Business screen magazine (1938)

spirits run high i 'i the Hot Stove League this season thanks to — BASEBALL'S GOOD-WILL AMBASSADORS • This is the fifth year in which the Fisher Body Division of the General Motors Corporation has sponsored the production of an official American League sound motion picture. Without cost or obhgation to the audiences and without advertising these fihns have traveled the highways and byways of America to bring home to the public an appreciation of the great American game of baseball. Fifteen million fans have seen the pictures thus far. At the rate of one hundred and fifty shows a day, serviced by the one hundred and fifty-five prints which are in circulation at the present time, fans are enjoying the latest edition of First Ceiifiiri/ oj Baseball which observes the THE NEW BIG-LEAGUE BASEBALL FILMS BRING THE great American game closer to the heart of its loyal "fan" puhhe. centennial of the game with a historical story dating from the birth of baseball in 1839 to the present time. Written and supervised by Lew Fonseca, Director of Promotion for the American League, these film "good-will ambassadors" are doing a great job, and not only for their sponsors and the game — for they innoculate all those who see them with a new spirit of fellowship! Talk to Lew Fonseca about this and you get an interesting slant on what these films have done to build the attendance of membership in clubs, lodges and other organizations who show the pictures. On the nights of these showings, membership rosters get a real boost and faces which haven't been seen for many a month are l>ack once again for the night and perhaps for more of the comradeship which they thus suddenly regain. "They're down the other jellow's alley", says Lew, "that's why the pictures are usually such naturals for any type of group-showing." Modestly, he refrains from mentioning the many showings which the sponsors have voluntarily given to inmates of institutions where the pictures have proven inspiring and regenerating. These despite the fact that there is scarcely ever an open date on the crowded schedule of club and lodge bookings. The films are always shown without charge or obligation to the audience. They have been very successfidly tied-up with promotional efforts by the sports departments of leading metropolitan newspapers. In Chicago, for example, the well-publicized feud between the National and American League baseball writers of the Chicago Daily News, resulted in a most interesting series of theatre showings at which the new National League picture, also recently produced, was screened at the same time. Here is an interesting side light on one of these sponsored showings: "The American League's new baseball film had its public premiere today", says The Chicago Daily News of Dec. 27, "at the Sheridan Theater before more than 2.00 guests of "The Voice from the Grandstand," both major baseball leagues and Essaness theaters. This world premiere of The First Century of Baseball was held as the first part of the double feature which The Daily A'ews sports department is 14 giving this week in three film theaters — the second feature being the National League's first film titled Baseball." At the Byrd showing (in Chicago) Will J. Harridge, president of the American League, Lew Fonseca, director of The First Century of Baseball, and W'illiam McLean, executive of the Fisher Body Corporation which underwrote the film for the American organization, were present and introduced from the stage by John Carmichael, Daily News baseball writer. The American League film dramatizes the historic angle with even more attention to the comic aspects of the game in the 1860's,70'sand bo's, when the catcher stood far behind the plate and the umpire, wearing a silk hat, occupied a chair on the line between home and first. It also shows in detail the invention of the curve ball by W. A. Cummings, and his discovery of the principle while watching billiard players put "English" on the ball with a cue. Later on in the four-reel feature, the story of modern baseball is reenactcd with scenes filmed at Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, Detroit and at the six Florida training camps. Baseball celebrities who appear in First Century of Baseball are Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis; League President William Harridge; the late Col. Jacob Ruppert; Clark Griffith; Tom Yawkey; Walter O. Briggs; Connie Mack and, of course, all of the headline stars of the .\merican League. Thrilling World Series action scenes are featured. LEW FONSECA, DIRECTOR OF PROMOTION FOR THE AMERICAN LEAGUE. WROTE AND SUPERVISED THE LEAGUE'S LATEST OFFICIAL film "Century of Baseball" now being shown to miUions of fans throughout llie country. IPRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ON PAGE 33)