In 1916, Jewish producers Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky merged their studios to form the Famous Players–Lasky Corporation, which soon acquired and took the name of its distributor: Paramount Pictures. The studio’s first production facility in Hollywood was a converted barn used by Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille since 1913. Zukor was known for challenging runtime restrictions with his long-form narratives drawn from classical sources. Under his watch, Paramount films reflected the sophistication he valued. Its groundbreaking romantic war epic, William A. Wellman’s Wings, became the first film to win an Oscar for the category now known as Best Picture, an achievement that helped cement Paramount’s legacy.