In 1923 the Yale University Press commissioned films based on the fifty volumes in their “Chronicles of America” book series. Ultimately, only fifteen episodes were produced. This film from 1924 is entitled “The Puritans”. According to the book “Hollywood on the Hudson”, Yale spent $1.25 million dollars making the films and then found it could not easily recoup the investment, because the films were not theatrically viable and most schools in that era did not have appropriate infrastructure or the experience using films to teach. However, Chronicles of America persisted for many years and was the first documentary series shown on television in 1941 when it aired on pioneering station WNBT.
The film was adapted by Evangeline W. Andrews and directed by the Film Guild’s Frank Tuttle, who went on to sign with Paramount.
The cast includes Arthur Hohl as John Winthrop, Audrey Hart as Margaret Winthrop, Henry Van Bousen and Roger Williams , Allan Brander as Thomas Dudley, Osgood Perkins as Thomas Morton and Royal B. Tracy as Archbishop Laud.
The film attempts to tell the story of the early days of the Puritan settlements in New England, with dueling attempts to lead the colonists by John Winthrop and Thomas Morton, and intrigue in England involving an alleged violation of the Puritan Charter. This conflict pitted the avowed enemy of the Puritans Archibishop Laud and the “father of American colonization” and founder of Maine, Sir Ferdinando Gorges. Other subplots in the film include Roger Williams’ belief that the Charter is unlawful because it will shortchange the Native Americans. (A study guide is really needed to fully understand the film, and this was one of the problems it faced upon release as the only guide that apparently existed was the book it was based upon.)
John Winthrop was an English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This was the second major settlement in New England following Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of colonizers from England in 1630 and served as governor for 12 of the colony’s first 20 years. His writings and vision of the colony as a Puritan “city upon a hill” dominated New England colonial development, influencing the governments and religions of neighboring colonies. The film also shows Thomas Morton a colonist in North America from Devon, England. A lawyer, writer and social reformer, he was famed for founding the British colony of Merrymount, located in what is now Quincy, Massachusetts, and for his work in studying Native American culture.
Chronicles of America is the title of a fifty volume series of books on American history. Originally printed in 1918, the volumes were written by historians of the time about various aspects of American History. The series was edited by Allen Johnson and published by Yale University.In 1923, Yale decided to create a series of films based on the books. Fifteen films were ultimately produced.
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