Willis Brown
American judge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Willis Brown (July 31, 1881 – April 30, 1933) was a permanently removed Utah juvenile court judge,[1] falsely-claimed lawyer,[2] self-described humanitarian, and filmmaker.
Willis Brown | |
|---|---|
| Salt Lake City Juvenile Court judge | |
| In office 1905–1907 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 31, 1881 |
| Died | April 30, 1933 (aged 51) |
| Occupation | Film producer |
Known for | Founder of Boy City Film Company |
Born James Willhenry Brown in Columbus, Indiana to James W. Brown and Lucetta Pierson.
Judge
In the decade of the 1900s Brown lectured[3] on the Chautauqua circuit as a judge of the Utah Juvenile Court and a progressive expert on boys' reformation.[4][5][6][7]
He was appointed to the Juvenile Court in Salt Lake City in the spring of 1905, served two years, but had been permanently removed by the Utah Supreme Court.[2] In 1910, the Juvenile Court debunked Judge Brown's credentials.[1] Brown was, in fact, not even a lawyer, and had been misrepresenting himself.
Boy City Film Company
Building a national reputation, in the 1910s he started "Boy Cities" in Charlevoix, Michigan, and Gary, Indiana,[8] then relocated to Southern California. (The better-known Boys Town, Nebraska was founded in December 1917.)
By 1917 Brown founded the Boy City Film Company in Culver City, part film studio, part homeless shelter. He served as a film producer.
In film history, Brown is remarkable for giving director King Vidor his first directing job. Brown funded a series of twenty-two reelers, both moral lessons and promotional films. Brown appeared as himself in all but the first one; Vidor directed at least ten[9] of them. These films have evidence of "fascinating social content" - the plot of the second entry, The Chocolate of the Gang, deals with a black child being denied membership in an all-white club, and employed black actors for the lead roles as opposed to the usual practice of white performers in blackface.[9]
Willis Brown, former judge of the Salt Lake City Juvenile Court, died in his home of a heart attack. Brown, 53 years old is survived by a widow and three children.[10]
Film series
- The Boy City (1910) (it) (fr)[11][12][13]
- Bud's Recruit (1918)[14][15]
- The Chocolate of the Gang (1918)[16]
- The Lost Lie (1918)
- Tad's Swimming Hole (1918)
- Marrying Off Dad (1918)[17]
- The Accusing Toe (1918)
- Thief or Angel (1918)[18]
- The Rebellion (1918)
- The Preacher's Son (1918)
- A Boy Built City (1918)
- I'm a Man (1918)
- Love of Bob (1918)
- Dog vs. Dog (1918)
- The Three Fives (1918)
- The Case of Bennie (1918)[19]
- Kid Politics (1918)
- The Demand of Dugan (1919)
- Shift the Gear, Freck (1919)
- Gum Drops and Overalls (1919)
- Danny Asks Why (1919)