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Charles Perryman - Newsreel Films

Charles Perryman was a Selznick newsreel cameraman in the 1920s. These films were donated in 2011 to Lowell Skoog (representing The Mountaineers) by Perryman's grandson, Steve Turner. The films are on a single large reel (16mm safety film, mostly silent, 900ft+). This reel appears to be a print (not original film) set aside for Perryman's family. The films have been added to The Mountaineers film collection.

"God Bless America"

Inspirational feature by News of the Day. Music by Irving Berlin, sung by Kate Smith. Optical sound. Patriotic scenes and Americana. (There is a brief scene of Glacier Peak in the North Cascades viewed from Miners Ridge. The foreground meadow is completely filled with sheep.) At the end of the film is a message urging viewers to contribute to the Red Cross.

Newsreel Section

This section is silent except as noted below. Contents are identified by titles included in the newsreel.

• Sleet and ice in Denver.
• Doug Fairbanks patronizes bars at Hollywood ball game (gymnastic maneuvers).
• Menacing flood bursts dike near Kent, WA. (optical sound)
• Theda Bara takes first swing at golf ball.
• Lloyd George (British PM) threatens to quit.
• "Why take an elevator? Just jump down. Mink de Ronda 'falls' off skyscraper in Seattle" - Jumping off the Smith Tower with a parachute. (Grandson Steve Turner said that in addition to filming, Charles Perryman blocked the door to keep police from capturing the jumper.)
• Swimmer dares death in Sunset Falls.
• Tuna fish leap at fishermen in rush for hooks (California). This film has a vertical roll problem, probably introduced when this print was made. The problem is inherent in the print (it shows up in every frame) and I doubt that it can be corrected.
• Charles Lindbergh and his trans-Atlantic flight (no title introducing this section).
• Teddy Roosevelt (a few scenes, no title).
• "Extra! Selznick cameraman climbs Mt. Rainier in dead of winter." This is the feature that led to acquisition of this film by Lowell Skoog of The Mountaineers. It documents the February 1922 first winter ascent of Mt Rainier by Jean and Jacques Landry, Jacques Bergues and newsreel cameraman Charles Perryman. It includes the following captions:
  • Cameraman Perryman leads three Swiss alpinists in great climb.
  • Rainier was never before climbed in winter.
  • A sea of clouds far below them!
  • Where one misstep means sure death.
  • Ten hours at this!
  • The eternal snows of the summit.
  • And they left "Old Glory" there.
  Scenes include:
  • Three men on skis above Paradise.
  • Cramponing on glazed snow, no skis.
  • High on the mountain above clouds.
  • Men carrying skis on their packs.
  • Climbing Gibraltar Ledges with snow and rime covered rock.
  • Scenes above Gibraltar Rock.
  • Climbers approaching Columbia Crest.
  • American flag on the summit of Rainier.
• Shaft at Kitty Hawk, NC dedicated to Wright brothers flight.
• Scenes of a city and of Indians in traditional dress, also perhaps a rodeo (no titles introducing these scenes).
• "Extra!" ... "most unique news film of 1940" - Feature on the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (AKA Galloping Gertie).

"Tillie's Punctured Romance"

This silent film is introduced as part of a history of the movie industry. The film was made in 1914 and features Charlie Chaplin, Marie Dressler (playing Tillie Banks) and Mabel Normand (playing Charlie's girlfriend). Here is a short summary from imdb.com: "Charlie talks wealthy farmer's daughter Tillie into eloping with him (and taking her father's money). In the city Tillie gets drunk and lands in jail while Charlie runs off with her money and his old girlfriend Mabel. Later Charlie reads that Tillie (now working as a waitress) has inherited the estate of her multi-millionaire uncle. Charlie dumps Mabel and talks Tillie into moving into her uncle's villa, and Mabel arranges to become a housemaid there. The uncle (never really dead) returns and summons the police to have them all thrown out." This film takes up about 40% of the reel. (I don't think it is the complete film.)

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