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Time Inc. The March of Time Audiovisual Collection

Call Number

MS 3009-RG 15

Date

1979-1995, inclusive

Creator

Time, inc.

Extent

12.5 Linear feet in 13 record cartons.

Language of Materials

The materials in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The Time Inc. The March of Time Audiovisual Collection contains internal and commercially distributed audiovisual materials that were produced by The March of Time, a division of Time Inc. The materials were created between 1979 and 1995. The majority of records from The March of Time are in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1) and Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39).

Historical Note

The March of Time originally debuted on March 6, 1931 as radio newsreel on CBS Radio. The show was developed by Fred Smith, a radio executive, and Roy Larsen while he was the circulation director of Time. The two envisioned the show as a way to dramatize the news and reenact events that could not be reported live. At first, the show focused on domestic stories, but changed its focus at the beginning of World War II and began reporting on international events as well. In 1942, the show switched to providing straightforward news reports which relied on Time correspondents around the world instead of dramatized reenactments. The radio news program continued until 1945.

During The March of Time radio broadcast, Louis De Rochemont, a director of short films for Fox Movietone News, heard the show and had the idea for something he termed "pictoral journalism" which would recreate The March of Time on film. De Rochemont brought his idea to Larsen, and they began work on the film version of The March of Time in June 1934. The first episode of the film version debuted at the Capitol Theatre in New York City on February 1, 1935. While there had been newsreels shown before and between films before this point, their popularity had declined after the advent sound films. The March of Time would update and modernize the newsreels that had previously been seen. Unlike older versions of newsreels that avoided reporting on current events or anything controversial, The March of Time aimed to report events as they happened and included stories found on the pages of Time and Life. The show also included archival footage from the federal governemt, reenactments, interviews, and dramatic voice-overs. As the show matured and expanded, there were fewer reenactments and more interviews. With the rise of television and the costs of production, Time Inc. attempted to reduce the number films of The March of Time in the hope to reduce the costs while allowing the show to still exist. While this strategy did reduce costs, it also reduced profits. Due to budgetery issues, The March of Time newsreels ended in August 1951.

An attempt to relaunch the show was started in 1964. This relaunch would broadcast the show on the television channel WNEW instead of in theaters and was created together with the Metropolitan Broadcasting Company. While the original series provided news about current events, the relaunch appeared to have been about historical events and reused ideas and storylines from the original series. This version of the show did not last long and seems to have ended in 1966.

While in theaters, The March of Time delivered new newsreels on a monthly basis to thousands of theaters across the United States and abroad. At its peak, newsreels provided by The March of Time were played in 13,000 theaters and received forty awards and prizes including two Oscars from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Despite the awards and accolades, The March of Time was only profitable during two years of production, 1938 and 1939. Nevertheless, Time Inc. viewed The March of Time as a worthwhile vehicle to solidify its reputation as a news provider.

Citations:

Doll, Susan. "Introduction to THE MARCH OF TIME." Turner Classic Movies. Accessed October 24, 2018. http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/343404|0/75th-Anniversary-of-The-March-of-Time.html.

Elson, Robert T., and Duncan Norton-Taylor. 1973. The World of Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Publishing Enterprise, 1941-1960. New York: Atheneum.

National Radio Hall of Fame. "The March of Time." National Radio Hall of Fame. Accessed October 24, 2018. http://nationalradiohalloffame.com/march_of_time.htm.

Prendergast, Curtis, and Geoffrey Colvin. 1986. The World of Time Inc.: The Intimate History of a Changing Enterprise, 1960-1980. New York: Atheneum.

Arrangement

The record group is arranged into two series:


Series I. Audiovisual Materials for Internal Use
Series II. Commercially Distributed Audiovisual Materials

Scope and Contents

The The March of Time Audiovisual Collection contains videocassettes of episodes and clips of The March of Time. The majority of tapes were created for use within Time Inc. or for preservation purposes. A small amount include examples of the videocassettes produced for public purchase.

Unreformatted audiovisual and digital material in the collection is not accessible.

The majority of records from The March of Time along with the material regarding its history can be found in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1) and Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39). The Annex Files include scripts from the radio program, newsreels, and movie specials.

Conditions Governing Access

Unreformatted audiovisual and digital material in the collection are not accessible. As the entire collection is audiovisual, it is all restricted at this time. Materials are stored offsite.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is owned by the New-York Historical Society. Although the N-YHS owns this collection as physical property, the donor specifically retains all copyright and all other proprietary rights which may exist. The copyright law of the United States governs the making of photocopies and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Unpublished materials created before January 1, 1978 cannot be quoted in publication without permission of the copyright holder.

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as Time Inc. The March of Time Audiovisual Collection, MS 3009-RG 15, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection are stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Time Inc. in 2015.

Related Materials

This finding aid relates to just one record group of the Time Inc. Records. For information about the other record groups and for overall information about the archives, please see the Guide to the Time Inc. Records (MS 3009). The Henry Luce Papers (MS 3014) were acquired with the Time Inc. Records. The collection of books acquired with the records are cataloged as the Time Inc. Reference Library.

The majority of records from The March of Time along with the material regarding its history can be found in the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1) and Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39). The Annex Files include scripts from the radio program, newsreels, and movie specials.

Collection processed by

Samantha Brown

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:47:30 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

The Time Inc. The March of Time Audiovisual Collection was processed by Samantha Brown in 2018. Brown created the inventory and other descriptive notes for the record group. Series were created based on the original groups of materials. Within series, materials were arranged in their original order. If no order was present then an order was imposed. Some records were removed and reorganized into RG 39 in 2019.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024