Terry Ramsaye | |
|---|---|
 1916 photo fromMoving Picture World | |
| Born | (1885-11-01)November 1, 1885 Tonganoxie, Kansas, USA |
| Died | August 19, 1954(1954-08-19) (aged 68) Norwalk, Connecticut, USA |
| Nationality |  American |
| Occupation | Journalist & film producer |
Terry Ramsaye (November 2, 1885,Tonganoxie, Kansas – August 19, 1954,Norwalk, Connecticut) was a journalist, film producer and film historian, the author ofA Million and One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture [Through 1925] (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1926).
Ramsaye started his professional career as an engineer, but switched to journalism when he joined the staff of theKansas City Star and Times in 1905. In the following decade, he worked on newspapers inLeavenworth, Kansas, and inOmaha,St. Paul, Minnesota, and Chicago.
The motion picture industry was in its infancy when he joinedMutual Film Corporation in 1915. While at Mutual, he produced someCharlie Chaplin comedies and foundedScreen Telegram, which achieved conspicuous success duringWorld War I. He was one of the founding members of theAssociated Motion Picture Advertisers.[1]
Subsequently he was associated withSamuel Roxy Rothafel in the management of Broadway'sRialto and Rivoli theaters. He also launched and edited the newsreelKinograms. After producing and editing numerous adventure films includingGrass (1925) andSimba: King of the Beasts (1928) with explorersMartin and Osa Johnson, he became editor-in-chief ofPathé News andAudio Review.
In 1920,Photoplay commissioned Ramsaye to write a history of the motion picture that was serialized in the magazine from April 1921[2] until March 1925 asThe Romantic History of the Motion Picture[3] (and excerpts appearing in theFilm Daily Yearbook),[4] which was later published in book-form asA Million and One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture Through 1925.[5] As one of the first extensive overviews of the development of the movie industry, it was highly influential oncinema historiography (at least in the United States) and remained in print until late in the 20th century.[6]Thomas Edison's endorsement is included in the book.[7] andH. L. Mencken spoke highly of it.[citation needed]
In 1931, Ramsaye joined theQuigley Publishing Company as editor of theMotion Picture Herald, a post he held until 1941. Subsequently, he lectured on motion pictures and contributed articles to various encyclopedias and year books. He continued his association with Quigley as consulting editor and author of a weekly column for theHerald until his death in 1954.[8]
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