When it comes to why minorities struggle in Hollywood, you mostly get graphs & studies, but rarely a person to point a finger at. Well today, we do.

This is Adolph Zukor. And here's how he changed movies during the Spanish Flu & why it could happen again with COVID19. /thread

Just like now, during the Spanish Flu, movie theaters closed between 2-6 months. Also like now, studios shut down productions for a while.

In 1918 though, a LOT of movie theaters and studios were owned by independent filmmakers, who were people of color & women. /2

Here's where Zukor comes in. He sees everything shut down and offers to buy struggling theaters & studios for pennies. When minorities refuse, he threatens to build competing theaters across the street.

When they can't afford to sue, minority-owned theaters & studios close. /3

IN ADDITION, now that he's in full control of theaters, studios & distribution, he changes the structure of Hollywood. Movie lengths & ticket prices change. He also shuts out women & people of color from positions of power.

He exploits the pandemic to take over Hollywood. /4

How does this come into play during THIS pandemic? Well, besides theaters closing, you'll see a HUGE shift to streaming, which may or may not kill theaters all together.

BUT, we have to keep minority filmmakers afloat as they're the most likely to struggle during this time /5

So if you're a minority filmmaker, reply & amplify your work on this thread!

Read the full article by @DeadlineNellie here: https://deadline.com/2020/04/hollywood-coronavirus-impact-spanish-flu-history-lessons-william-mann-interview-1202899630/

Also a fun tidbit is that in 1918 a bunch of male movie stars died because they saw wearing masks all the time as "weak." BYE