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The Popular Science Historic Film Series was created by independent Hollywood motion picture producer Jerry Fairbanks in 1934/1935. Jerry Fairbanks was born in San Francisco in 1904 and survived the great earthquake of 1906. He began his career in film as a cameraman on silent movies (John Barrymore's "The Sea Beast") followed by work on early sound productions such as Howard Hughes ' film "Hells Angels." His first foray into producing involved an innovative color series of theatrical short subjects for Universal Studios called "Strange As It Seems." Based on the success of these productions he was able to sell Paramount Pictures on a new series of short subjects entitled "Popular Science." Produced with the cooperation of the editors of Popular Science Monthly Magazine , these color films showcased a vast assortment of groundbreaking wonders from the world of science and industry. The Popular Science film series introduced its audience to the wonders of Television , home improvements, automotive breakthroughs, aviation advances, medical miracles and even an assortment of strange and whimsical inventions. During its 15 year theatrical run the Popular Science film series was honored with numerous awards and acclaim, including 5 Academy Award nominations. In the mid 1940s Jerry Fairbanks was intrigued by television and became the first producer to create programs specifically for this new medium. Viewing TV as the great rival to its continued success, in 1949 Paramount issued an ultimatum to Fairbanks - 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 this new media. The Popular Science series has been a staple on television for decades, most recently showcased on the American Movie Classics cable network. In addition to the Popular Science series, Fairbanks also broke new ground in TV by inventing the 3-camera system of production which is still utilized by sitcoms today ( Desi Arnaz is often cited as the inventor of the 3-camera system which was used in 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 35mm film instead of 16mm which Fairbanks employed). Jerry Fairbanks also gave a young actor named James Dean his very first performances on film - first in two Pepsi Cola TV commercials and next as the disciple John in his production for television entitled "Hill Number One." Jerry Fairbanks died in 1995 at the age of 91. |
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