Jerry Fairbanks
Encyclopedia
Gerald Bertram "Jerry" Fairbanks (born November 1, 1904, San Francisco — died June 21, 1995, Santa Barbara, California
) was a producer and director in the Hollywood motion picture and television industry.
Fairbanks survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
, and began his career in film as a cameraman on silent movies
such as John Barrymore
's The Sea Beast
(1926). This was followed by work on early sound productions such as Howard Hughes
' film Hell's Angels
(1930) in which he participated both as a biplane pilot
and aerial cinematographer
for the extensive World War I
dogfight
scenes.
His first foray into producing involved an innovative color series of theatrical short subjects for Universal Studios
called Strange As It Seems (1933-1934). Based on the success of these productions, he was able to sell Paramount Pictures
on three new series of short subjects entitled Unusual Occupations, Speaking of Animals
, and Popular Science
.
The latter series was produced with the cooperation of the editors of Popular Science magazine and ran from 1935 to 1949. Films in the Unusual Occupations and Popular Science series were made in Magnacolor
and showcased a vast assortment of groundbreaking wonders from the world of science and industry.
In 1945, Fairbanks won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One Reel
for Who's Who in Animal Land
, and was nominated again in that category in 1948 for Moon Rockets. Overall, Jerry won two Academy Awards and was nominated for a total of five such awards.
In the mid-1940s, Fairbanks was intrigued by television
and became one the first film producer
s to create filmed programs specifically for this new medium (his initial series was a 26-episode crime drama, Public Prosecutor
, produced for NBC, but briefly syndicated instead).
However, Paramount, seeing TV as the great rival to its continued success, issued an ultimatum to Fairbanks in 1949 — either stop making shows for TV or his association with Paramount was at an end. Fairbanks chose television and continued his success with his Popular Science films in the new medium of TV.
He broke new ground in television by inventing for NBC in 1947 the Multi-Cam multiple-camera setup
of production, assisted by producer-director Frank Telford, which is still used by sitcoms today. It allows a series of three or more cameras to be operated from different angles while remaining in sync with the sound track when turned off and on.
Desi Arnaz
and Karl Freund
are often cited as the inventors when producing I Love Lucy
, but Arnaz himself gave credit to Jerry Fairbanks as the originator of this system. The only enhancement Arnaz made was to use 35 mm film
instead of the 16 mm film
which Fairbanks employed. Fairbanks, head of NBC's fledgling film department in 1947–1948, never filed a patent for his invention, and so lost out on fame for his invention. "We never pursued it because I was trying to help the industry. We were trying to promote the use of film for television. I was more interested in promoting the film industry than in getting an individual reputation for things."
Fairbanks used the Zoomar Lens, now used almost universally in television to zoom from long shots to close-ups at will, without having to interrupt the telecasting to change lenses.
He also gave James Dean
his very first performances on film, first in two Pepsi Cola TV commercials and then as John the Apostle
in the Father Peyton's Family Theater
TV episode entitled "Hill Number One" broadcast on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1950. In 1953, he declared bankruptcy, and virtually ended TV production in favor of commercial and industrial films.
One industrial film he produced was for the Armstrong Cork Company in 1959. Entitled "Letter to Moscow", this propaganda film was designed as a slam to the Soviet way of life. It highlighted the Armstrong company and how people could hold good jobs working in factories. Filmed in Kankakee, IL and Lancaster, PA, the film, when completed was supposedly hand delivered to Kruschev in Moscow.
Among other later projects, in 1956, Fairbanks directed Down Liberty Road (aka Freedom Highway) with Angie Dickinson
. In 1967 he produced Bamboo Saucer, a theatrical feature starring Dan Duryea
, one of the more engaging sci-fi films on UFOs of that era, written and directed by Frank Telford. Fairbanks served a 5-year term from the late 1960s to the early 1970s as president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce — curiously, the first president in the 50-year history of the Chamber from the entertainment industry.
In his personal life, Fairbanks was twice married before meeting in 1945 his life-long love, actress Marjorie Freeman (stage name: "Marjorie Marlow"). Among other things, Marjorie was a protege of Max Reinhardt
who auditioned for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind
, and creator of the popular annual Ladies of Charity luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel (which sponsored Mother Teresa's first visit to the USA). Fairbanks converted to Roman Catholicism to marry Freeman. In the 1980s the two re-located north to Santa Barbara, California
.
Jerry was a fine golfer for some years, among other things winning in 1954 the handicap championship at the Lakeside Golf Club (where he was a member since 1950). His TV production company produced 26 episodes of Celebrity Golf, starring Sam Snead
and various well-known Hollywood movie stars. He was also an avid aviator, having learned to fly in 1926 and then flying his own plane all over the USA on production assignments.
Fairbanks predeceased his wife Marjorie (still living in 2008) on June 21, 1995 at the age of 90. They adopted a daughter, Jeralyn.
Jerry Fairbanks has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6384 Hollywood Blvd, at the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga.
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
) was a producer and director in the Hollywood motion picture and television industry.
Fairbanks survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
, and began his career in film as a cameraman on silent movies
Silent Movies
Silent Movies are 13 solo guitar compositions by Marc Ribot released September 28, 2010 on Pi Recordings.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars stating "For those interested in one of the more compelling and quietly provocative and graceful guitar records of 2010,...
such as John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
's The Sea Beast
The Sea Beast
The Sea Beast is a silent film adaptation of the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville, a story about a monomaniacal hunt for a great white whale...
(1926). This was followed by work on early sound productions such as Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
' film Hell's Angels
Hell's Angels (film)
Hell's Angels is a 1930 American war film, directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jean Harlow, Ben Lyon, and James Hall. The film, which was produced by Hughes and written by Harry Behn and Howard Estabrook, centers on the combat pilots of World War I...
(1930) in which he participated both as a biplane pilot
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
and aerial cinematographer
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
for the extensive World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
scenes.
His first foray into producing involved an innovative color series of theatrical short subjects for Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
called Strange As It Seems (1933-1934). Based on the success of these productions, he was able to sell Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
on three new series of short subjects entitled Unusual Occupations, Speaking of Animals
Speaking of Animals and Their Families
Speaking of Animals and Their Families is a 1942 short comedy film directed by Robert Carlisle and Jerry Fairbanks. It won an Academy Award in 1943 for Best Short Subject ....
, and Popular Science
Popular Science (film)
Popular Science was a series of short films, produced by Jerry Fairbanks and released by Paramount Pictures.The Popular Science film series is a Hollywood entertainment production - the only attempt by the movie industry to chronicle the progress of science, industry and popular culture during the...
.
The latter series was produced with the cooperation of the editors of Popular Science magazine and ran from 1935 to 1949. Films in the Unusual Occupations and Popular Science series were made in Magnacolor
Magnacolor
Magnacolor was a color film process owned by Consolidated Film Industries. It was an off-shoot of William Van Doren Kelley's Prizma and utilized the same bi-pack color process. Magnacolor was succeeded at the company by Trucolor.-See also:*Bi-pack color...
and showcased a vast assortment of groundbreaking wonders from the world of science and industry.
In 1945, Fairbanks won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One Reel
Academy Award for Live Action Short Film
This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
for Who's Who in Animal Land
Who's Who in Animal Land
Who's Who in Animal Land is a 1944 short comedy film directed by Leslie M. Roush. It won an Academy Award in 1945 for Best Short Subject ....
, and was nominated again in that category in 1948 for Moon Rockets. Overall, Jerry won two Academy Awards and was nominated for a total of five such awards.
In the mid-1940s, Fairbanks was intrigued by television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and became one the first film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
s to create filmed programs specifically for this new medium (his initial series was a 26-episode crime drama, Public Prosecutor
Public Prosecutor (TV series)
Public Prosecutor was an American television series produced in 1947–1948, and first shown in 1951.-Broadcast history:Public Prosecutor was the first dramatic series to be shot on film , instead of being performed and broadcast live...
, produced for NBC, but briefly syndicated instead).
However, Paramount, seeing TV as the great rival to its continued success, issued an ultimatum to Fairbanks in 1949 — either stop making shows for TV or his association with Paramount was at an end. Fairbanks chose television and continued his success with his Popular Science films in the new medium of TV.
He broke new ground in television by inventing for NBC in 1947 the Multi-Cam multiple-camera setup
Multiple-camera setup
The multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, or multicam is a method of filmmaking and video production. Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras—are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene...
of production, assisted by producer-director Frank Telford, which is still used by sitcoms today. It allows a series of three or more cameras to be operated from different angles while remaining in sync with the sound track when turned off and on.
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
and Karl Freund
Karl Freund
Karl W. Freund, A.S.C. was a cinematographer and film director most noted for photographing Metropolis , Dracula , and television's I Love Lucy .-Early life:...
are often cited as the inventors when producing I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
, but Arnaz himself gave credit to Jerry Fairbanks as the originator of this system. The only enhancement Arnaz made was to use 35 mm film
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
instead of the 16 mm film
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
which Fairbanks employed. Fairbanks, head of NBC's fledgling film department in 1947–1948, never filed a patent for his invention, and so lost out on fame for his invention. "We never pursued it because I was trying to help the industry. We were trying to promote the use of film for television. I was more interested in promoting the film industry than in getting an individual reputation for things."
Fairbanks used the Zoomar Lens, now used almost universally in television to zoom from long shots to close-ups at will, without having to interrupt the telecasting to change lenses.
He also gave James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
his very first performances on film, first in two Pepsi Cola TV commercials and then as John the Apostle
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
in the Father Peyton's Family Theater
Family Theater
Family Theater was a dramatic anthology radio show which aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System in the United States from February 13, 1947 to September 11, 1957.-Production background:...
TV episode entitled "Hill Number One" broadcast on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1950. In 1953, he declared bankruptcy, and virtually ended TV production in favor of commercial and industrial films.
One industrial film he produced was for the Armstrong Cork Company in 1959. Entitled "Letter to Moscow", this propaganda film was designed as a slam to the Soviet way of life. It highlighted the Armstrong company and how people could hold good jobs working in factories. Filmed in Kankakee, IL and Lancaster, PA, the film, when completed was supposedly hand delivered to Kruschev in Moscow.
Among other later projects, in 1956, Fairbanks directed Down Liberty Road (aka Freedom Highway) with Angie Dickinson
Angie Dickinson
Angie Dickinson is an American actress. She has appeared in more than fifty films, including Rio Bravo, Ocean's Eleven, Dressed to Kill and Pay It Forward, and starred on television as Sergeant Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson on the 1970s crime series Police Woman.-Early life:Dickinson, the second of...
. In 1967 he produced Bamboo Saucer, a theatrical feature starring Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea
Dan Duryea was an American actor, known for roles in film, stage and television.-Early life:Born and raised in White Plains, New York, Duryea graduated from White Plains Senior High School in 1924 and Cornell University in 1928. While at Cornell, Duryea was elected into the Sphinx Head Society...
, one of the more engaging sci-fi films on UFOs of that era, written and directed by Frank Telford. Fairbanks served a 5-year term from the late 1960s to the early 1970s as president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce — curiously, the first president in the 50-year history of the Chamber from the entertainment industry.
In his personal life, Fairbanks was twice married before meeting in 1945 his life-long love, actress Marjorie Freeman (stage name: "Marjorie Marlow"). Among other things, Marjorie was a protege of Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
who auditioned for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
, and creator of the popular annual Ladies of Charity luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel (which sponsored Mother Teresa's first visit to the USA). Fairbanks converted to Roman Catholicism to marry Freeman. In the 1980s the two re-located north to Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.
Jerry was a fine golfer for some years, among other things winning in 1954 the handicap championship at the Lakeside Golf Club (where he was a member since 1950). His TV production company produced 26 episodes of Celebrity Golf, starring Sam Snead
Sam Snead
Samuel Jackson Snead was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for most of four decades. Snead won a record 82 PGA Tour events including seven majors. He failed to win a U.S...
and various well-known Hollywood movie stars. He was also an avid aviator, having learned to fly in 1926 and then flying his own plane all over the USA on production assignments.
Fairbanks predeceased his wife Marjorie (still living in 2008) on June 21, 1995 at the age of 90. They adopted a daughter, Jeralyn.
Jerry Fairbanks has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6384 Hollywood Blvd, at the corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga.