BASEBALL DIGEST  EDITION 

A Special Publication of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

By Abe J. Schear Doak Ewing March 2019 “The Best In Film ” * * * Schear: I am talking with my friend, what will sell and what people like. Some people are collectors and I am Doak Ewing. Doak, How would you For example, I know that people like certainly that. Be it magazines or describe what you do? different ball parks, the old ball parks. cards, global legal contacts or frequent Well, I like to tell people that I do Somebody that is only interested in films flyer points, I collect. In particular, I something that nobody has ever done would not know that. Take those three collect relationships, and not surprisingly, before and nobody else is doing it and things and put them together and those my interview series has allowed me an probably never will ever do it again. It are the ingredients of my business. additional method of keeping in touch with is a labor of love. What I do is I take And you sell them online to interested so many people from all over the world. old films on sports – baseball, NFL people that either love a game or love football, NBA basketball, pro golf and a park or love an event, right? Years ago, I asked Doak Ewing if he would agree to be interviewed and am so pleased to be able to share his amazing story. Before Doak came to , I had “I have been collecting films since 1980.” begun to collect baseball cards and, once Doak arrived in 1980, our paths crossed all auto racing, those are the only sports I Yes. We talk to them by phone, which is the time. am interested in and they are the only my favorite way. I try to pinpoint what sports where I restore films to DVD. they are looking for. If you are looking As you will read, Doak developed a most First of all, you have to have the film. I for a certain player, a certain park or unique and impressive baseball business have been collecting films since 1980 team or era. Once I know what you are and there simply is no one like Doak. In and that’s 30-something years and I really looking for, I can steer you to the fact, after listening to Doak’s enthusiastic have more films than anyone in the right DVD. memories, I bought three DVDs. country on sports. For example, I have Okay. Now that we know what you more NFL films from a certain period do, and I know you are in Illinois, Doak reminds me that we each have a special skill, a passion, a love. One of of 1946 through 1963 than the NFL where did you grow up and what your his is sport films, meticulously restored to does. I have more Indy 500 films than first memories are of baseball? allow viewers the opportunity to relive their the Indianapolis Motor Speedway does Well yes. Baseball is where it all started. memories, often those shared with people from the period of 1946 through 1988, Really, it didn’t start until I was about 14 long gone. which is when they stopped making years old. Let me think about this. films. They have a lot of new stuff. You have to tell me where you grew up I’m extra pleased to share Doak’s story. From that period, I have more films than first. Doak can be reached at doakewing@ anyone else. I legally have the films per I grew up on an apple orchard and fruit raresportsfilms.com. copyright laws, which you have to be farm and nursery garden in Cambridge, very careful with. I am not the expert – I Ohio which is about one and a half hours * * * retain two attorneys (one in Chicago and east of Columbus, in southeastern Ohio. one in Washington) who take care of all I didn’t know anything about any sport Abe J. Schear is an attorney with Arnall that stuff for me. We clear copyrights until I learned about baseball. The only Golden Gregory LLP and is a member of and so on before we place them on DVD. reason I learned about baseball is that the firm’s Real Estate Group. Contact Abe Then the other thing is that I have, of I played a little bit when I got at 404.873.8752 or [email protected]. course, is the knowledge of whatever to the fifth grade. We started playing sport it is – a general knowledge of softball out on the playground. I liked A r n a l l G o l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | March 2019 softball, dropping the bat, and . A up north to Cleveland and we saw a spring training. girl gave me a 1961 baseball card after header. The new Los Angles So let me ask you a question. You she chewed the gum. I threw the cards Angels, they were one year old then or acquire films that people have taken in a drawer and didn’t think anything a year and a half, against the Cleveland or from events. Are you out looking else about them. I was interested in girls Indians. The Indians lost both games – for the films or are the people who own before baseball, if you can believe that. the first game went ten and Phil the films out looking for you? How do I was listening every night to a pop rock Rigney used a record number of pitchers you acquire your source material? I thought you were going to ask about home movies. I very rarely even “I am a specialist in the sound films made by purchase home movies. Now there are exceptions. I bought a great 1935 professionals.” footage from a lady. But generally speaking, I don’t like silent films and I radio show. It was mid-April and, all for a double header. And they still beat am pretty picky now that I have so many of a sudden, I turned on to listen to the us in both games. I don’t remember who films. I only buy professionally made Johnny Long Show on West Virginia pitched for the Indians, I think maybe sound films. I am a specialist in the radio and it had been pre-empted by a Dean Chance was one of the Angels’ sound films made by professionals. baseball game. I thought “a baseball pitchers, but I don’t remember. They game? What is this?” It was Cleveland had so many of them. Dad was kind of Where did I get them? I get them off Indians playing the Kansas City Athletics amazed at how many pitchers because ebay, I bought out different companies. and I listened to some of the game and I they kept bringing in one after another. I bought out Cambridge Spark Plugs. heard this name “Woodie Held.” I said My dad didn’t really know anything I bought film from Miller Brewing. I “wait a minute – Woodie Held. Where about baseball, so I learned it that way. bought out libraries from people and have I heard that name before?” I knew That’s how I got started. companies. I bought out libraries from who Woody Hayes was. I knew about And then who were your favorite film stores. I would say those are big Ohio State a little bit because my dad players for the Indians? deals and mostly it’s just here and there went there, but Woodie Held? Well, I guess Woodie Held, Tito merchandise from people. They find Francona, Gary Bell, Jim Grant. The out about me and, of course, I am on the I went up in my room and grabbed those big three were Jim Grant, Jim Perry and internet and on our website is a whole baseball cards out of my drawer and said Gary Bell with guys like Frank Funk, section “We buy films.” There is a “Here is a Woodie Held card.” I thought Wynn Hawkins in relief. You will whole list of what we are looking for. “Wait a minute. This guy is actually on remember the baseball cards. They had The types of films we are looking for are the radio right now while I was listening Jimmy Piersall in center field. He was live games, baseball, football. Those are to the game?” I realized that Woodie colorful. We had Willie Kirkland in the the subjects of interest. Held was playing and I became , was on third. And then when you buy film, you are amazed at this guy on the baseball cards. We got him from the White Sox but that buying it in a format that you have to I thought this was someone from the past was before I knew where he came from. transfer into a new format? or something. I listened to the whole We had Johnny Temple, before he got The film is what I collect. I keep the broadcast – I didn’t have any else to do. in trouble, he was at second base. So film. The film is what I like to watch, I was listening to and at that was the team. And not the video or anything. I like to watch the end of the broadcast, Jimmy Dudley played with Gene Green as backups. the original film in my basement. I says “and so remember fans, at this And was gone have a little theatre set up for watching same time tomorrow night, remember to already? films. I don’t need a screen. I have tune in and listen to another Cleveland He was long gone – well, not too long a white wall which is perfect for film Indians game. We will be back at Kansas gone actually. and I can show them right on the wall. City. So long and lots of good luck from Did you have any favorite announcers That’s how I watch them. There have Cleveland.” So I thought “They are back then? been some interesting finds along the going to play tomorrow night?” I tuned Yes I did. I liked Jimmy Dudley. Right way, so to speak. There was a magazine in and became a fan. off the bat, he became one of my favorite called “The Big Reel” and I would I could still name the starting line-up announcers, Jimmy Dudley doing the subscribe to that. It was a magazine for of the 1961 Cleveland Indians team play by play of any Indians game. film collectors. They would subscribe and that’s one of my favorite teams of Nobody has saved the games at all from and sell stuff in there and you could buy all time even though they weren’t very those times. Now I have a film with stuff. I get some of that too. good. Jimmy Dudley doing the narration of an So I have been doing these interviews Indians game. It is not a broadcast – he for a long time and people are always By the next year, for my birthday, my is narrating a silent film that was shot wondering how I get to people to be dad took me on a trip to my first baseball and he was narrating it. The other is a interviewed. Back about 40 years game in Cleveland. We drove two hours color highlights film with the Indians’ ago when I was in Atlanta and was 2 BASEBALL DIGEST by Abe J. Schear collecting baseball cards, I knew and journalism. I was a pretty good double A with Richmond, my boss took Doak because both Doak and I writer and I have used the knowledge me there. I probably could have taken would go to card shows in motels that I learned in college more than any over the A club when he left, but and people’s garages or wherever agriculture stuff I learned in college. I decided to go with him to Savannah. people were trading. Doak and I have That helped me learn baseball and do all The next year I wanted to go Atlanta, so stayed in touch. So Doak, how did my other jobs in writing. I went ahead and went to Atlanta and got you originally get into the business You were with the Braves early on, a job in sales and later went into public of baseball before you got into the right? relations. I was with the Braves for business of film? After I got out of school, I still didn’t about seven years or so. Everyone knew me in PR and I was a collector to boot. I was President of the Atlanta Collector’s “I was President of the Atlanta Collector’s Club for a while and all that. So tell me – you ended up in Chicago Club for a while.” and all of a sudden you started to collect …. Going back to the childhood thing know what I wanted to do. I kinda knew I started in 1980 when I was still with there, about 1962. Another reason I got that I wanted to get into baseball, but the Braves. I had been at the Braves interested in baseball was because Post I didn’t know how. So for five years, in Atlanta for about a year and I was cereal came out with their first baseball I worked at Coca-Cola in Columbus, not collecting films at all. One of the cards on the back of the cereal box. I cut Georgia driving a truck. It was a great reasons I liked films was my dad – again, those out. They were cheap and for free. job, it kept me in shape, it was fun, it this goes back to the farm – we didn’t I had those cards before I had bought was not boring at all, hard work, earning have television at the farm. That was on a pack of ‘61 cards. The first pack of great money. I was making $14,000 per purpose. My mom thought Elvis was cards I bought was the 1961 Cubs. I year at the time and this was in 1973. evil and things on TV were evil. She can even remember the grocery store Anyway, a buddy of mine, a classmate at did not allow us to have television. Dad where I bought them. I saved up and Ohio State, went on to become a minor would rent movies and bring them home. bought these cereal cards and I even sent league umpire. I bought a book from Dad was a guy who loved mechanical in and got the other cards, for like the The Sporting News called “How To Get gadgets, projectors, cleaning things, of Washington Senators. I got the whole a Job In Baseball” that helped me to try course, he was a farmer and loved to fix team set. In subsequent years, they to get a job in the game. One of the big things. He was absolutely amazing. He didn’t do that anymore. They only did things was to go to the winter meetings, liked to fool around with projectors so he that the first year. I really enjoyed those. meet people, talk to people, get to taught me how to run it, how to show a I traded those and I started collecting know people in the game. That year, film, how to repair films and do all that cards and the card collecting led to my the winter meetings were in Hawaii. I stuff before I was in high school. I kept knowledge of baseball and my desire went to Hawaii and back for a week. I that knowledge with me. to do something regarding baseball. I spent $900 back in 1977 and I met some studied baseball from the cards and people there. I won’t go into that, but When I got to Atlanta, one day they magazines that I would buy or borrow. I did get to meet people in baseball were cleaning out a storage room in the I listened to the radio broadcasts and I and eventually got a job. A guy I met bowels of the stadium and were getting learned a lot from them. I now have a referred me to someone who was looking ready to throw all of the films away. collection of baseball cards going back for a job with the Braves organization. They were going through these films to the turn of the century. The cards, He was a general of the and I said “Whoa, whoa. Could I have the T-206, the Goudey cards from the Greenwood Braves in Greenwood, South these since you were going to throw 1930’s, I still collect those, and I still Carolina and he needed an assistant them away?” They said “Well, you go enjoy those. I am not so active now GM. He fired his secretary and hired me through these and we want to keep one because I don’t have the time. instead because I did the secretarial work of every film and then throw the rest and helped him around the ball park to away. You can have one of any of the That kind of led me to the knowledge of boot for the same amount of money. extras.” I said “okay.” So I took one baseball and I got into baseball as a job Incidentally, I was making $83 per week of every film, which came to about 15 in 1978. I graduated from college with in take home my first job in baseball. I films of the because they a degree in agriculture. The only reason got paid twice a month. were the most common films. They I did that is because I didn’t know what So …. made more copies of each roll of Series I wanted to do and my dad said “well, I loved it. It was the most fun job I film than any other kind of film. They study agriculture and you can always probably ever had in baseball. The lower are pretty plentiful and they are also come back to the farm and take over you go, the more fun it is. The closer to excellent films, probably some of the someday.” I said “I’ve got nothing else the game you are. best films in baseball. So I started my to do so I did agriculture.” I did get a And then you went to Chicago? collection. Then I started to get curious degree with a minor in communications Well, then I went from Greenwood to and my collecting instincts took over and 3 A r n a l l G o l d e n G r e g o r y L L P | March 2019

I said “Gee, when did they start making that. Young people don’t know anything films and that’s actually the first film these? How many did they make? Are or care anything about history, it seems I ever restored was when I was still in there any other films other than the like. Young baseball fans really don’t Atlanta and I started doing this. The World Series?” Yes there were. There were All-Star game films – I found out about those later. They were pretty hard “Young people do not collect things.” to get. I started building my collection through the Big Reel magazine and care about the history of baseball unless first one was the 1947 Braves then I branched off into other sports by it’s their team. Some of them are, not highlights. It was in color – gorgeous accident. all of them, but not nearly as many as film. It was an historic film. I was you may think. And another big thing is working for the Braves anyway. I Here’s how that happened. I ordered a that young people do not collect things. always liked the Braves even before I bunch of films from somebody out of Big They don’t collect baseball cards. They started working for the Braves. They Reel Magazine. I had to buy the whole don’t collect anything hardly. They were one of my favorite teams – not my box. There was golf in there, football move around all the time. They are favorite, but one of my more favorites. and other things that I really didn’t want. on their cell phones all the time. They So, I put that on DVD. Well it didn’t sell I thought I would just give these away or download things. What they want is very well because people in 1981,’80, sell them to somebody else. I watched something to download to watch it once whatever, weren’t interested in the old them all, of course, on the projector. and that’s it. They don’t have to keep Boston Braves. Now, the people that The golf ones were amazing. It was the it. They don’t like to collect things. It were interested were passionate. They 1960’s Masters Tournament. I didn’t is a total different mindset than I had had never seen this film before. They know anything about golf and I had and the people of my generation. You were just – they loved it. The next film never seen a film on golf before. It was know when old people die, they have I put out was on the Boston Red Sox – actually, as it turned out, the first film “stuff.” Young people are just not pack that didn’t sell very well either. But, the ever made of the Masters Tournament. I rats. That’s how things are changing. third one I put out was about the All Star didn’t know that at the time and it was Basically, we are behind the curve here. games from 1933 to 1956 and that sold a 1960’s color film. It was a wonderful I am curious though ….. like crazy. And then I began to realize film and I showed it to a couple friends And then there is YouTube. People what people wanted and why, and so on. of mine in Atlanta. They raved about it. watch stuff on YouTube all the time. What do you like to watch? They said it was fabulous. I decided to The only thing wrong with YouTube is One of the things I really like to watch keep it. I started collecting golf films. poor quality. The DVDs that we sell the are the actual baseball game broadcast I have all the Masters’ films now too. picture quality is so sharp and clear and from the 50’s. The old World Series There you go. It’s just my collecting that’s because we restore the film. It’s games that I have in the 50’s. You sit instincts ….. not like a bootlegger or take the film down, you put a film on and it usually it takes two or three reels and you have to change reels but you watch the “I really began to notice that it’s the old whole game in one night. The whole game – just as it unfolded in 1956. For people that buy my old films.” example, Larsen’s perfect game or game 3 of the ’56 World Series. So when you sell the films, what and copy it. There may be scratches, format do you send them to people in? the color is bad and all that stuff. We Game 1 in the , we Well, when you take a film and restore correct the color, we go scene by scene have that. These things you can sit down it, then the end result is a DVD. We to clean the film, take all the dirt off it and you watch , Mickey make a DVD, people buy the DVDs and (everything we can get off of it) and Mantle, , , collect them and so on. Put them on their make it look as good as we possibly can. and Roy Campanella and shelves and watch them whenever they We enhance the film whenever we can Jackie Robinson and all these people want. and make it look as good as we can and and playing right in front of you now. I see. Is the customer changing today? put it on DVD. If somebody buys the They’re like watching an old black and Wow, that’s the next thing I was going to DVD from us, they are going to get it in white TV. If it’s an electrical image, not get into. I know what you are thinking. better shape than anywhere else they are a hard actual image like what’s on film. Things are changing and they are really going to see it. That’s what I’d like to watch, probably changing fast. Starting about 2 or 3 most of the time. I’d sit down and grab years ago, I really began to notice that Of the film you have – what’s your a broadcast and watch that. Those are it’s the old people that buy my old favorite? If you had to watch one film, great. films. Young people don’t seem to be as what would you reach for? Doak, there really aren’t any interested. They don’t even teach history Well, alright, there are two things. First competitors for what you do, are in schools anymore. I don’t understand of all, my favorite film is one of my first there? 4 BASEBALL DIGEST by Abe J. Schear

No, there really aren’t. I would say I’m not sure yet, but probably it should my interviews. One of these days I’ll there’s nobody in baseball. We still have go to an organization or someone. If have to give your interview to them. the same World Series films as major somebody wants to purchase it that I promised them one day I would league baseball does, but in many cases would be a possibility. Just purchase consider doing that. So, Doak, what ours are better quality than theirs. We’ve the whole collection. I could deal with a haven’t I asked you that you want to added features that theirs don’t have. split up and the different groups of films. tell me? This is a perfect interview When we did Larsen’s perfect game, we For example, I could put in my will that and you know if I could (laughing) did something nobody had ever done the films might go to the Indianapolis only make you a little bit enthusiastic before on a commercial DVD. We added Motor Speedway. The ones on golf about this! This is just a great topic. the radio broadcast to the picture (the would go to New Jersey Golf Hall of The materials that you’ve got are TV broadcast). So, we put on the menu Fame. Baseball would go to obviously unique, and they’re memorable and of the DVD a button where you could to the Hall of Fame or major league you love it. Are you a sports fan or do punch and listen to radio commentary for baseball. And, NFL films, I have a lot you really just love the history of the the game on film, or you could punch the of stuff they don’t have, so that would sport at this point? I guess that’s my button the other way and listen to what go to NFL films. Those are some places last question. they said on TV and watch the film. where maybe it ought to go. In my Well, that’s a real good question and opinion, I still believe that you know in I would say that as time goes on I’m Two different announcers, two different ten years people are still going to want to slipping more and more into the past ways to watch the same game. Larsen’s buy DVDs and watch old time baseball and enjoy watching the old times sports perfect game was the first film we ever games restored so that it looks good on as much and even over and over, I did that had that on there. The first film whatever media there is. I could sell the mean the same film as much as I enjoy that anybody ever put out professionally business to somebody, somebody that’s the new games on television. Now, like that. 35, 40 years old and wants to go another obviously films stopped being made in Do you remember who the radio 30 or 40 years with it. That would be a 1988. The last World Series on film was announcers were? possibility. ‘86. There’s no more film. And, I do Oh yea, in ’56 the TV announcers Every time I think about this Doak, not collect anything other than film. So were and . On this stuff all makes me smile. I know my film collection stops at 1988. Now, radio, they had Bob Wolfe and Bob there are plenty of places to go with that doesn’t mean that I’m still not going Neal of Cleveland. Those are the four the material because I know that I’ve to acquire from ’88 on back. I certainly announcers. done about 80 of these interviews over don’t have everything. So Doak, I could talk about this the last twenty years. People ask me I need to end somewhere so it might forever. I have one more question. this question all the time about what as well be here. What you’ve done is You know this is not a business, it’s am I doing with all this. The Baseball remarkable and it is unique and it is more of a love that you’ve got for this Hall of Fame is interested in all sorts clear how much you love it. Thanks. amazing product. One of these days, of source materials because they have

what do you do with all this material? already asked me. They want all of

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