Commentary
“To breen or not to breen? That is the question.” I beg your pardon for beginning this film-based article by misquoting William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Replacing the verb in this quote is a very hackneyed witticism, yet it suits this article’s purpose very nicely. What is the definition of “to breen,” you ask? “Breening” or “Joebreening” is a verb coined by “Variety” in the 1930s to describe an important yet underappreciated step in the filmmaking process during Hollywood’s Studio Era.
