The new historical dictionary of the American film industry

308 Pages·2001·41.175 MB·English

by  Slide, Anthony

The New
Historical Dictionary of the
All1erican Filll1 Industry
Anthony Slide
t
The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Lanham, Maryland, and London
2001
SCARECROW PRESS, INC.
Published in the United States of America by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.scarecrowpress.com
4 Pleydell Gardens, Folkestone
Kent CT20 2DN, England
Distributed by National Book Network
Copyright © 1998 by Anthony Slide
First paperback edition 200 I
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The hardback edition of this book was previously cataloged by the Library of Congress as follows:
Slide, Anthony.
The new historical dictionary of the American film industry / Anthony Slide.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: The American film industry, 1986.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-81 08-3426-X (cloth: alk. paper)
I. Motion picture industry-United States-Dictionaries. I. Slide, Anthony. American film industry. II. Title.
PNI993.5.U6S539 1998
384'.8'0973-dc21 97-35737
CIP
ISBN 1-57886-015-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
8Th<
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences
Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSIINISO 239.48-1992. Manufactured in the United States of America.
for Ann and
Andre de Toth
I
I
I
I
I
I
CCoonntteennttss
PPrreeffaaccee VVBB
EEnnttrriieess
RReessoouurrccee LLiibbrraarriieess aanndd IInnssttiittuuttiioonnss 224433
IInnddeexx 224455
AAbboouutt tthhee AAuutthhoorr 226677
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
Preface
The New Historical Dictionary oft he American Film Industry lowing a name in any of the entries indicates that there is a
is a revised and updated version of my 1986 book, The Amer separate entry for that subject.
ican Film Industry: A Historical Dictionary. More than 200 Headings are based on the best-known name of a company,
new entries have been added, and other entries have been up studio, or technical innovation and are not necessarily the final
dated where appropriate. Like its predecessor, The New His name by which the subject was known. However, cross-refer
torical Dictionary of the American Film Industry is unique in ences within the text will immediately indicate the heading
that it is not a "Who's Who" ofthe American film industry, of used. Cross-references have also been used to refer researchers
which there are many, but rather a "What's What," a dictio to a studio or company outside of a major film community,
nary of American producing and releasing companies, techni where the researcher is only familiar with the town or city in
cal innovations, industry terms, studios, genres, and organiza which the company was located but is not aware of its name.
tions. Included here are more than 800 entries on everything Thus, under Lake Placid, New York, will be found a cross
from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to the reference to Excelsior Feature Film Company, Inc., and under
zoom lens, from Astoria Studios to Zoetrope. There are en Providence, Rhode Island, will be found a cross-reference to
tries on more than 100 companies active in the second decade Eastern Film Company. The index includes the names of all in
of the twentieth century, as well as major studios, such as dividuals associated with a particular company, thus enabling
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and 20th Century-Fox. The various a researcher, yet again, to track down a company without prior
color systems, such as Technicolor, Kinemacolor, Prizma knowledge of the name. Wherever possible in the text, birth
Color, and Eastman Color, are described in this volume, as are and death years are provided for such individuals.
CinemaScope, Todd-AG, Dolby Sound, and Panavision. Space does not permit my acknowledging the countless
Following many of the entries is an address (if the com individuals, companies, and institutions that have helped in
pany or organization is still active), a short bibliography, the research for this and the earlier volume. However, I
and, where appropriate, information-under the heading would like to note a special debt to Alan Gevinson and to the
"Resources" - as to institutional holdings of the subject's staff of the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Mo
films, papers, photographs, and scripts. An asterisk (*) fol- tion Picture Arts and Sciences.