The March of Time

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Demonstration in New York 1938

The March of Time is an American newsreel and documentary series that was shown in English-language cinemas between 1935 and 1951 .

history

The series was created by Time, Inc. developed. It was based on a radio series of the same name that originated four years earlier and was initially broadcast on CBS Radio .

The March of Time was usually shown in cinemas like a newsreel in support of feature films. However, it was a monthly series of short, mostly lavishly filmed documentaries that were twice as long as the normal newsreels. These were reports that were shot directly on the scene and also contained staged elements. The selection of locations and scenes not only passed on information, but also supported certain statements and conveyed messages to the audience. The producers spoke of photo journalism and described the relationship between The March of Time and newsreels such as that of the weekly printed magazines with their comments and detailed analyzes of the daily newspapers.

The March of Time was first presented on February 1, 1935 and opened in more than 500 theaters. Each episode lasted 20 or 30 minutes. Westbrook Van Voorhis , the host of the radio shows, was also the speaker in the films. The series was popular with cinema audiences from the start. It was seen by 25 million American moviegoers per month at the height of its distribution. It was shot very laboriously and often outside the USA with a large staff. As a result, the production costs were up to 50,000 US dollars per episode, but due to the shortness of the productions and their function as a supporting act before the main film, they could not be fully brought back in. Nevertheless, the cinematic version of The March of Time survived the radio model of the same name, which had been discontinued in 1945, by six years. Mainly the increasing spread of television in the USA made this type of report obsolete.

The March of Time received an honorary Oscar at the 1937 Academy Awards .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Raymond Fielding: The March of Time, 1935-1951 . Oxford University Press, New York, ISBN 0-19-502212-2 .
  2. ^ Pictorial Journalism . In: The New York Times , February 2, 1935. 
  3. ^ Ted Gilling: Real to Reel: Newsreels and re-enactments help trio of documentaries make history come alive . In: Toronto Star , May 7, 1989. 

literature

  • Raymond Fielding: The March of Time, 1935-1951. Oxford University Press, New York 1978

Web links

Commons : The March of Time  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files