Paramount Pictures at 100

The Bronson Gate at Paramount Pictures' studio in Los Angeles - one of the most recognizable Hollywood landmarks - is seen under construction in 1926.

The Hollywood studio, which was originally created in 1912, is celebrating a century of classic filmmaking, from the Marx Brothers, Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, "The Godfather" and "Chinatown," to Indiana Jones, "Star Trek" and "Beverly Hills Cop."

By CBSNews.com senior editor David Morgan

Paramount was born from a New York-based businessman inspired to film plays for well-heeled audiences. Adolph Zukor had invested in penny arcades and traveling nickelodeons, but in 1912 he invested $40,000 in a French film production of "Queen Elizabeth," starring stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, in return for distribution rights. Zukor showed the film at New York's Lyceum Theater on July 12, 1912 (despite threats from the motion picture trust ruled by Thomas Edison), and then in roadshow screenings across the country. The 40-minute film - the first U.S.-backed feature length movie - was a success.

Zukor formed Famous Players Film Company to produce "famous plays with famous players," and its first production was "The Count of Monte Cristo." Through mergers (and, later, bankruptcy), Famous Players eventually became Paramount Pictures.

Zukor died in 1976 at the age of 103.

Rudolph Valentino, one of the earliest screen sex symbols, in "Son of the Sheik" (1926).

Clara Bow, a.k.a. the "It" girl.

Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper in "Morocco" (1930).

Crowds flood the Bronson Gate at Paramount Pictures to attend a casting call for the 1930 Gold Rush drama "The Spoilers," starring Gary Cooper.

A 1930 aerial view of the Paramount Pictures studio backlot in Los Angeles.

A 1934 view of the "New York Street" on the Paramount backlot.

The Marx Brothers made their first five features at Paramount, including "The Cocoanuts," "Animal Crackers," "Monkey Business," "Horse Feathers," and "Duck Soup."

Groucho Marx, demonstrating his way with women, in "Animal Crackers" (1930).

Bing Crosby is pictured in 1936 on the Paramount backlot. Crosby was one of the most popular stars of movies, radio and recordings, and won a Best Actor Oscar for "Going My Way" (1944). But he was probably best remembered as part of the knockabout series of "Road" movies with Bob Hope.

Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake in "Sullivan's Travels" (1941), one of many classic screwball comedies directed by Preston Sturges at Paramount. Others not to be missed: "Christmas in July," "The Lady Eve," "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" and "Hail the Conquering Hero."

French New Wave director Luc Godard once wrote, "All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl." In Billy Wilder's film noir classic "Double Indemnity" (1944), with a script co-written by Raymond Chandler based on a James M. Cain novel, Fred MacMurray had both (thanks to Barbara Stanwyck) - and both were too hot to handle.

Bob Hope keeps his nose to the books in "Road to Singapore" (1940), co-starring Dorothy Lamour.

While MGM had the reputation for producing the most accomplished musicals, Paramount did have Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, who co-starred in "Holiday Inn" (1942), with music by Irving Berlin. Crosby and Astaire also teamed up for "Blue Skies," and Astaire returned to Paramount for "Funny Face," co-starring Audrey Hepburn.

"I'm ready for my closeup": Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's poison-pen letter to Hollywood, "Sunset Boulevard."

Director Billy Wilder is captured dancing with actress Gloria Swanson on the set of "Sunset Boulevard."

In the 1950s Paramount released several classic science fiction films produced by George Pal, including "Destination Moon," "War of the Worlds" and "When Worlds Collide."

Audrey Hepburn ("Roman Holiday") is seen on the Paramount backlot in 1954.

During the 1950s Paramount was the home of Alfred Hitchcock in what proved to be the director's most fertile period, which included "To Catch a Thief," "Rear Window" (left, with James Stewart), "Vertigo," and "Psycho." He even borrowed Paramount's VistaVision widescreen cameras to shoot "North by Northwest" for MGM.

Alfred Hitchcock directs James Stewart and Grace Kelly on the set of "Rear Window."

Cecil B. DeMille was renowned for spectacle - the bigger, the better - and became synonymous with Biblical epics. In 1923 when he filmed "The Ten Commandments," the story of Moses was only half of the film - the rest took place in the present day. When Hollywood was competing against television in the 1950s, DeMille remade the saga in widescreen, Technicolor and stereophonic sound, starring Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, and a cast of thousands.

Moses speaks with God - in the person of producer-director Cecil B. DeMille - during filming of "The Ten Commandments."

Jerry Lewis is seen directing his comedy "The Errand Boy" on the Paramount studio backlot, 1961.

Audrey Hepburn is photographed on the set of "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

In the 1960s Paramount released films by such notable European directors as Sergio Leone ("Once Upon a Time in the West"), Roman Polanski ("Rosemary's Baby"), and Franco Zefferelli ("Romeo and Juliet," left, featuring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting).

But the '60s was also a time of financial crisis for Paramount. The film studio was sold to the conglomerate Gulf + Western, which also purchased the Desilu TV studio, joining feature film and television production.

In this 1969 publicity shot Paramount Pictures studio head Robert Evans (front, second from left) is seen with stars of the studio's 1969 slate of films, including Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand ("On a Clear Day You Can See Forever"), John Wayne ("True Grit"), Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood ("Paint Your Wagon"), and Rock Hudson ("Darling Lili"). Also pictured in "Forever" lyricist Alan Jay Lerner.

Left: John Wayne's Oscar-winning performance as Rooster Cogburn in "True Grit" (1969). Right: Jeff Bridges in his Oscar-nominated performance in the Coen Brothers' 2010 remake. Though his portrayal was strikingly different, Bridges said his wearing the eye patch on the opposite eye from Wayne's only came about because it was more comfortable.

James Caan takes a break during filming of the tollbooth assassination scene in which his character, Sonny Corleone, is blasted to smithereens in "The Godfather."

Before video playback, viewing rushes on location was a bit more cumbersome, as seen in this photograph taken during filming of "The Godfather."

Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray in "Chinatown" (1974), Roman Polanski's classic noir of political corruption in California in the 1930s. Script by Robert Towne.

Director Roman Polanski attends to Jack Nicholson's makeup on the set of "Chinatown."

Jack Nicholson as J.J. Gittes in "Chinatown."

Locusts rise up from the wheat fields in Terrence Malick's "Days of Heaven" (1978). Nestor Almendros won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

"Star Trek" has lived long and prospered far beyond the original Paramount TV series. After fan demands (and the box office success of "Star Wars") transported the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to the big screen in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," the franchise has played out in 11 feature films, from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (left) and spinoffs starring a "Next Generation" to the 2009 reboot.

After starring in some of the studio’s biggest hits, including “Barefoot in the Park,” “Downhill Racer,” and “Three Days of the Condor,” Robert Redford directed “Ordinary People” (1980), about the strained relations of a family devastated by the tragic death of a son. Starring Timothy Hutton, Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland, it won Best Picture and, for Redford, Best Director.

"The Elephant Man" (1980) featured a sterling cast - Anthony Hopkins (left) as a London doctor who discovers a horribly mis-formed human being played by John Hurt - and bore the unmistakable stamp of writer-director David Lynch. But it was also produced by the production company of Mel Brooks, who refused to allow his name on the credits, fearing audiences might assume it was a comedy.

Warren Beatty's epic tale of socialist writer John Reed and his support for - and growing disenchantment with - the Bolshevik Revolution was the unlikely basis for the epic drama "Reds" (1981), co-starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson.

Director Steven Spielberg confers with actors Karen Allen and Harrison Ford on the set of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981). A winning recreation of old-fashioned Saturday afternoon movie serials, the film launched yet another franchise for Ford (who'd already starred in two "Star Wars" movies for producer George Lucas).

"Saturday Night Live" alumni have had varied success translating their popularity from a late night sketch show to the big screen, but Eddie Murphy had no trouble hitting the ground running. After the comedy-drama "48 Hrs." in which he co-starred with Nick Nolte, Murphy starred in the fish-out-of-water comedy "Beverly Hills Cop," and returned for three sequels.

Matthew Broderick made truancy forgivable - or at least an opportunity to sing Beatles song in a parade - in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986), written and directed by John Hughes.

Kate Winslet in "Titanic" (1997). James Cameron's epic disaster picture/romance won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Another Paramount TV classic that was transferred to movie screens was "Mission: Impossible," in which U.S. super-secret agents combat nefarious forces across the world. Tom Cruise starred in the 1996 movie version directed by Brian De Palma, which launched three additional films, including "Mission: Impossible III" (left), directed by J.J. Abrams.

Paramount Pictures/Marvel; Zade Rosenthal

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) works on a prototype of his "Iron Man" armor.

The mountain logo of Paramount Pictures as seen over the years.

By CBSNews.com senior editor David Morgan