Film Industry in Muskegon - 1921

Reading all the hub-bub about film production in Michigan, and the tax rebates being offered by the state, I recalled this little gem that I unearthed while digging up old articles on the Actors Colony.

I've taken the time to hyperlink some of the details within for those interested.

LAKES REGION
FINE LOCATION
FOR FILM WORK

Manager of Productions
Company Delighted With
the Possibilities.
"Muskegon has been selected as out permanent headquarters and I can see no reason where in the reasonably near future, the people here cannot expect to see one of the great moving picture studios of the country but right hear, in this city," declared Manager Thomas J. Faussett of the Michigan Productions company, the moving picture firm which is soon to show his first Michigan made film in Muskegon, starring the company's next picture story has already been written by an author of note and the beginning of filming it is believed by Mr. Faussett to be not more than 20 days distant. He is leaving July 28 for New York to engage the cast. None but the best stars will be used, he says.

Says Scenery Unsurpassed
Muskegon's natural scenery is wonderful for pastures, Mr. Faussett declares. Since coming here a few weeks ago, he was made a careful study of conditions, having been on the go 15 and 16 hours every day. Between the Indiana border and the Straits so far as exterior work is concerned, nothing to surpass the natural scenery for film work can be found in the world, he declares.

Along with the growth of the company, it is Mr. Faussett's opinion the Muskegon will begin to realize, as he believes, that the film business is only in the beginning and that with schools, the homes and in fact every work of life, including the nation's great industrial enterprises taking up films as mediums for conveying ideas, he looks for the future development of this business on a scale that will startle even many who are now engaged in the business purely from the theatre production end.

Home Talent for Extras Only

While it is believed that with the interest which has already been shown among member the local Actors' colony, assuring interest among home talent that can be used for extras it is made clear by the manager that this is not a home talent concern in any sense.

In the picture, "The Rich Slave" directed by Romaine Fielding, this noted film star played the male lead himself. The star, Mabel Taliaferro will be remembered by hundreds of local theatre goers as the girl who attracted nation-wide attention in "Polly of The Circus."

Fielding Was Popular Star

Previous to going into the army service, Mr. Fielding, while yet an actor, won a national popularity contest but had given up action to devote all his time to directing before taking part in the war. Barney Gilmore, Herbert Startling, Jr., Ben Hendricks and Robert Forsythe are other stars employed by the Michigan Production company.

Previous to taking up film work, Mr. Faussett was engaged in financial inspection work and traveled all over the United States having been in all states of the Union except four. He says in all his travels he never has seen anything to compare to the general advantages which appear to be at the disposal of Muskegon and his faith in the city's future is unlimited. It will be as ideal for the promotion and development of a great film business as any other northern city, he declares."

Why Wait for Your Ship to Come in?

Michigan Productions, Inc. opened an office in the Union National Bank building in downtown Muskgon and offered local residents the opportunity to invest in the business. Noting the completion of "The Rich Slave", stock was offered at $10 per share.

On August 31, 1920, the film opened for a three-day engagement at the local Lion Theater, then moved around the country.

The following is a brief description of the film from the January 22, 1921 Utica, New York Saturday Globe.

For more on Romaine Fielding, go here

Here's more on the film, from archivist Bob Garrett at The Archives of Michigan

Fonzie, Morgan, Keaton and Jumping the Shark

I really need to thank Harry Morgan for that half day off. It's now 30 years overdue.

I can't say I had a real simple way to do it previously. I didn't know his agent, and had no faith in that Map of the Hollywood Stars booklet that Mom and Dad brought home back when I was a kid. In all honesty, I can't even say Harry's address was in the thing.

I guess I could have written to CBS. They were, after all, called the Tiffany Network. Seems like the kind of place that should have someone around that would forward an important document like a "Thank You" card to an actor on the set of the network's most popular show.

For whatever reason, I didn't do it. Probably too busy chasing skirts. Or playing baseball. Or figuring out what I was going to do for the rest of my life.

Well, some thirty years later, I've taken on the task.

Now, the Harry Morgan I'm talking about is indeed the Harry Morgan you're thinking about.

• Joe Friday's partner, Bill Gannon, on Dragnet.
• Col. Potter of the Four Oh Seventy-Seventh M.A.S.H. unit based in Korea.
• The guy in "Pete and Gladys" (Hey - I wonder why they don't show that on Nick at Nite?), a spin-off of December Bride.

Yep - that's him.

Sounds like he was a wonderful guy to those who had the chance to know him. Like B.J. Hunnicutt, or rather Mike Farrell, who has very nice things to say at Mike Farrell Online

Harry came back to Muskegon to film a television commercial back when I was in high school. It was for Life Savers. Part of that "They're like coming home" series they did with a number of Hollywood actors.
Of course I never met him. It was my junior year.
The campaign was handled by Dancer, Fitzgerald and Sample - a big player out of New York city. I guess they handled Toyota's "Oh What a Feeling" campaign.
Anyway, while they were filming, they blew the high school's circuit breakers. School officials decided that our 15 minutes of fame was more important then educating kids that day, so they sent us home.
Now I would have made the same decision, as I don't think too many of us were really thinking about the three R's when Hollywood was just out the window.
Half day of school! The equivalent of a partial snow day! It was GREAT!

Well, not as great as the gig that two of my classmates had. Dawn Plouhar and Lorna Barrett were earning scale as actors appearing in the commercial. They each picked up a check for $215 for their efforts. That's somewhere between $683.51 and $1,293.68 in 2009 coin.
The commercial made it's debut during a rebroadcast of an episode of Happy Days. It was, or would become, the most famous plot in the series' history. For those tuned in, Fonzie had been challenged to a water skiing contest.
Then Muskegon High School, Morgan, Barrett, Plouhar and Life Savers all hit the screen. Nobody in Skeetown knew in advance.
Yes - it was the "Jumping the Shark" episode. And if you missed the rerun, you missed the commercial. To the best of anyone's knowledge, the commercial never aired again.
I'd love to find a copy of the commercial. Can anyone help?
As the years went on, and my interests in Muskegon history grew, questions began to surface in my mind about Morgan career.
Harry Bratsburg, as he was once known, was born in Detroit in 1915, then moved to Muskegon - home of the Actors' Colony. By 1917, Buster Keaton had made his move into film. But the Actors' Colony and Pascoe's were still around.
Morgan would attend Muskegon High School as Harry Bratsburg, graduating in 1933. He received his start in acting under the direction of Miss Frances Kleaveland, an instructor at Muskegon High School. She would later marry Muskegon High School's varsity football and basketball coach, C. Leo Redmond.
Miss Kleaveland founded the city's "Civic Theater", later rechristened the "Port City Playhouse". The groups' first production, "The Silver Cord", featured Harry, along with Phyllis Cone, and Naomi Riordan. Bratsburg's would later move to summer stock in Washington D.C. In 1937, he had moved to New York where he joined the famed Group Theater. In 1939, he ventured west to California in 1939.
Born in 1961, I knew Morgan from re-runs of Dragnet, and of course, M.A.S.H. I wondered...

• Did he ever cross paths with Buster Keaton or any of the others from Muskegon and the Actors' Colony who ventured west?

Keaton, of course worked in film and television until he passed on in 1966. (December Bride was a Desilu Production that filmed on a set next to I Love Lucy.)
As a local sports historian, I wondered...

• What inspired the name of his character, Col. Sherman T. Potter, on M.A.S.H.?

Morgan replaced McLean Stevenson - Col. Henry Blake - and played the role as a tough yet good-humored and caring officer. I’ve seen reference that the character was named after General William Tecumsah Sherman, but no mention about his last name.
During his high school days in Muskegon, one of the school's athletic coaches was named Harry Potter. The personalities of Colonel Potter and Coach Potter, I’m told, were very similar. I’ve come across former football players who have used the comparison. Bratsburg played at least J.V. football at Muskegon, so as a youngster, he would certainly have known of Coach Potter. Is there a connection?

Those questions resurfaced the other day, as I leafed through an old yearbook. Some old newspaper clippings fell out, reminding me of that day.

Now, without question, I should have launched this quest some time ago. For the mathematicians among us, I know that Morgan is now 93. As I understand, four years ago he was doing quite well. A Norwegian, I hope that is still the case.

With a little luck, I may find answers.

Next:
Harry Morgan's son, Charley, answers my questions.
Click here to see the response.

Buster Keaton featured on PBS documentary Make `Em Laugh

The PBS documentary about American comedy, Make `Em Laugh,

Hosted by Billy Crystal, tonight's episode will feature Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. For those TIVO owners and second shift workers, it appears that it will air again on Monday, January 26, at 1:00 am.

Make 'Em Laugh:

The Funny Business of America: The Knockabouts: Slip on a Banana Peel: A focus on slapstick comedy recalls the antics of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, Martin and Lewis, the Marx Brothers and Lucille Ball.

And Keaton. AND KEATON. AND KEATON!!!

What does a local boy have to do to get respect around here?

And speaking of such - how about the misspelling of Winsor McCay on this PBS writeup on cartoons? On PBS!

I'll tell ya, West Michigan. We don't get "No Respect"

Where's Rodney when you need him?

Keaton and Public Law 100-446

Now I don't remember Keaton appearing in an episode of "Schoolhouse Rock." Must have been that one that started with that "I'm just a Bill" song. Guess I missed Buster's cameo.

So - what do you know about Public Law 100-446?

Well it seems that it started out as an appropriations bill for the United States Department of the Interior. Introduced on 6/20/1988 and sponsored by Representative Sidney Richard Yates of Illinois, the primary focus of this document was the annual appropriations of funds for the department, including, among many other things, "Authorization of the Secretary of the Interior to guarantee a loan made by the Federal Financing Bank to Guam for water system improvements.

It also contained something called the "Mrazek-Yates amendment". Film fans known this as the "National Film Preservation Act of 1988".

This little act of Congress directed the Librarian of Congress to establish a National Film Registry, and a National Film Preservation Board. It included three years of annual a quarter million dollars of funding to establish that Board, with the intent of selecting up to 25 films each year to include on that Registry. And, it addressed a major controversy of the day - the coloration of classic Black and White film.

Now Mr Eric J. Schwartz gives a nice little write-up on the Mrazek-Yates amendment, the controversy it sparked, and the work done by Representatives Yates, Robert Mrazek of New York, and Senators Patrick Leahy (Vermont) and Dennis DeConcini (Arizona) to draft, then get the amendment passed.

Schwartz states,

It has often been said that the two things people should not see king made are sausages and the law.

and notes that the Mrazek-Yates amendment represented a perfect example of this in action. It's well worth reading.

So - what does all this have to do with Keaton?

Well, on December 30, 2008 , the Library of Congress announced the latest 25 films added to the registry. The list now totals 500 shorts and feature length films. Too many?

I'll turn to a statement written by Andre Soares and found on the Alternative Film Guide

Sounds like a whole lot, no? Well, to put things in perspective: in a single year in the 1920s, they’d make as many as 700 motion pictures. And I mean features.

Here's the complete list.

Keaton's 1920 classic short "One Week" was one of the 2008 selections.

In past years, Keaton productions "The General" (1927, added 1989), "Sherlock Jr." (1924, added 1991) , "Cops" (1922, added 1997 ), and "The Cameraman" (1928, added 2005) have made the cut.

Congratulations Buster!

Community Legends

Does Muskegon have a Pete Secchia?

Imaging my surprise when I opened up my newspaper and learned about the unveiling of the first of 25 Community Legends in Grand Rapids, MI.

Lucius Lyon, a city founder, was created by world-renowned artist Stuart
Williamson and has been installed at the southwest corner of Monroe Avenue NW
and Lyon Street, near the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

Known as the "Community Legends" project, the effort is intended to commission one sculpture every two years for the next 50 years. Those pieces then would be donated to the city, or a nonprofit, and funded and endowed by Secchia and his family.

The next four sculptures have been chosen.

• Ottawa Indian Chief Nawquageezhig (Noonday), who helped open Michigan to
settlement.
• Helen Claytor, a local civil rights leader.
• Stanley
Ketchel, a city native and Hall of Fame boxer.
• The Most Rev. Frederick
Baraga, who funded a Grand Rapids church and school.

Isn't that fantastic! I must admit, the unveiling was the first time I had heard about project.

But it wasn’t the first time I had thought about the concept.

My five faithful readers know of my wish for a Buster Keaton statue. Others have heard me mention my thoughts of expanding the concept beyond to include others who once called Muskegon home.

To steal a phrase, my view is to "Think Globally, Act Locally."

As a historian, with definite Pop Culture leanings, my thoughts have been to honor those who have touched the world.

Names I’ve tossed around, beside Keaton, have included (in no particular order):

Haddon Sundblom, the illustrator who created our modern day concept of Santa during his days working for Coca Cola.

Sherm Poppen, and his invention, the Snurfer, which evolved into the Snowboard.

Harry Morgan, Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M.A.S.H. (my favorite episode Dear Sigmund from Season 5).

Iggy Pop, the father of Punk, born in Muskegon.

Bob Zuppke, the University of Illinois football mentor who got his start at Muskegon High School.

Bennie Oosterbaan, Muskegon grad and three-time All-American in football, who spent a lifetime helping develop athletics at the University of Michigan.

Jonathan Waker - the man with the branded hand.

Each, in some way, brought joy to the world.

Over time, I learned of other’s ideas for adding art to the area’s public spaces. To honor Muskegon’s lumbering heritage, Dr Richard Kislov pictured a lumberjack stationed in the waters of Muskegon Lake.

Kislov’s vision of St. Paul, the apostle, resides high above the ground at St Paul's Episcopal Church in downtown Muskegon,

A figure of a bearded and barefoot St. Paul, standing in
a shallow niche on church facade. His proper left hand is upraised and
pointing to the cross that tops the arched niche. His proper right hand holds a
scroll with Greek inscriptions. A sword lies near his feet. He stands atop a
shield that forms the base. The patina of the sculpture is antique green.

The redevelopment of the downtown area has spurred interest in featuring sculptures.

A piece created by James Clover, Sculpture with Stars previously featured on the old SPX headquarters location now rests at a new location in front of the Post Office building.

Plans for a piece honoring Muskegon’s greatest benefactor, Charles Hackley, is in the works for the downtown area thanks to a donation from Peter Turner.

With efforts to honor Winsor McCay now in full swing, Spring Lake is now investigating the creation of sculptures to highlight his pioneering animation works.

Holland, MI, just down the road apiece, has added sculpture in their downtown area.

Grand Rapids, of course has Fredrick Meijer Gardens.

Art has been added along the Hart-Montague bike trail.

Wouldn't it be wonderful of the area as a whole were known nationally for their public displays of sculpture?

Let me hear your suggestions...

Samaroff, Sonia, and Pepito the Spanish Clown

Some 15 years ago, the journey began.

On a visit to the local county museum, archivist Barb Martin unearthed a gem.

It was a single piece of paper, molded into a program for a movie premiere some 80 years ago. Contained within were the details on events surrounding an evening at a theater located 2,192 miles from my home.

The document highlighted the the Los Angeles premiere of Charlie Chaplin's The Circus. The theater - Sid Grauman's grand Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd, which had opened only a few month previous, was the setting.

The enormous lights of Otto K. Olsen's invention, pivoting from their trucks lined up in front of the theater and across the street, threw their beams skyward; other floodlights brought a day time brightness to the whole block surrounding the theater. Limousines dashed up to discharge the luminaries of the motion-picture world, producers, directors, and stars galore from every studio in Hollywood, all paying five dollars a seat to do honor to Charlie s new picture and to tell him that whatever untoward happened, he belonged in their hearts.

Charlie escorted Merna Kennedy to the first night; Maisie was there with a party. A microphone, set up on the court with a master of ceremonies presiding, lured various stars to chirp bromides to the world waiting at the radio, the inane, "Hello, everybody. I'm so thrilled to be here and know you will be, too, when you see this wonderful picture...

At Chaplin's request, Grauman was asked to present a show as a prologue to the film. Titled Ballyhoo, Grauman presented "An Old-fashioned One Ring Circus.

The prologue to The Circus as staged by Sid Grauman, that master showman, was in itself worth the price of admission. Three rings of circus acts concentrated on the large stage gave the illusion of a full-fledged circus in action. Bare back riders, the noted Paddleford family, trapeze performers, the sawdust, the sideshows, and the barkers overflowed from the stage into the spacious front court and completed the illusion. The ornate gaudiness of the Chinese Theatre fitted the transitory atmosphere of the night.

Among the other acts performing were Russian immigrants, Donat Butowick, and his wife, the former Ella Bluhmfield. Members of the Muskegon Actors' colony, the were joined by some of the top performers from the era.

The Hanneford family riding act took part, as did Emil Pallenberg's bears, Ed and Jennie Rooney, aerialists, and several others who had been headliners with the Ringling circus and were friends of the Hannefords and Mrs. Clarke. The engagement stretched into an eight months' stint..

Another act on the bill would become even more well known years later.

An e-mail arrived the other day from Melani Carty with a subject line that immediately caught my attention. It said, "Samaroff and Sonia & Pepito the Clown"

I knew instantly the connection between the performers.

Within the body of the e-mail, Melani noted that she blogged on Pepito, and his wife, Joanne.

For those who are fans of I Love Lucy, the name Pepito may bring back memories. Jose Perez - better known as Pepito the Spanish Clown helped Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz create the act that would form the basis for the television classic.

According to the site Still in Love with Lucy

In 1950, when Lucille Ball was asked to move her successful radio series to television, she agreed on one condition: her husband, Desi Arnaz, would be cast in the role of her TV husband.

CBS executives balked, believing the American public wouldn’t accept an all-American redhead being married to a Latin bandleader. To prove the network wrong, Lucy and Desi launched a successful vaudeville tour. Their friend Jose Perez, known on the vaudeville circuit as Pepito, The Spanish Clown, developed several skits for the couple to take on the road. The most famous of these cast Lucy as “The Professor” who breaks into Desi’s performance and insists on auditioning for the band. The skit was so successful, Lucy and Desi worked it into the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy” and again in episode 6 of the show’s first season.

Within a blog entry, Carty points out that Pepito appeared in Episode 52 - "Lucy's Show Biz Swan Song"

She also shares this classic.

In 1990, Joanne became briefly famous for finding the “lost pilot” of the “I Love Lucy Show.” Twelve years after the death of her beloved husband, she was finally cleaning out his personal office at the rear of the house. While pulling things out from under his daybed where he often napped.

Check out Carty's ode to Pepito and Joanne - The Spanish Clown and the Ballet Teacher. It's a wonderful tale and the collection of entries are lovingly prepared, and peppered with numerous treasurers.

Here is a link to her entry on "Ballyhoo" which includes a Quicktime movie clip of Ballyhoo. Check out the extra's disk of the Chaplin DVD the chance to

There is even a connection to Spring Lake's own Winsor McCay.

I love the Internet!

Buster Keaton Images

Check out the New York Public Library for some classic Keaton images











And how about Profiles in History, for this one and 44 others from
Battling Butler and other films.

And what about the Life Magazine collection?

Watch this episode of Telescope, a Canadian half-hour documentary series from 1964.

And then there are these shots snapped in New York City in the summer of 1964 during the making of Samuel Beckett's near silent short, Film.

And the huge collection of Keaton's on REX.

And don't forget Corbus.

And Getty Images.

Now, how about checking out BusterStuff for Christmas ideas. Like...