The March of Time

Time Inc. Created the newsreel The March of Time in 1935. An early foray at tele-journalism, several of the techniques pioneered by this successful featurette (they were continued through the early fifties) may be considered deceptive, or even unethical. Events were often re-created, performed by actors - or sometimes by the actual participants - on sets or soundstages far from the site of the actual stories, without any explanation that this was being done.

In addition, the stentorian, God-On-High voice of Westbrook Van Voorhis lent a heightened or exaggerated sense of importance to the proceedings. Orson Welles famously lampooned these films in Citizen Kane, providing entertaining exposition through a newsreel called News On The March.

The Cleveland Press drew a direct comparison to these newreels in their March 28, 1936 review of The Living Newspaper:

With simple staging and unique lighting, "The Living Newspaper dramatizes news events - local, national, and international - in an incisive and compact March of Time manner."

This comparison was also made in Variety.


A number of March of Time films will be broadcast this weekend on Turner Classic Movies (see today's New York Times for more details.)

Sources:
Wikipedia
The Cleveland Press
The New York Times

The Living Newspaper

Variety, April 8, 1936

Living Newspaper (Cleveland)
Edward Reveaux & staff
Dramatized news events, staged by Federal Theatre Project Players at Public Little Theatre, Cleveland, March 27, 1936.

'March of Time' technique is followed throughout play, simple sets being used for each sketch and spotlights picking out the actors in the fashion of blackouts. Effect is staccato and vivid.

Too controversial in a few cases, lacking in general appeal to go over before a sympathetic audience.

The article makes particular note of a debate between Alf Landon and Governor Talmadge. The actor playing Landon emphasized his accent and bad grammar, while Talmadge came across as earnest and eloquent.

Source material included the Cooper-Hewitt Sterilization Case (a courtroom drama) and the Siliosis Tragedies at Gauley Bridge West Virginia scene "has a lot of bit in it."

For a closer, troupe puts on an original one-acter called "Steady Company" dealing with a Depression-hit family.

The editor notes how the material for these productions reportedly go stale during the rehearsal, and have to conitually be updated.

A high-point was a skit about a young man who phones Jean Harlow long-distance.

Sources:
Variety Magazine
The New York Public Library, Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center