,500 from his father-in-law and launched his own publication with a radical promise: it would never be influenced by advertising. This decision created a unique position in the media landscape, allowing the magazine to critique the very industry that paid for its existence without fear of losing revenue. The original front cover featured a sketch by scenic painter Edgar M. Miller, who refused payment for his work, and included photographs of the editorial staff, including Silverman's son Sidne, who was only seven years old. Sidne, known as Skigie due to his childish lisping, wrote the first review in the inaugural issue, claiming the title of the youngest critic in the world. The magazine faced immediate competition from established players like The New York Clipper and the New York Dramatic Mirror, yet Silverman's independence allowed it to carve out a distinct identity focused on the raw reality of theater and vaudeville.
The Silverman Dynasty And The Daily Split
For decades, the fate of Variety was inextricably linked to the Silverman family, a dynasty that spanned three generations of publishers and editors. Sime Silverman acquired The New York Clipper in 1922, spending $100,000 to merge its features into his own publication, though he eventually folded the competitor after a dispute with Billboard's William Donaldson. The family's grip on the company tightened when Sime's son Sidne took over as publisher, only to contract tuberculosis in 1936 and step back from daily operations. During Sidne's illness, editor Abel Green and treasurer Harold Erichs ran the paper, a partnership that would define the magazine's golden age. When Sidne died in 1950, his son Syd Silverman became the sole heir, with Erichs serving as his legal guardian and eventually taking the presidency. The family's influence extended to the creation of Daily Variety in 1933, a Los Angeles-based edition launched to cover the motion picture industry. This split created a dual structure where the Weekly focused on U.S. and international coverage while the Daily concentrated on Hollywood news. The Silverman era ended in 1990 when Syd Silverman stepped down, succeeded by Gerard A. Byrne on the Weekly and his great-grandson Michael Silverman on the Daily, marking the transition from a family business to a corporate entity.
When did the first issue of Variety magazine appear?
The first issue of Variety appeared on the 16th of December 1905. Sime Silverman launched the publication after being fired from The Morning Telegraph for writing a scathing review of an act that had paid $50 for an advertisement.
Who founded Variety magazine and what was their initial financial arrangement?
Sime Silverman founded Variety magazine by borrowing $1,500 from his father-in-law. He launched the publication with a radical promise that it would never be influenced by advertising, allowing it to critique the industry without fear of losing revenue.
When did Variety publish the first film review in history?
Variety published what is considered the first film review in history on the 19th of January 1907. The review covered Pathe's comedy short An Exciting Honeymoon and Edison Studios' western short The Life of a Cowboy.
When did the Silverman family era end and who took over the company?
The Silverman era ended in 1987 when Variety was sold to Cahners Publishing for $64 million. Roger Watkins took over as editor of the Weekly in 1987, while Pete Pryor assumed the editorship of Daily Variety in 1988.
When did Variety first begin reporting box office data for films?
Variety began reporting grosses for films by theater on the 3rd of March 1922. By the late 1960s, the magazine used an IBM 360 computer to collate data from up to 800 theaters, representing around 5% of the U.S. cinema population.
When did Variety make its first endorsement of a candidate for elected office?
Variety made history in 2016 by endorsing Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. This marked the first time the publication endorsed a candidate for elected office in its 111-year history.
Variety developed a unique linguistic culture known as slanguage or Varietyese, a form of headlinese that became the industry's secret code. Terms like boffo, payola, and striptease were attributed to the magazine, and the Oxford English Dictionary cites Variety as the earliest source for about two dozen terms, including show biz. The publication's influence was so profound that founder Sime Silverman was listed in Time magazine in 1934 as one of the ten modern Americans who had done the most to keep American jargon alive. The most famous headline, Wall St. Lays An Egg, appeared during the 1929 crash, while the phrase Sticks Nix Hick Pix became a cultural touchstone, even appearing in the 1942 film Yankee Doodle Dandy. This linguistic legacy extended to the use of four-letter pen names, or sigs, by reviewers who identified their work with abbreviations like Abel, Army, and Chic rather than their full names. The practice of using sigs stopped in August 1991, but the culture of the trade remained deeply embedded in the magazine's identity. The language reflected the spoken words of actors and industry insiders, creating a barrier between the trade and the general public while fostering a sense of community among those who understood the code.
The First Review And The Box Office Revolution
On the 19th of January 1907, Variety published what is considered the first film review in history, covering Pathe's comedy short An Exciting Honeymoon and Edison Studios' western short The Life of a Cowboy. The magazine discontinued film reviews between March 1911 and January 1913 after being convinced by a producer that they were wasting space, yet it remained the longest unbroken source of film criticism in existence. The publication's influence grew with the introduction of box office data, starting on the 3rd of March 1922, when it began reporting grosses for films by theater. By the late 1960s, Variety used an IBM 360 computer to collate data from up to 800 theaters, representing around 5% of the U.S. cinema population but one-third of the total box office. Arthur D. Murphy, who joined in 1964, organized and charted domestic box office gross information, setting a standard for how film box office information is reported today. The magazine's data-driven approach allowed it to estimate market share percentages and track the performance of hits and flops, creating a comprehensive record of the industry's financial health. This data became a crucial tool for exhibitors and distributors, transforming Variety from a simple trade paper into an essential source of industry intelligence.
The Corporate Takeover And Digital Evolution
The Silverman era ended in 1987 when Variety was sold to Cahners Publishing for $64 million, a transaction that marked the beginning of a new corporate chapter. Roger Watkins took over as editor of the Weekly in 1987, while Tom Pryor's son Pete assumed the editorship of Daily Variety in 1988. The magazine underwent a significant transformation in 1988 when it transitioned to four-color print, introducing the first photos on the front page since 1920. The corporate era continued with the acquisition of Variety by Reed Business Information in 2012, which was then sold to Penske Media Corporation. Jay Penske, chairman and CEO of PMC, announced that the website's paywall would come down, and the print publication would stay, with plans to invest more into the digital platform. The magazine's evolution included the launch of Variety.com in 1998, one of the first online newspapers to charge for access, and the introduction of a paywall in 2010 before removing it in 2013. The company also expanded its reach with the launch of Dirt, a real-estate breaking news site, and the creation of Variety Studio: Actors on Actors, which won multiple Emmy awards. The digital transformation allowed Variety to adapt to the changing media landscape while maintaining its core identity as a trade publication.
The Awards Season And The Cultural Impact
Variety's influence extended beyond the newsroom into the cultural consciousness of the entertainment industry, particularly during the awards season. The magazine's advertising revenue peaked during the film-award season leading up to the Academy Awards, when large numbers of colorful, full-page For Your Consideration advertisements inflated the size of the publication to double or triple its usual page count. The magazine's cultural impact was recognized in 2012 when Rizzoli Books published Variety: An Illustrated History of the World from the Most Important Magazine in Hollywood, with a foreword by Martin Scorsese calling it the single most formidable trade publication ever. The publication's influence was further cemented in 2013 when staffers tallied more than 200 uses of the magazine in TV shows and films, ranging from I Love Lucy to Entourage. In 2016, Variety made history by endorsing Hillary Clinton for President of the United States, marking the first time the publication endorsed a candidate for elected office in its 111-year history. The magazine's cultural footprint also included the launch of Variety Hitmakers in 2017, a music franchise that recognized the writers, producers, and publishers behind the most consumed songs of the year. These initiatives demonstrated the magazine's ability to adapt to new media formats while maintaining its core mission of covering the entertainment industry.
The Archive And The Future Of The Trade
Variety's legacy is preserved in its extensive archive, which includes over 100,000 entertainment-related obituaries from 1905 to 1986, reprinted as an 11-volume set. The magazine's historical significance is further highlighted by the availability of digitized versions of all issues on Variety.com, with certain articles and reviews prior to 1998 republished online. The Media History Digital Library has scans of the archive from 1905 to 1963, providing researchers and historians with access to the magazine's rich history. The publication's future is shaped by its data and research division, Variety Insight, which was established in 2011 and later rebranded as Luminate Film & TV. The division uses the magazine's existing relationships with studios to provide information that serves as an alternative to crowd-sourced websites like IMDb. The magazine's evolution continues with the launch of new products like Variety Australia, which covers film, TV, and music around the world with a special focus on the Australian and New Zealand industries. The publication's ability to adapt to new technologies and media formats while maintaining its core identity as a trade publication ensures its continued relevance in the entertainment industry.