University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2014 City of Superb Democracy: The Emergence of Brooklyn's Cultural Identity During Cinema's Silent Era, 1893-1928. David Morton University of Central Florida Part of the Public History Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Morton, David, "City of Superb Democracy: The Emergence of Brooklyn's Cultural Identity During Cinema's Silent Era, 1893-1928." (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 4638. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4638 “CITY OF SUPERB DEMOCRACY:” THE EMERGENCE OF BROOKLYN’S CULTURAL IDENTITY DURING CINEMA’S SILENT ERA, 1893-1928 by DAVID D. MORTON B.A. East Stroudsburg University, 2009 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2014 Major Professor: Amy Foster © 2014 David Morton ii ABSTRACT This study discusses how motion picture spectatorship practices in Brooklyn developed separately from that of any other urban center in the United States between 1893 and 1928. Often overshadowed by Manhattan’s glamorous cultural districts, Brooklyn’s cultural arbiters adopted the motion picture as a means of asserting a sense of independence from the other New York boroughs. This argument is reinforced by focusing on the motion picture’s ascendancy as one of the first forms of mass entertainment to be disseminated throughout New York City in congruence with the Borough of Brooklyn’s rapid urbanization. In many significant areas Brooklyn’s relationship with the motion picture was largely unique from anywhere else in New York. These differences are best illuminated through several key examples ranging from the manner in which Brooklyn’s political and religious authorities enforced film censorship to discussing how the motion picture was exhibited and the way theaters proliferated throughout the borough Lastly this work will address the ways in which members of the Brooklyn community influenced the production practices of the films made at several Brooklyn-based film studios. Ultimately this work sets out to explain how an independent community was able to determine its own form of cultural expression through its relationship with mass entertainment. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work is the result of a long protracted search for a topic in an increasingly crowded field of study. First and foremost I must thank Dr. Judith Thissen for helping redirect the focus of my work from the realm of “historical leftovers,” to the groundbreaking topic I since developed. I also must thank Drs. Ross Melnick, Kathy Fuller-Seeley, Richard Koszarski, Tim Lacy, and Gregory Waller for taking time out of their busy schedules to provide important suggestions on where the direction of my work should go, as well as sharing useful tips on where to locate primary sources. In addition I must thank Cezar Del Valle of Theatre Talks and Nellie Perera of the Urban Memory Project, both were incredibly generous in sharing primary source materials and their research findings in relation to Brooklyn’s early motion picture history. Furthermore Lindsay Turley of the Museum of the City of New York, Lenny DeGraaf and Paul Israel of the Thomas A. Edison Papers, June Koffi of the Brooklyn Public Library, and Jeff Edelstein of the Brooklyn Historical Society, were each invaluable in their assistance in helping me to flesh out my sources. Many instructors at the University of Central Florida serve as an inspiration and a guiding light in my development as a researcher. I sincerely want to thank Dr. Scot French for granting me the opportunity to share my findings with his classes. And Dr. Hong Zhang for providing me with a multitude of resources that significantly helped to shape the direction of my research. Lastly I wish to give my deepest thanks to my thesis adviser Dr. Amy Foster for patiently reviewing and assessing each draft I submitted. Her insights and ability to provide me with much iv needed perspective on my writing has served as the greatest influence on the final outcome of this work. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................... viii INTRODUCTION: THE SEARCH FOR BROOKLYN’S CULTURAL IDENTITY AT THE MOVIES AFTER “THE GREAT MISTAKE OF 1898” ............................................................... 1 Terminology and Definitions .............................................................................................. 5 Historiography .................................................................................................................... 6 Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 15 Chapter Outline ................................................................................................................. 16 CHAPTER ONE: “FOR THE SAKE OF THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN:” THE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE INTERNATIONAL REFORM BUREAU AND THE NATIONAL BOARD OF CENSORSHIP ................................................................................... 19 Censorship Efforts Before the National Board ................................................................. 21 The New York Nickelodeon Ban ...................................................................................... 25 The National Board of Censorship ................................................................................... 28 Brooklyn and the “Civil Sabbath” .................................................................................... 32 “Deadly But Legal:” Brooklyn and Manhattan Fire Code Regulations ........................... 36 The Smith-Hughes Bill and the Federal Motion Picture Commission Hearings .............. 42 Fredrick Boyd Stevenson’s Brooklyn Eagle Campaign ................................................... 45 The Clayton-Lusk Bill and the Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors of America 49 CHAPTER TWO: FROM “ITCHES AND DUMPS” TO AIRDROMES AND PALACES: THE CORPORATIZATION OF MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITION IN BROOKLYN .................... 52 Brooklyn’s First Motion Picture Venues .......................................................................... 54 The Patent Wars ................................................................................................................ 56 The Chaser and Nickelodeon Periods ............................................................................... 58 The Emergence of Brooklyn’s Movie Moguls ................................................................. 61 The MPPC Consolidates Power in New York .................................................................. 65 Brooklyn Fights Back ....................................................................................................... 67 Loew’s Theaters in Brooklyn............................................................................................ 71 The Showdown Between “Little Napoleon” and “Creeping Jesus” ................................. 74 The Fulton/Flatbush Theater District ................................................................................ 78 vi The End of an Era ............................................................................................................. 80 CHAPTER THREE: “THE SPIRIT OF MIDWOOD:” THE AMERICAN VITAGRAPH COMPANY AND ITS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN ....................................................................................................................................................... 82 The International Novelty Company and Vitagraph’s Beginnings................................... 85 “Pop Rock” and the “Wargraph” ...................................................................................... 88 Vitagraphville ................................................................................................................... 90 The MPPC and VLSE ....................................................................................................... 93 Vitagraph Quality Films ................................................................................................... 96 Racism and Anti-Semitism in Vitagraph Films .............................................................. 100 The “Vitagraph Girl,” “The Lover,” and “The Bunny” .................................................. 102 Vitagraph’s Decline and Blackton’s “Betrayal” ............................................................. 107 The Final Years and Sale to Warner Brothers ................................................................ 110 CONCLUSION: BROOKLYN AFTER THE MOVIES ............................................................ 114 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 118 Articles ............................................................................................................................ 118 Books .............................................................................................................................