John Arthur Nelson Explained
John Arthur Nelson was a director, actor, and writer.[1] Nelson wrote, acted in, and directed more than a dozen short films in 1913 and 1914, including a series of Slim Hoover films in which he portrayed the title character. He wrote pro-labor union and anti-America Plan / open shop book The New Disciple and supervised production of the film of the same name that was based on it in 1921.[2]
He was U.S. Film Corporation's Vice-President and headed the Nelson Film Company. In 1915, he was arrested for misappropriating stockholder funds.[3] In 1916 he was sued for non-delivery of the film Slim and the Mummy.[4] In 1917, he tried to establish Dominion Film Company in Victoria, Canada but officials refused to give him land for the business.[5]
In 1920, he got funding for a labor backed film company he headed. It was to produce pro-labor union films.[6]
He corresponded with Samuel Gompers.[7]
Filmography
- Slim Becomes a Detective (1913)
- Slim's Last Trick (1914)
- Slim Becomes a Cook (1914)
- The New Disciple (1921), writer and film production supervisor
Notes and References
- Book: Ross, Steven J.. Working-class Hollywood: Silent Film and the Shaping of Class in America. September 29, 1999. Princeton University Press. 0691024642. Google Books.
- Book: James, David E.. The Most Typical Avant-Garde: History and Geography of Minor Cinemas in Los Angeles. May 30, 2005. Univ of California Press. 9780520242586. Google Books.
- Book: Slide, Anthony. The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry. February 25, 2014. Routledge. 9781135925543. Google Books.
- Web site: Reports of cases determined in the district courts. September 29, 1922. Google Books.
- Book: Morris, Oeter. Embattled Shadows: A History of Canadian Cinema, 1895-1939. August 6, 1992. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. 9780773560727. Google Books.
- Book: Purchasing Power: Consumer Organizing, Gender, and the Seattle Labor Movement, 1919-1929. Dana. Frank. Frank. Dana. January 28, 1994. Cambridge University Press. 9780521467148. Google Books.
- Book: Working-class Hollywood: Silent Film and the Shaping of Class in America. 0691024642. Ross. Steven J.. 3 January 2000.
