Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
MOTION PICTURES: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:onemile.png|left|thumb|250px|Photo courtesy: Telegraph Herald]]MOTION PICTURES. Motion pictures, referred to in 1913 as "talkies," first appeared in Dubuque on August 2,3, and 4, 1912. The [[MAJESTIC THEATRE]] showed Doyle Publicity Service Film Company's "One Mile of Dubuque." (1) The company had shot the film during a visit to Dubuque in July, 1912 when they photographed "aeroplane" races at [[NUTWOOD PARK]], a military drill in [[WASHINGTON PARK]] and scenery around the city. (2) The films were to be purchased by the [[DUBUQUE INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION]] and "used in various parts of the country to advertise the city in the most forceful way." (3) Credit for being the first person to operate sound movies in Dubuque was Leo Robinson. (4) | [[Image:onemile.png|left|thumb|250px|Photo courtesy: Telegraph Herald]]MOTION PICTURES. Motion pictures, referred to in 1913 as "talkies," first appeared in Dubuque on August 2,3, and 4, 1912. The [[MAJESTIC THEATRE]] showed Doyle Publicity Service Film Company's "One Mile of Dubuque." (1) The company had shot the film during a visit to Dubuque in July, 1912 when they photographed "aeroplane" races at [[NUTWOOD PARK]], a military drill in [[WASHINGTON PARK]] and scenery around the city. (2) The films were to be purchased by the [[DUBUQUE INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION]] and "used in various parts of the country to advertise the city in the most forceful way." (3) Credit for being the first person to operate sound movies in Dubuque was Leo Robinson. (4) | ||
Dubuque's history in motion pictures precedes[[WORLD WAR I]]. In 1916 the Zenith Motion Pictures Company of Chicago visited Dubuque. The company was making short features on cities in each state to show before feature films. The films were also to be leased to colleges and universities. (5) | Dubuque's history in motion pictures precedes [[WORLD WAR I]]. In 1916 the Zenith Motion Pictures Company of Chicago visited Dubuque. The company was making short features on cities in each state to show before feature films. The films were also to be leased to colleges and universities. (5) | ||
In 1916 the Paragon Film Company came to Dubuque and filmed "The Call of the Hills." (6) | In 1916 the Paragon Film Company came to Dubuque and filmed "The Call of the Hills." (6) | ||
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In 1930 the Motion Picture Council was formed with the intent of "aligning organizations" with their own organizations or which were beginning to organize as part of the Better Film Movement. In August of 1930 the organization included the Federation of Protestant Church Women, the Parent-Teacher council, [[DUBUQUE WOMEN'S CLUB]] and the Hillside Reading Circle. A survey of the interest of children in movies was conducted in the schools as the first project. (15) | In 1930 the Motion Picture Council was formed with the intent of "aligning organizations" with their own organizations or which were beginning to organize as part of the Better Film Movement. In August of 1930 the organization included the Federation of Protestant Church Women, the Parent-Teacher council, [[DUBUQUE WOMEN'S CLUB]] and the Hillside Reading Circle. A survey of the interest of children in movies was conducted in the schools as the first project. (15) | ||
In June a committee of three people representing the Council was formed. This committee was to interview each theater owner in the city, present the aims and plans of the organization, and ask for their cooperation in placing before parents and children lists of previewed films endorsed by the national organization. (16) | |||
Mrs. [[LEOTSCHER, Emil|Emil LOETSCHER]], president of the Council, spoke to members of the Mothers' Club of [[IMMANUEL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH]] in late November, 1930. In asking for their membership in the Council, she stated her belief that the federation would become a way for all movements to pass. "Whatever services we can render to uplift standards of society is a definite responsibility to church women who wish to be the interpreters of Christ's message." She pointed to a debate at a recent convention in which one side advocated government control of the motion picture industry. The opposition called for cooperation of organizations to work with the industry in implementing standards. This was the attitude of the Dubuque association. It was not an option to leave the industry to be operated only by competitive business practices. (17) | |||
In | News reels were shown along with feature films for decades. In 1931 Marcellus Stangl, operator of the [[AVON THEATER]] filmed a blast at the quarry belonging to the [[DUBUQUE STONE PRODUCTS COMPANY]]. Stangl was also the official regional cinematographer for the Universal News Service. His motion picture was incorporated into the news reel released by Universal for the week of May 10-16th. (18) | ||
In 1970 Dubuque was a "star" of a documentary travelogue on the history of the [[MISSISSIPPI RIVER]]. Of interest to the film makers was the Dubuque Yacht Basin, [[SHOT TOWER]], [[EAGLE POINT PARK]], and the grave of [[DUBUQUE, Julien|Julien DUBUQUE]]. It was understood that the film would be used on all flights of Trans World Airways and in the fall in three half-hour segments of ABC Television's "Wild World of Sports." ( | "A Modern Newspaper in the Making" was one of the subtitles of a film to be made in Dubuque in 1934. Motion picture cameras were expected to be moved into the headquarters of the Telegraph Herald and Times Journal to record the operations of different parts of the newspaper publishing business. The film was to be shot in February and ready for viewing in April. It was to be shown as a special feature at the [[GRAND THEATRE]]. (19) | ||
In October 1956, ''Pajama Game'', a movie based on the story written by [[BISSELL, Richard|Richard BISSELL]] was partially filmed in Dubuque. (20) Although the film starred Doris Day and John Raitt, only Raitt came to Dubuque and only the opening scenes, including panoramic shots of the city, were made in Iowa. An estimated one dozen extras were hired in Dubuque for the filming. | |||
In 1970 Dubuque was a "star" of a documentary travelogue on the history of the [[MISSISSIPPI RIVER]]. Of interest to the film makers was the Dubuque Yacht Basin, [[SHOT TOWER]], [[EAGLE POINT PARK]], and the grave of [[DUBUQUE, Julien|Julien DUBUQUE]]. It was understood that the film would be used on all flights of Trans World Airways and in the fall in three half-hour segments of ABC Television's "Wild World of Sports." (21) | |||
[[Image:imp196.jpg|left|thumb|350px|Stars in the production of "F.I.S.T." left their foot and handprints in concrete outside of the [[BLUE MOON]]. The panels were removed when new sidewalk was installed and rediscovered in a municipal garage.]]The next movie made in Dubuque was [[F.I.S.T.]] starring Sylvester Stallone. The 1977 film, of which an estimated 40 percent was filmed in Dubuque, led to approximately four hundred extras being hired. Special effects crews, wanting to recreate the feeling of Cleveland in the Depression era, obtained permission from the Iowa Air Quality Commission to temporarily cloud Dubuque's air. Other crews darkened some buildings. [[ZIGGY'S]] became a popular tourist site. The premier of ''F.I.S.T''. was held on April 26, 1978. | [[Image:imp196.jpg|left|thumb|350px|Stars in the production of "F.I.S.T." left their foot and handprints in concrete outside of the [[BLUE MOON]]. The panels were removed when new sidewalk was installed and rediscovered in a municipal garage.]]The next movie made in Dubuque was [[F.I.S.T.]] starring Sylvester Stallone. The 1977 film, of which an estimated 40 percent was filmed in Dubuque, led to approximately four hundred extras being hired. Special effects crews, wanting to recreate the feeling of Cleveland in the Depression era, obtained permission from the Iowa Air Quality Commission to temporarily cloud Dubuque's air. Other crews darkened some buildings. [[ZIGGY'S]] became a popular tourist site. The premier of ''F.I.S.T''. was held on April 26, 1978. | ||
[[Image:ppin.jpg|left|thumb|150px|]]Film crews again came to Dubuque for the filming of ''Take This Job and Shove It''. Filming began in August 1980 and led to the hiring of one thousand extras. Filmmakers quickly realized that the story of a struggling manufacturing town was and the story of Dubuque were similar. They discarded the name of the movie's fictional town and used Dubuque. Going further, they renamed the character played by veteran actor Art Carney as Charlie Pickett which was patterned after brewery owner [[PICKETT, Joseph Sr.|Joseph PICKETT, Sr.]] ( | [[Image:ppin.jpg|left|thumb|150px|]]Film crews again came to Dubuque for the filming of ''Take This Job and Shove It''. Filming began in August 1980 and led to the hiring of one thousand extras. Filmmakers quickly realized that the story of a struggling manufacturing town was and the story of Dubuque were similar. They discarded the name of the movie's fictional town and used Dubuque. Going further, they renamed the character played by veteran actor Art Carney as Charlie Pickett which was patterned after brewery owner [[PICKETT, Joseph Sr.|Joseph PICKETT, Sr.]] (22) [[Image:TakeThisJob.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Image courtesy: Mike Day. Kendall C. Day family collection.]] | ||
In 1988 ''Field of Dreams'' was made in and around the Dubuque area. ( | In 1988 ''Field of Dreams'' was made in and around the Dubuque area. (23) Nominated for three Academy Awards in 1990, the film's last scene required [[RIEDEL, Susan|Susan RIEDEL]] to coordinate three thousand extras. Scenes in the film included the downtown area as well as several scenes filmed on the bluffs overlooking the city. | ||
A substantial financial gain comes to Dubuque from movie production. During the first week of the filming of ''F.I.S.T''., sixty-five local employees worked 2,235 hours and received salaries of $40,000. Salaries paid to seventy-five professional crew members-excluding actors and actresses-totaled $60,000. During the eight weeks of filming, the estimated one thousand film extras earned approximately $200,000. The film company paid an estimated $60,000 to obtain Dubuque-area locations for filming plus an additional $85,000 to rent Depression-era trucks and cars. [[KEHL, Robert|Robert KEHL]] supplied 16,000 meals to the crew during their stay and estimated his revenues at between $90,000 and $100,000. The total financial impact on the community amounted to between $1.5 million and $2 million. ( | A substantial financial gain comes to Dubuque from movie production. During the first week of the filming of ''F.I.S.T''., sixty-five local employees worked 2,235 hours and received salaries of $40,000. Salaries paid to seventy-five professional crew members-excluding actors and actresses-totaled $60,000. During the eight weeks of filming, the estimated one thousand film extras earned approximately $200,000. The film company paid an estimated $60,000 to obtain Dubuque-area locations for filming plus an additional $85,000 to rent Depression-era trucks and cars. [[KEHL, Robert|Robert KEHL]] supplied 16,000 meals to the crew during their stay and estimated his revenues at between $90,000 and $100,000. The total financial impact on the community amounted to between $1.5 million and $2 million. (24) | ||
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15. "Motion Picture Council Assists," ''Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal'', August 24, 1930, p. 107 | 15. "Motion Picture Council Assists," ''Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal'', August 24, 1930, p. 107 | ||
16. " | 16. "Motion Pictures Council Meets," ''Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal'', June 25, 1930, p. 25 | ||
17. " | 17. "Talks on Work of Pictures Council," ''Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal'', November 20, 1930, p. 19 | ||
18. | 18. "News Reel to Show Blast at Dubuque Quarry," ''Telegraph Herald'', May 8, 1931, p. 6. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZL5FAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h70MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1636,5422507&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en | ||
19. " | 19. "Movies Will Show Dubuque People, Businesses and Scenery," ''Telegraph Herald'', Feb. 25, 1934, p. 10. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ab5BAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xakMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2699,4093541&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en | ||
20. Piper. | 20. Piper. | ||
21. Ibid. | 21. "Travelogue to be Filmed in Dubuque," ''Telegraph Herald'', July 12, 1978, p. 18 | ||
22. Piper. | |||
23. Ibid. | |||
24. Ibid. | |||
Revision as of 00:36, 1 November 2017
MOTION PICTURES. Motion pictures, referred to in 1913 as "talkies," first appeared in Dubuque on August 2,3, and 4, 1912. The MAJESTIC THEATRE showed Doyle Publicity Service Film Company's "One Mile of Dubuque." (1) The company had shot the film during a visit to Dubuque in July, 1912 when they photographed "aeroplane" races at NUTWOOD PARK, a military drill in WASHINGTON PARK and scenery around the city. (2) The films were to be purchased by the DUBUQUE INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION and "used in various parts of the country to advertise the city in the most forceful way." (3) Credit for being the first person to operate sound movies in Dubuque was Leo Robinson. (4)
Dubuque's history in motion pictures precedes WORLD WAR I. In 1916 the Zenith Motion Pictures Company of Chicago visited Dubuque. The company was making short features on cities in each state to show before feature films. The films were also to be leased to colleges and universities. (5)
In 1916 the Paragon Film Company came to Dubuque and filmed "The Call of the Hills." (6)
Wanted--Twenty to fifty men and women, all good swimmers, to
jump from a burning steamboat in mid-river opposite
EAGLE POINT PARK, Friday. Apply Scenario Department,
DUBUQUE COMMERCIAL CLUB. Posotively (sic) guaranteed
that all will be rescued. (7)
On June 26, 1916 the Telegraph Herald reported that the production still needed 25 golfers, 12 flower girls, 200 country club guests, 100 steamboat passengers, 500 wedding guests, and 3,000 townspeople to complete the cast. (8)
Abby McDonald KLAUER-DANCER, a star of the movie, remembered one scene calling for a car to plunge over the cliff at EAGLE POINT PARK into the quarry without any of the passengers being hurt. The film crew recorded the characters getting into the car and then stopped filming. The characters got out of the car, waited at the bottom of the cliff, and watched as crew members pushed the empty car over the edge. Filmed in Dubuque, the picture was to be shown in 182 cities nationwide. (9) According to Dancer, it played in Dubuque for two years. (10)
The picture in June of 1916 still did not have a name. The DUBUQUE COMMERCIAL CLUB offered five dollars in gold for the best title which could not include the word "Dubuque." (11)
Members of the press, county and city government officials, and stockholders of the Colura Motion Picture Company viewed in 1920 a motion picture of Dubuque's Armistice Day Parade. While "adverse weather conditions" were blamed for the quality of the film, the picture was thought to show the possibilities of color photography. Shown as the STRAND THEATER together with the feature film for five days, the film was then turned over to the city. It was planned that in the the future the New York Company would send its photographers to Dubuque to make another film. (12)
In 1921 a locally produced motion picture was shown for two days at the MAJESTIC THEATRE. The movie was made of Arbor Day activities of the Kiwanis Club which planted thirty-four elm trees along the Fourth Street extension in memory of military personnel. The rest of the movie offered candid pictures of individuals going to work or walking along the streets. (13)
A statewide poll was taken in 1921 regarding censorship of movies. The total number of votes cast by readers of the Telegraph Herald and in theaters was 6,045. The results showed those in favor of no censorship--4,252, strict censorship--1,153, and liberal censorship--640. (14)
In 1930 the Motion Picture Council was formed with the intent of "aligning organizations" with their own organizations or which were beginning to organize as part of the Better Film Movement. In August of 1930 the organization included the Federation of Protestant Church Women, the Parent-Teacher council, DUBUQUE WOMEN'S CLUB and the Hillside Reading Circle. A survey of the interest of children in movies was conducted in the schools as the first project. (15)
In June a committee of three people representing the Council was formed. This committee was to interview each theater owner in the city, present the aims and plans of the organization, and ask for their cooperation in placing before parents and children lists of previewed films endorsed by the national organization. (16)
Mrs. Emil LOETSCHER, president of the Council, spoke to members of the Mothers' Club of IMMANUEL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH in late November, 1930. In asking for their membership in the Council, she stated her belief that the federation would become a way for all movements to pass. "Whatever services we can render to uplift standards of society is a definite responsibility to church women who wish to be the interpreters of Christ's message." She pointed to a debate at a recent convention in which one side advocated government control of the motion picture industry. The opposition called for cooperation of organizations to work with the industry in implementing standards. This was the attitude of the Dubuque association. It was not an option to leave the industry to be operated only by competitive business practices. (17)
News reels were shown along with feature films for decades. In 1931 Marcellus Stangl, operator of the AVON THEATER filmed a blast at the quarry belonging to the DUBUQUE STONE PRODUCTS COMPANY. Stangl was also the official regional cinematographer for the Universal News Service. His motion picture was incorporated into the news reel released by Universal for the week of May 10-16th. (18)
"A Modern Newspaper in the Making" was one of the subtitles of a film to be made in Dubuque in 1934. Motion picture cameras were expected to be moved into the headquarters of the Telegraph Herald and Times Journal to record the operations of different parts of the newspaper publishing business. The film was to be shot in February and ready for viewing in April. It was to be shown as a special feature at the GRAND THEATRE. (19)
In October 1956, Pajama Game, a movie based on the story written by Richard BISSELL was partially filmed in Dubuque. (20) Although the film starred Doris Day and John Raitt, only Raitt came to Dubuque and only the opening scenes, including panoramic shots of the city, were made in Iowa. An estimated one dozen extras were hired in Dubuque for the filming.
In 1970 Dubuque was a "star" of a documentary travelogue on the history of the MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Of interest to the film makers was the Dubuque Yacht Basin, SHOT TOWER, EAGLE POINT PARK, and the grave of Julien DUBUQUE. It was understood that the film would be used on all flights of Trans World Airways and in the fall in three half-hour segments of ABC Television's "Wild World of Sports." (21)
The next movie made in Dubuque was F.I.S.T. starring Sylvester Stallone. The 1977 film, of which an estimated 40 percent was filmed in Dubuque, led to approximately four hundred extras being hired. Special effects crews, wanting to recreate the feeling of Cleveland in the Depression era, obtained permission from the Iowa Air Quality Commission to temporarily cloud Dubuque's air. Other crews darkened some buildings. ZIGGY'S became a popular tourist site. The premier of F.I.S.T. was held on April 26, 1978.
Film crews again came to Dubuque for the filming of Take This Job and Shove It. Filming began in August 1980 and led to the hiring of one thousand extras. Filmmakers quickly realized that the story of a struggling manufacturing town was and the story of Dubuque were similar. They discarded the name of the movie's fictional town and used Dubuque. Going further, they renamed the character played by veteran actor Art Carney as Charlie Pickett which was patterned after brewery owner Joseph PICKETT, Sr. (22)
In 1988 Field of Dreams was made in and around the Dubuque area. (23) Nominated for three Academy Awards in 1990, the film's last scene required Susan RIEDEL to coordinate three thousand extras. Scenes in the film included the downtown area as well as several scenes filmed on the bluffs overlooking the city.
A substantial financial gain comes to Dubuque from movie production. During the first week of the filming of F.I.S.T., sixty-five local employees worked 2,235 hours and received salaries of $40,000. Salaries paid to seventy-five professional crew members-excluding actors and actresses-totaled $60,000. During the eight weeks of filming, the estimated one thousand film extras earned approximately $200,000. The film company paid an estimated $60,000 to obtain Dubuque-area locations for filming plus an additional $85,000 to rent Depression-era trucks and cars. Robert KEHL supplied 16,000 meals to the crew during their stay and estimated his revenues at between $90,000 and $100,000. The total financial impact on the community amounted to between $1.5 million and $2 million. (24)
---
Source:
1. Advertisement. Aug 2, 1912, p. 5. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wk5CAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hqoMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1935,2708917&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en
2. "Advertise the City By Motion Pictures," Telegraph Herald, July 14, 1912, p. 6. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sE5CAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hqoMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4707,386124&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en
3. Ibid.
4. Tyson, H. G. "Pioneer Tells About Days of Film Flickers," Telegraph-Herald, September 15, 1946, p. 7
5. "Scenic Dubuque in Motion Pictures," Telegraph Herald, Nov. 1, 1916, p. 10. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kRleAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5l8NAAAAIBAJ&pg=5133,7890322&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en
6. "Dave Pleaslee Is the Leading Man," Telegraph Herald, June 26, 1916, p. 8. Online. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FWZfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=418NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3496,3584612&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Piper, Andy. "Hollywood Calls," 175th Telegraph Herald Commemorative Edition, Mar. 26, 2012, p. 2B
11. "Dave Peaslee..."
12. "Film of Dubuque Shown at the Strand," Telegraph Herald, Nov. 28, 1920, p. 21. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DRNeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DGANAAAAIBAJ&pg=1023,7533322&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en
13. "Dubuque Pictures Coming Tomorrow," Telegraph Herald, May 19, 1921, p. 5. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DoRiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iHcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2968,3816268&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en
14. "Blue Movie Folks Do Not Get Far in Dubuque District," Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, March 2, 1921, p. 13
15. "Motion Picture Council Assists," Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal, August 24, 1930, p. 107
16. "Motion Pictures Council Meets," Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal, June 25, 1930, p. 25
17. "Talks on Work of Pictures Council," Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal, November 20, 1930, p. 19
18. "News Reel to Show Blast at Dubuque Quarry," Telegraph Herald, May 8, 1931, p. 6. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZL5FAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h70MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1636,5422507&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en
19. "Movies Will Show Dubuque People, Businesses and Scenery," Telegraph Herald, Feb. 25, 1934, p. 10. Online: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ab5BAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xakMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2699,4093541&dq=motion+pictures+dubuque&hl=en
20. Piper.
21. "Travelogue to be Filmed in Dubuque," Telegraph Herald, July 12, 1978, p. 18
22. Piper.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
