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December19, 2016

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Sidney Olcott directs cartoons

Here is an unknown episode of Sidney Olcott's career. On January 4, 1015, the first film of the series Bertlevyettes, films that combine real views with animated sequences.
reel, they were written and produced by Bert Levy and realized by Sidney Olcott. They are distributed by World Film.
Born in Australia, Bert Levy is a very popular cartoonist who performs on stage.
Bert Levy appears at the beginning of the film sketch in pencil a portrait on the screen that will gradually unveil and appear clearly. The face of a famous personality.

The first film presented on January 4, “Great Americans Past and Present”, features Washington, Lincoln, Grant, Lee, McKinley, Woodrow Wilson ...

Three other films will complete the series of Bertlevyettes:
- January 11: “Famous Men of Today”
- January 18: “Famous Rulers of the World”
- January 25: “New York and Its People”

On February 14, 1915, "Great Americans Past and Present" was screened in Sing Sing, the famous prison in northern New York, as part of the screening of "Alias Jimmy Valentine" produced by Peerless Company, directed by Maurice Tourneur and distributed By World Film. The distributor respected his promise to organize a special session at Sing Sing in exchange for shooting footage of the film in the prison.
Apparently the films have disappeared.

On August 20, 1918, The Film Daily recounts the appeal of the lawsuit brought by Bert Levy and Sidney Olcott against the World Film Company. Levy and Olcott claim for the return of the negatives of the series "Bertlevyette" written by Bert Levy, directed by Sidney Olcott and released in January 1915. According to the plaintifs, the negatives were entrusted to the company on November 30, 1914 against the promise of From the positives and to return them to their authors. They say that they have developed a unique process for making these films: the images are drawn with a pencil on dark glass and then thrown upon a sheet from which they were photographed in a special way, by means of lenses.
Levy and Olcott claim $ 2,000 worth of damages per film.
The audience brings a certain amount of information. Films were not successful. "They have been badly exploited," says Olcott.
The Treasurer of the World Film, Briton N. Busch testifies that "Great American" cost $ 920 and brought in $ 920, "New York and Her People" reported $ 673 for a cost of $ 905, Famous Rulers $ 446 for a cost of $ 907 and "Famous Men" $ 377 while it cost $ 876. In short it is a commercial failure.

Lewis Selznick the president at the time acknowledges: the company did not earn enough money to finance the draw of the positives. And the films did not sell. And then he asserts that he gave money to the plaintiffs to keep them friendly.
The court sentenced the World Film Company to pay $ 1,500 in damages per film plus $ 68.11 x 3 for the fees.
World Film Company appeals the judgment. And Variety, on March 7, 1919, relates that the court that breaks the decision because the negatives were finally returned.