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What does it take to be a great filmmaker? If you ask Jordan Peele, Danny Boyle, or George Lucas, you’ll get completely different answers. But what happens when the art of filmmaking collides head-on with the sledgehammer of censorship?

In the first of a three-part series, Ed and Kara dive into the wild, lawless early days of cinema—before the rules were written and before the moral police took over. From Thomas Edison’s cutthroat patent wars to the incredible women, immigrants, and Jewish creators who literally built Hollywood from the ground up in the sunny hills of California, early film was a thriving frontier of taboo topics and artistic freedom.

But with massive success came massive scrutiny. Join us as we explore the rise of feature films like the highly innovative (and deeply racist) The Birth of a Nation, the groundbreaking work of Lois Weber, and the trio of dark, sensationalized 1920s scandals—including the tragic downfall of Fatty Arbuckle—that ultimately forced a roaring, jazz-age Hollywood to face its very first major dumpster fire: the call for federal regulation.

Pull up a chair, grab some popcorn, and welcome to Tinseltown.

Be sure to check out The Day's Dumpster Fire website for more episode details, Kara's artwork, and musings from Ed and Kara.

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If have ideas for future episodes that you want Kara and Ed to look into, email them at thedaysdumpsterfire@gmail.com. They would love to hear from you!

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