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The Chronicles of America " the Puritans " John Winthrop (1924)

1924 · Silent film · 41 min

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Synopsis

In 1923 the Yale University Press commissioned films based on the fifty volumes in their "Chronicles of America" book series. Ultimately, only fifteen episodes were produced. This film from 1924 is entitled "The Puritans". According to the book "Hollywood on the Hudson", Yale spent $1.25 million dollars making the films and then found it could not easily recoup the investment, because the films were not theatrically viable and most schools in that era did not have appropriate infrastructure or the experience using films to teach. However, Chronicles of America persisted for many years and was the first documentary series shown on television in 1941 when it aired on pioneering station WNBT. The film was adapted by Evangeline W. Andrews and directed by the Film Guild's Frank Tuttle, who went on to sign with Paramount. The cast includes Arthur Hohl as John Winthrop, Audrey Hart as Margaret Winthrop, Henry Van Bousen and Roger Williams, Allan Brander as Thomas Dudley, Osgood Perkins as Thomas Morton and Royal B. Tracy as Archbishop Laud. The film attempts to tell the story of the early days of the Puritan settlements in New England, with dueling attempts to lead the colonists by John Winthrop and Thomas Morton, and intrigue in England involving an alleged violation of the Puritan Charter. This conflict pitted the avowed enemy of the Puritans Archibishop Laud and the "father of American colonization" and founder of Maine, Sir Ferdinando Gorges. Other subplots in the film include…

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Details

Running time
41 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

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