The Early Films of W. Frank Brinton Comes Home to Iowa and Makes an Awesome Night Out of It!

by B Condon 9:16 PM

The Story

W. Frank Brinton and wife, Indiana on the right

The original avid film collector was an Iowan. Washington County native W. Frank Brinton was a known eccentric, inventor and more in likely the inventor of something like a traveling film festival.  From 1895 until 1910 Brinton and wife, Indiana showcased short silent films across the Midwest and Texas. Taken from production companies such as Lumiere (including Georges Melies), Edison and many others, early film goers were treated to scenes from India or Egypt, pre-Chaplin comedies and for those weren't scared of clowns, a man dressing up as one.

After 70 years in Brinton's executor's basement, Iowa historian and archivist Mike Zahs made an impulse purchase with a box labelled "Brinton crap." Contained was sixteen tins of 35mm cellulose nitrate (labelled "explosive") in sad shape as well as magic lantern slides, ticket stubs, posters, etc. Although eventually preserved into 16mm and becoming less flammable, the currently in process-digitized collection is now in the safe hands here at the University of Iowa's Special Collections next to cool Gene Wilder papers and "Peyton Place" scripts. 

Tonight, Tonight

Mike Zahs (so sorry about the pixelation!)

Naturally, Zahs and that majestic beard of his was in Iowa City tonight. Although choosing shorts as the hour-long event went along, the contemporary moviegoer saw...

Elephants (including the interactive moment with getting sprayed by water by the master of ceremonies....)
Camel Market
On the Farm (1902)
Iowa? (1901)
Sydney the Clown (1905)
Pullman Car (1900)
The Matrimonial Ceremony (1906)
At the Dentist (1907)
Mashing a Jersey Mosquito
The Good Story
All on Account of Eliza

All of these were to the tune of the Red Cedar Chamber Music, either adapted from popular music of the time or by the original orchestrator, Harvey Solberger. A guitar string broke and Mr. Zahs saved the moment by being a walking Brinton encyclopedia. There was a kazoo! A fight with a dummy pre-Tom Conway fighting with a stuffed cat in Cat People (1942)! Jump cuts between two men of the clergy giggling like little girls! A child, even giggled during the comedy shorts which is definitely a good sign for film history in the next 30 years. It was a magical night. (Including B shoving her face full of fried risotto corn balls at the reception, but that's a different story....)

"Saving Brinton"

The exclusive thing about tonight (besides the fried risotto corn balls...) was the reason why a film crew was lurking around Shambaugh Auditorium. Cofounder of the local art house theater FilmScene and Copartner of Northland Films, Andrew Sherburne along with Tommy Haines and John Richard are in the process of documenting Zahs and his awesome nerdiness about the Brinton silent films. To describe "Saving Brinton," Sherburne explains that "it is a film about film" where "the past is a constant presence." 

Although clearly still filming, Sherburne and crew pulled together a 3 minute trailer that was full of that majestic beard on his movie tours much like the original Brinton ones. The icing on top of a huge movie nerd's cake was Zahs's room at his home that was devoted to all of these artifacts as well as his fantastic sense of humor and overall enthusiasm for this project. I expect a future screening at FilmScene!

(Thank you, IowaNow, for the supplementaries!)