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All the contents of this page were gathered from the book "The Historical Study Of Academy Motion Picture Arts And Sciences" pg 1-11. CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM Introduction It is generally agreed that efforts at improvement of the mass media must come from within the media themselves or be generated by groups representing the general public. Government can only play a minor role in efforts to improve the media, if they are to remain free. In each of the media there are organized groups and individuals working for better performance: trade associations, organizations of editors and newsmen, professional societies, and outstanding individuals who have demonstrated leadership in responding to the challenges raised by society. (Edwin Emery, Phillip H. Ault, and Warren K. Agee, Introduction to Mass Communications (New York: Dodd, MeadCompany, 1960), p. 157.) In 1915 Vachel Lindsay stated that motion pictures were sculpture, paintings, and architecture in motion. In 1936 Allardyce Nicoll declared that motion pictures revealed depths of artistic expression even though they were designed to be popular. He contrasted motion pictures as permanent creations, like painting and sculpture, with the theatre where no two performances were given exactly alike. Nicoll further believed that theatre and motion pictures were basically similar in the element of movement, but emphasized that each individual frame of a film was a permanent record of compositional strength, beauty, and significance. At about the same time Rudolph Arnheim had been developing his thesis of film as an art, which like painting, music, dance and literature may or may not achieve artistic results with every production. (Rudolph Arnheim, Film as Art (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1957), p.8) In 1950 Roger Manvell put forth his belief that the possibilities of motion pictures as a twentieth-century art form had been demonstrated by men Griffith, Chaplin, Pudovkin, Lang, Eisenstein, Lubitsch, Ford, and Rossellini. (Roger Manvell, Film (Rev. ed.; London: Haze11 Watson and Viney, Ltd., 1950), p. 16.) In 1927, the year that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded, all of the present mass media except television had significantly matured to influence public behavior. Motion pictures were established as a powerful mass medium even though they still lacked sound This imminent addition of sound to the already powerful visual medium was initially to set back artistic elements achieved thus far, but, when mastered, would bring films forward to even greater artistic heights in the years to come. This control of sound by the creative artist of motion pictures was indicated by William C. de Mille in 1931 when he stated: No longer is the microphone an impossibly severe and immovable master. Already we have reached the point where the use of the spoken word is producing a freer rather than a more restricted art form. (Lester Cowan (ed.), Recording Sound for Motion Pictures (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1931), P. v.) Thus the actual development of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was to take place during a most significant portion of that time during which "the novelty of 1895 has slowly been transformed into the art of the twentieth century." (Arthur Knight, The Liveliest Art (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1957), p. 11.) By 1927 there were indications that public interest in the silent film which had to rely on the moving visual for its communicative force was declining. The motion picture industry, as the fourth largest industry in America with a product seen by millions of people all over the world, was under constant criticism for the alleged harmful influence of its product and for the examples of questionable personal conduct so eagerly publicized by the sensational press. (Joseph P. Kennedy (ed.), The Story of the Films (New York: A. W. Shaw Company, 1927), p. 5.) In addition the industry was faced with both the need for further development and standardization of production equipment and techniques, and for achieving harmonious 9 internal working relationships. The founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences responded to these societarian challenges by recognizing the desirability of forming a professional society composed of outstanding representatives from all facets of motion picture production who could work together to stimulate action in solution of these problems. (The thirty-six founders are listed in Appendix I.) Public knowledge of the founders' efforts came about with the formal charter of the Academy on May 4, 1927 under the laws of the State of California, and at the organization banquet held on May 11, 1927. Welford Deaton, President and Editor of the trade periodical The Film Spectator, was present at that banquet to hear the founders present the idea of the Academy to invited guests from industry, and commented in his paper: I felt as the evening grew that here were men and women worthy to bear the tremendous load of responsibility that the world had thrust upon them. They welded their power that night into an organization with possibilities more potential than even its sponsors can realize. (Welford Beaton, "Industry Fashioning Weapon of Defense," The Film Spectator, III, No. 7 (May 28, 1927), 3.) The Problem Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to make a historical investigation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its contributions to education and the motion picture industry from 1927 to 1947.
Importance of the Problem
A historical study of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is thought to be significant because: (1) the Academy is a unique non-profit honorary organization in the field of motion pictures; (2) it has attained international prestige over the years since its beginning in 1927; (3) it has made significant contributions to both education and the motion picture industry; (4) no such study of the Academy exists; and, (5) preliminary investigation has suggested that such a study might prove to be of additional value as the record of the type of organization coming from within a medium which aims at self-improvement. In conducting a historical study of the Academy answers to specific questions were sought: 1. Why did the founders conceive of the need for a professional society composed of members of the motion picture industry? 2. Who were the founders, and were they truly representative of the entire motion picture industry? 3. What were the purposes, aims, and goals of the Academy, and how did they develop over the years? 4. What were the contributions of the Academy to education and to the motion picture industry? 5. What factors have led to the continued existence of the Academy as a non-profit organization which is not an official spokesman for the industry? Limitations of the problem
(The emotional commitment of those individuals significantly involved with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and their common experience, unique to the profession, of having any published statement avidly seized on and warped out of context, made personal interviews almost entirely unproductive.) The beginning period of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been emphasized to provide the proper perspective and understanding for its historical development and contributions. The study is concluded with the year 1947 since objective analysis of the period after that date is not yet possible. Specific limitations were inherent in the material for this .study in that the records of the development and operations of this private organization were largcfy confined to its own private files. Public interest has mostly been directed to that aspect of Academy functions devoted to the presentation of achievement awards to members of the motion picture industry. Review of Literature
There has been considerable mention made of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the printed media; however, these have been almost entirely concerned with the awards for achievement. Practically no factual and historical material on the Academy exists outside of that maintained within its own private files. Verification of printed Academy material, such as bulletins, has been done from unpublished records in the Academy's own files where necessary. The Bibliography for this study lists all pertinent references believed necessary to provide the proper prespective for understanding the Academy development and contributions in relation to the motion picture industry and the period during which the Academy was founded. One Doctoral dissertation, published as Stars and Strikes by Murray Ross of Columbia University, contains information related to this study. Ross was concerned with the development of the motion picture industry unions, and mentions the actions of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in its efforts to promote harmonious industrial relationships within the industry. (Murray Ross, Stars and Strikes (Now York: Columbia University Press, 1941).) There seems to have been no other studies which relate to this dissertation. This is based on: a review of all studies reported in the Audio visual Communications Review and Speech Monographs; all theses and dissertations listed in Dissertation Abstracts; and the absence of any reference to such studies in the literature. Procedure
A review of all available literature, including an examination of official records in the private files of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was made; discussions were held with numerous persons associated with the Academy. The International Index to Periodicals. Library Literature Index, Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, and the Educational Index were checked. Recognizing that minor references to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, particularly in the founding days, might not appear in such indices a careful search was made of such publications as The Saturday Review of Literature. The Film Spectator, Motion Picture Herald, Rob Wagner's Script, Moving Picture World, The International Motion Picture Almanac. The Film Index, The Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures, Variety, Daily Variety, Transactions of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, Theatre Arts Monthly, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. All information accumulated from these sources was carefully evaluated in terms of this study. A serious problem was presented in deciding upon the best manner for presentation of the accumulated data so that it would clearly and most meaningfully achieve the purpose of the dissertation. For example, a straightforward chronological record of the Academy beginnings, development, and contributions would serve only to confuse the relationships among past events. Therefore the separation of data into three sections devoted to highlights of the Academy development, contributions to the motion picture industry, and contributions to education came as the logical solution. Further, no historical study is valid if conducted in disregard of cultural context; therefore achievement of a true perspective required a separate section devoted to the times which acted as a stimulus on the Academy founders. The history of motion pictures, including the technical state of the art, the impact of unions on the motion picture industry, and concerns for the threat of censorship have all been repeatedly covered in the literature. However, within this section it was necessary to provide some emphasis to those facets of this material which appeared to have influenced the Academy founders. Organization of the Remainder of the Dissertation Chapter II establishes the climate of the times in America under which the Academy founders reacted to form their professional society. The historical development of the Academy, in terms of key organizational elements, is provided in Chapter III. Contributions made by the Academy to education are covered in Chapter IV, and those to the motion picture industry in Chapter V. The summary and conclusions drawn from the foregoing chapters are contained in Chapter VI. The Bibliography provides a listing of material cited, and also includes references to education, motion pictures, and the communications media in general which were pertinent to the investigations conducted during this study. The Appendix provides additional details considered of value to this study.
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