- Détails
- Création : 19 mai 2024
- Mis à jour : 16 mai 2025
- Publication : 19 mai 2024
- Affichages : 471
Thomas Albert PERSONS
(Painesville, 1880-Chicago, 1959)
Jean-Claude SEGUIN
2
Les origines (1880-1902)
Thomas Persons est originaire de l'Ohio. Vers 1895-1896, il est rattaché à l'Academy of Music (Meadville) où il fait la connaissance de Dave H. Woods qui est alors manager de la troupe Waite's Comedy Company :
Mr. Persons chose to spend it at the Point with Mr. Woods, as they have been friends for many years, Mr Persons being song book hot in the Academy of Music, Meadville, Pa., when Mr. Woods formerly played that city as manager of the Waite Comedy company.
The Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, mardi 26 juillet 1904, p. 7.
La Selig Polyscope Company ([1903]-1906)
Tom Persons va rejoindre la Selig Polyscope Company au début du XXe siècle. En 1904, il est présenté comme le principal opérateur de la société :
WILL TAKE LOCAL PICTURES.
Thos. Persons, principal operator for the Selig Polyscope company, of Chicago, is in charge of the mechanical department of Dave H. Woods's "Fairyland" at Cedar Point. In addition to being the recognized leading operator of moving pictures machines in the United States, Mr. Persons is an expert photographer, and has made some of the leading feature films that are now before the public. "The Great Train Robbery," now on exhibition at the Point, is one of his best efforts. It is 1,200 feet in length and represents thousands of photographs passing in rapid review before the gaze of the patron Photographs of the McKinley funeral ceremonies are another of his best achievements. Instead of taking his usual vacation, Mr. Persons chose to spend it at the Point with Mr. Woods, as they have been friends for many years, Mr Persons being song book hot in the Academy of Music, Meadville, Pa., when Mr. Woods formerly played that city as manager of the Waite Comedy company. He has sent for his camera and during the summer will make a number of local views including a run by the Sandusky fire department, if arrangements can be made to that effect. These photos will be exhibited at the Point, and due notice will be given when they are ready.
The Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, mardi 26 juillet 1904, p. 7.
Il alterne ses activités de cinématographiste et celle d'opérateur, comme on peut le voir ci-après :
Our Celebration.
Ashland's celebration of the fourth of July this year was one of the most successful, everything considered, ever held here. Several factors contributed to this end -the day, the lack of celebrations in neighboring towns, the good work of the committees, of the city officials and all who took a hand in preparing for it and in carrying out the program when the day came.
[...] Few, if any, had yet gone home and when the moving pictures were put on, Silver street, where the exhibition took place, was literally packed with people. This part of the day's program was very highly appreciated. These pictures, in themselves, are well worth going many miles to see. In this connection we feel like saying a word of commendation for those who were instrumental in procuring and exhibiting them. First, to the Messrs Harry and George Shedd. To Thomas Persons, of Chicago, the expert electrician, who managed the machine, and whose services were donated by the Selig Polyscope company of Chicago: to the Burlington company, who transported the operator and machine here free of charge; to Hon. G. W. Wattles of Omaha, for the free use of a large proportion of the views, and to our local electric light company who donated the use of the electric lights strung across the street. They are deserving of the thanks of all who enjoyed the show.
The Ashland Journal, Ashland, vendredi 6 juillet 1906, p. 5.
La production de la Selig Polyscope company est souvent orientée vers la publicité et une part non négligeablde de sa production vise à promouvoir les villes et les états américains. Tel est le cas de Minneapolis où un accord a été signé avec Edmund G. Walton, "chairman of the advertising committee" :
GET MOVING PICTURES
Polyscope Company to Get Views to Be Shown All Over the Country Advertising Minneapolis.
Thomas A. Persons of Chicago, representing the Polyscope company, is In the city for the purpose of securing moving pictures of some of the principal points of interest in and about the city.
The Minneapolis Real Estate Board decided that this would be one of the best ways to advertise Minneapolis, and therefore negotiated with the Polyscope company to come and take the views, which will be shown in the principal theaters in the world, over the entire circuit covered by this company. It is expected that the views will be completed and shown at a local theater this week.
When seen relative to the work here, Mr. Persons said:
"In company with Mr. Edmund G. Walton, chairman. of the advertising committee of the real estate board, I went to the Soldiers' home and secured a picture, also one of the falls at Minnehaha. From there we went to Lake Minnetonka, where took a picture of a street car coming into Excelsior, unloading its passengers, Including the loading of passengers on board the big steamer Minnetonka to Big Island.
"On the return trip I took a view of the north side of Minnetonka, including Ferndale, and another view of the docks at Excelsior. with the small steamer Minnehaha leaving the docks, and a b big freight train crossing the bridge. I intend to take a view of Nicollet avenue with the fire department in full action, another view of the G.A.R. parade and one of the stone arch bridge.
Star Tribune, Minneapolis, mardi 14 août 1906, p. 10,
Et après... (1907-1959)
William N. Selig, a Chicago producer, was the first man to build a motion-picture set on the West Coast. Needing brighter and more dependable sunshine than Chicago provided, he sent Francis Boggs, Thomas Parsons, and a small company of actors to Los Angeles in 1907. Later, on a roof at Eighth and Olive Streets they built this set— for a one-reel version of Carmen. The bull-fight poster was made from a tobacco carton.
PICTURES OF REAL WESTERN LIFE COMING.
[From the Denver "Daily News" of June 15.]
Moving picture making was responsible for plenty of excitement and, incidentally, Ivy Baldwin almost lost his life while walking a wire 500 feet high, posing for a picture.
The principal place of excitement was Roxborough Park, about twenty-five miles southwest of the city. Here H. H. Buckwalter had arranged for a thrilling picture of Western life and an invitation was sent out to the surrounding ranches for “about a dozen” cowboys to come in and take part in the riding scenes in the picture. They came all right and brought their sisters, cousins and aunts with them. And instead of a dozen the attendance numbered more than five hundred.
Probably the most amazed people of the bunch were the actors and the picture men themselves. Francis W. Boggs, well known throughout the East as a leading man and the husband of May Hosmer, the star, was the “producer,” or master of ceremonies. His business it was to write the dope and rehearse the people. Thomas A. Persons, a well known motion picture expert from Chicago, took Buckwalter’s place behind the camera. With them they took a dozen or more actors from this city, and also Miss Pansy Perry, who is well known as a society girl and daring horsewoman.
Moving Picture World, vol. 2, nº 26, 27 juin 1908, p. 541.
RECRUITS AT SELIG ZOO
Notable accessions continue to arrive at the Selig Zoo near Los Angeles. Four more huge elephants and a drove of dromedaries recently came in on a special, and a police permit had to be obtained to march them through the streets from the station to the Zoo. Of course, the small boy came in large walking majority and spread the rumor that the circus had come to town.
The dromedaries, after a couple of days of rest and filling their double stomachs with spring water, started in to work for Director Huntly at the Edendale Studio in a desert picture of North America, entitled "Through the Centuries."
Superintendent Tom Persons had provided a camel caravan, but as soon as he saw the double-humped dromedaries, he made them leaders. This strange procession journeyed out to the desert locations quite a distance from Los Angeles in order to start their trip "Through the Centuries."The Motion Picture News, vol. VIII, nº 8, 8 novembre 1913, p. 35.
"When Roosevelt went on his African hunt, Colonel Selig staged the Colonel's adventures in his Chicago studio, with Otis Turner directing and Tom Persons at the camera"
Photoplay, vol. XXIV, nº 3, août 1923, p. 41.
Entertained Royally.
Jack Kenyon, Mrs. Kenyon, George Graves, Van Barrett, Tom Persons, Laura Roth and Carroll McFarland have returned from a visit to 101 Ranch at Bliss, Okla., where some splendid moving pictures were secured for Selig. A stampede of 2,800 cattle is a film of which the visitors are very proud. Other films represent scenes on the ranch. The moving picture folks are very enthusiastic concerning the hospitality of Joe and Zack Miller and say they were treated royally.Show World, nº 27, 24 avril 1909, p. 26.
MORE MOVING PICTURES
Yesterday's So Successful Others Are Taken at Stadium Today-Government May Buy.
Additional subjects for the motion pictures of the tournament were obtained by Thomas Persons the polyscope representative this morning Battery B 2d artillery, went through a wall-scaling feat which it performed last night, and Company D 1st infantry gave an exhibition of complicated drills under the direction of Capt Aloe.
Some moving pictures of the mules in the obstacle race which will be held tonight, were also obtained. Mr Persons declares that the pictures of the Tacoma tournament will be the best ever taken of a like event. It is possible that some of the films will be used by the government for recruiting purposes.The News Tribune, Tacoma, jeudi 28 juillet 1910, p. 1.
The News Tribune, Tacoma, jeudi 28 juillet 1910, p. 1.
Dayton Flood Pictures in Film.
On Tuesday , April 1, the Selig Polyscope Co. surprised the film world by releasing as a special a complete thousand foot topical film entitled "The Flood, Fire and Ruins at Dayton, Ohio." The film was complete in every detail. Many scenes were tinted. The photography was excellent in quality and several explanatory announcements were included. Two color posters, showing halftone scenes of the disaster, accompanied the film as it was shipped.
While the flood was at its height in Dayton, Thomas Persons, superintendent of the Selig Chicago plant, and George Peters, a camera man, entered the stricken city with their cameras, under special permit of the authorities in charge. It had taken the Selig operators forty-eight hours to make the trip from Chicago to Dayton, their path beset by many unlooked for hardships.
Many of the scenes In the film were taken under the most exasperating circumstances. Several times it was necessary for the operators to stand waist deep in the icy flood waters to secure such negatives as they desired.
Mr . Persons reached Chicago late Sunday night with the negatives. The Chicago plant of the Selig Co. worked to its full capacity that night, and Monday several complete copies were ready for distribution. In the meantime the publicity department has subsidized a local lithograph plant, and Monday afternoon striking two color posters were ready for distribution.New York Clipper, New York, 12 avril 1913, p. 4.
SUPT. THOMAS PERSONS , of the Selig Polyscpe Co., will personally conduct a number of leading people of the stock organization to California on July 15. Among those listed for the journey are : Charles Cleary, Wm. Stowell, Harry Lonsdale . William Walcott, La Fayette McKee, Ralph Murallo, Harriet Notter, Lyllian Leighton and Hardee Kirkland. The organization will travel on their own special car, together with a baggage car and scene car.New York Clipper, New York, 12 juillet 1913, p. 12.
SELIG NEWS
IT SEEMS only a short time since the act of Filson and Errol was one of the best to conjure with in the realm of vaudeville. They began with Tony Pastor and they ended up as "topllners" in the bright lights that limn the porte cochers in front of the modern vaudeville palaces. They were the first to produce George Cohan's premier sketch, "The Tip on the Darby," in New York. They used to end up their season early in Chicago so that Al. Filson could get back to his farm over at old St. Joe, Mich. He also struck oil in Oklahoma, which helped him along, but while he retired from the stage he felt the lure of moving pictures, and some while ago stopped orange farming in California to join the Selig Co. Now his wife, Lea Errol , has joined him in the same organization, and they will reproduce some of their famous vaudeville sketches together at the big plant in Los Angeles, Cal.
AMONG the new additions to the Selig Stock Co. at Edendale, Cal., are : Joseph King, W. K. Rhyno, Norval MacGregor and Mabel Van Buren. The last named lady was formerly associated with Kinemacolor, Edw. J. (Jack) Le Saint, formerly leading actor well known to theatregoers, and late director for Kinemacolor, has joined the Selig forces, and is the father and producer of a new and unusual drama, entitled "Between the Rifle Sights."
WM. E. WING, who, for several years past has supplied very trenchant silent dramas for the Biograph, has signed his exclusive service to W. N. Selig, to be stationed at the Los Angeles studio, and is now engaged upon a three-reel mystery detective story which is opined will make the conventional class pale to insignificance. His first big release is "When Men Forget," a drama of unusual power. The mystery crux is the stronghold of dramatist Wing, and he will specialize in that line.
THE Selig Wild Animal Farm, on the Old Mission Road, has become one of the noted places in the neighborhood of Los Angeles. Everything that the coming of landscape gardeners could suggest has been done to make this a rare botanical garden impressive in palm line vistas, in shady turns and all the natural environment for Its savage inhabitants. Last week "Papa Puma" was surprised when "Mama Puma" heard the news that three puma pups were welcome strangers in her den . The infants are lithe and likable, as playful as domestic kittens, and very popular with the women of the Selig companies. Sunt. Thomas Persons has been very busy since he was placed in charge of the park, and has erected a studio building with dressing rooms and a large stage where interior scenes can be given in proximity with the exteriors, and the animals can be used If necessary. The jungle portion of the big park has been enhanced by the planting or many additional Indian and African trees, shrubs and all the foreign flora befitting the fauna that make this park the equal of any zoo in America. Two of the Selig stock companies are constantly at work ln this park. The river that runs through the park can serve with equal truth, the Zambezi, the Nile, the Ganges or the Amazon.New York Clipper, New York, 9 août 1913, p. 9.
SELIG INTERESTS IN CALIFORNIA.
Wm. N. Selig is home at headquarters in Chicago after a brief but busy experience in California, where he has been inspecting and regulating the Selig interests in Los Angeles. Thomas Nash, who had been associated with Mr. Selig for many years, formerly manager of the Selig Edendale studio, resigned, and Thomas Persons, who had been next in length in Selig service, was appointed as the general manager, and will continue in his former capacity as manager of the Selig zoo.New York Clipper, New York, 13 juin 1914, p. 8.
Thomas Persons, general manager of the Selig Company in Los Angeles, has returned from his Eastern trip and is busy O. K.-ing bills and things. He has a little kingdom of his own to look after.New York Clipper, New York, 22 août 1914, p. 12.
Motion Picture News, vol. XIII, nº 14, 8 avril 1916, p. 2045.
HOOD RIVER WILL SEND DISPLAY EAST
(Special Dispatch to The Journal.)
Hood River, Or., Sept. 22.-Hood River is preparing a display of fruit at the National Irrigation congress to be held in Chicago in November. The Hood River Apple Growsers' union expects to send a car of the finest apples to the great show. Thomas Persons is in Hood River today taking scenes of the appel industry with a moving picture camera. These will be used in connection with the display of fruit.The Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, mercredi 22 septembre 1909, p. 5.
Fiche de conscription. Première guerre mondiale.
Recensement 1910 (Jefferson) [Missouri]
Recensement 1920 (New York)
Persons in Hollywood
Tom Persons, veteran production manager, is in Hollywood, where he is considering offers. He was with the Biograph studio for several years.The Film Daily, vol. XXXVIII, nº 26, dimanche 31 octobre 1926.
En 1935, il travaille (Film Editor) avec la Paramount (Smart Girl)
Il entre à la Wilding Pictures Production:
The staff of the Wilding plant announced by R. L. Miller is as follows: L. M. Francisco, managing editor Chicago branch in charge of creative work and sales; J. R. Kneebone, sales manager under Francisco; George Becker, plant maintenance and auditor, and Tom Persons, studio manager and charge of production. Persons was with the old Selig studios here years ago and was with Walter Wanger on the Coast bee fore joining the Wilding firm last September.
Recensement 1940 (Detoit)
Recensement 1950 (Minneapolis)
1951: Tom Persons est Film Editor de la Reid. H. Ray Film Industries, Inc.
Thomas A. Persons, who produced the first film version of "The Spoilers," in 1912 for Selig Polyscope Company, died June 4, in Chicago.Motion Picture Exhibitor, vol. 62, nº 6, 17 juin 1959, p. 7.
