Terry Ramsaye

Who was Terry Ramsaye?

Terry Ramsaye was a film historian and author of A Million and One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture [Through 1925].

Ramsaye started his professional career as an engineer but switched to journalism when he joined the staff of the Kansas City Star and Times in 1905. In the following decade, he worked on newspapers in Leavenworth, Kansas, and in Omaha, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Chicago.

The motion picture industry was in its infancy when he joined Mutual Film Corporation in 1915. While at Mutual, he produced some Charlie Chaplin comedies and founded Screen Telegram, which achieved conspicuous success during World War I. He was one of the founding members of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers.

Subsequently he was associated with Samuel Roxy Rothafel in the management of Broadway's Rialto and Rivoli theaters. He also launched and edited the newsreel Kinograms. After producing and editing numerous adventure films including Grass and Simba: King of the Beasts with explorers Martin and Osa Johnson, he became editor-in-chief of Pathé News and Audio Review.