I became a son-in-law in the United States

Soon, Reynolds led Luther to a larger room filled with various instruments and equipment, and piles of used film reels that were still hot on the floor.

Reynolds waved his hand, and the others who were busy gathered around immediately.

"Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Luther. Starting today, Mr. Luther will be in charge of all affairs of our company."

As Reynolds finished speaking, sparse applause rang out, and everyone turned around to focus their attention on the young man.

Although the United States in 1927 was thriving and everything seemed so wonderful, people were increasingly feeling the pressure to survive in some unseen places.

For example, within the box office, the number of actors working this year is less than half of last year's, and movie ticket prices have also dropped somewhat, with the cheapest ticket now costing less than 10 cents.

If this new Mr. Luther can't come up with any good ideas, the future of the box office film company is in jeopardy.

For old Joseph, it didn't matter at all; it was just one of the countless companies he had bought, and it wouldn't matter if it went bankrupt.

But for Reynolds and his group, this is their livelihood; their perspectives differ, so their focuses will naturally be different.

Fortunately, Luther shared the same idea as the employees: no matter what, the company had to stay afloat, the business had to continue, and even grow bigger.

Luther waved his hand and continued speaking to the crowd:

"Don't worry, everyone. Since Mr. Joseph has entrusted the company to me, I will do my best to manage the box office films well."

Hearing Luther say this, many employees breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hopefully this time it will be better!"

"Yes, my husband works at the docks, and business hasn't been good lately."

"I don't know, but I've heard that people in New York make a lot of money trading stocks?"

"I have a sister who does business with men, and she said business hasn't been good lately. The men aren't even willing to give an extra dollar afterward."

"In short, I hope this Mr. Luther can accomplish something, and not be like that old Joseph, who only thinks about making money."

"Yes, if he does that, he'll ruin our box office films sooner or later."

The employees were gossiping below, and some of the gossip reached Luther's ears, but he didn't think much of it. If he didn't do it, he wouldn't be old Joseph.

In general, it's quite simple. Long before Luther took over, Joseph Sr. had only one requirement: produce quickly and release the film as soon as possible.

As for quality, he doesn't care that much. As long as a movie can make money, that's all that matters.

Reputation and such were completely outside his consideration.

Luther sensed that the employees were slightly dissatisfied, but Joseph was high above them and was also the company boss, so everyone could only swallow their anger and at most complain a few words in private.

Now that Luther has arrived, many people couldn't help but complain a bit.

Luther nodded, looked at Reynolds and the others, and said, "The company management will stay; everyone else can go home."

Upon hearing this, several men and women stepped forward. These were the directors, screenwriters, and core actors of the box office electronic music company. Together with Reynolds and his female secretary, they formed the company's core management team.

Luther didn't hesitate and immediately found a chair to sit down.

"Everyone, let's have a quick meeting. Reynolds, could you tell us about the company's current business situation?"

Upon hearing this, Reynolds paused, organized his thoughts slightly, and then began to speak slowly and deliberately, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube:

"Mr. Luther, actually, our box office film company is most famous for three types of films: Westerns, comedies, and dramas. These three types of films account for almost the entirety of our production."

Luther nodded; he had done his homework before coming.

This company is best known for its Westerns, producing an average of three or four films every year.

Of course, the high output was also related to the standards of the subject matter at the time. You have to understand that in this era, a typical movie was only 50-60 minutes long, at most no more than 70 minutes. For a film company with a mature production line, it could produce a passable Western in just a few months.

Westerns are to American audiences what kung fu movies are to Hong Kong audiences—a must-see genre.

In addition, there are comedy films, which are mainly simple romantic movies, such as the male and female leads working together on a farm, filming their daily lives and other details.

As for drama films, Luther isn't very clear about other companies, but in terms of box office films, these mainly involve gangsters and immigrants, which are common genres.

Seeing this, Reynolds continued:

"Generally speaking, the budget for each of our films is between $25000 and $50000. Besides box office revenue, the biggest source of revenue is renting out film prints. Our prints are mainly rented to independent theaters in other states and counties through distributors. So, the profit for each of our films is between $5000 and $20000."

At this point, Reynolds paused, then continued:

"But Mr. Luther, you know this industry; there are profits and losses, and everyone has their bad days. We don't always make money; we sometimes lose money, but overall, our revenue exceeds our expenses, and our box office films are profitable as a whole."

Reynolds may have described it in a seemingly good light, but Luther could still easily sense the hardship involved.

Although watching movies was a major form of entertainment for Americans in this era, quality was still a factor. If the company continued down Joseph Sr.'s path, it would likely face increasing difficulties in the future.

Because the market will mature, and the audience's aesthetic tastes will not remain unchanged. Just like the Western genre, once the golden age is over, almost no one watches it anymore.

Even if you were to watch one, it would be a modified version of a Western, like Star Wars or No Country for Old Men, but that's a story for another time.

After thinking for a moment, Luther organized his thoughts and began to exercise his power as the boss.

"Alright, I understand the general situation. Next, I need you to do a few things, so please write them down."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded, and some even took out paper and pens.

"Reynolds, Westerns are the hottest genre right now, and we need to keep investing in them. As for comedies and dramas, I have to say that both the scripts and the filming are too old-fashioned and clichéd. Although they don't lose money, it's not sustainable to keep going like this."

Reynolds understood the implication and sighed helplessly.

"Mr. Luther, what are your thoughts?"

Seeing comedies and dramas being cut, in addition to Reynolds, a fat director and a screenwriter also frowned.

If neither of these two types of films is needed, where should the two of them look for their next job?

But the next moment, Luther smiled and announced his final decision:

"Friends, the past is gone, and we must prepare to embrace the new."

"Something new?" Everyone looked on with curiosity.

"It's a sound movie."

P.S.: The data hasn't changed for days, is it cursed? Anyway, please help me out!