Non-theatrical film is the term used to describe motion pictures which aren't shown in theatres, but are distributed to markets that include the educational community, home, and business and industry. Slide covers the early Hollywood-produced features and short subjects produced for homes, hospitals and correctional institutions, as well as industrial films.
The video revolution in the 1980s affected all areas of the American entertainment industry; its impact was most dramatic--ultimately devastating--to the non-theatrical film field. Non-theatrical film is the term used to describe motion pictures which are not shown in movie theaters, but are produced and/or distributed to markets that include the educational community, home, and business and industry. The author covers the early Hollywood-produced features and short subjects in a format other than 35mm for homes, hospitals and correctional institutions, as well as industrial films. This is also the history of two major non-theatrical libraries, Bell and Howell and Kodascope, both of which were founded to service the needs of purchasers of the then-newly introduced 16mm projectors.
The book documents how the advent of the 16mm projector made possible the introduction of audio-visual aids in classrooms and offices. A number of production companies were established, primarily in Chicago, to produce films for this new outlet. In addition, Hollywood saw a new market and began licensing distribution of the films. Complete with appendices providing distributors from the 1920s-1940s and current names and addresses of non-theatrical film sources, this book-length study of the history of this film genre is both important and much needed.
Introduction
Origins
Chicago--The Non-Theatrical Film Capital of the World
The Eastman Kodak Connection
Specialization
Film in Education and Religion
The Chronicles of America
The 1930s and 1940s
Decades of Progress and Prosperity
The Waning Years
Appendix A: Major Non-Theatrical Distributors of the 1920s
Appendix B: Major Non-Theatrical 16mm Distributors of the 1930s
Appendix C: Major Non-Theatrical 16mm Distributors of the 1940s
Appendix D: Useful Non-Theatrical Addresses
Selected Bibliography
Index
Reviews
A book for scholars rather than general readers. It is an important summary work, for it covers, admittedly in a sketchy manner, the origins, development, and decline of the nontheatrical film. Those interested in this fascinating film area will find Slide's modest attempt a significant document. His nine chapters are straightforward and full of interesting information. Chapter 3, The Eastman Kodak Connection, is quite revealing of corporate generosity and greed in about equal parts.—Choice
