“What Is A Corporation?” (1949) is a black-and-white short education film made as part of Coronet Films’ Coronet Instructional Films series. With the help of educational collaborator Dr. Raymond E. Glos of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio – the film helps to define the question that the title poses. The film begins by offering the viewer different examples of corporations big and small from a steel company to a drug store before highlighting what it means to make a business a corporation through the fictional story of clothing store owner Walter Brown.
Opening credits – Coronet Films crown logo (0:06). Exterior Imperial Steel Co. Inc. processing plant in Ohio, close-up sign for employee entrance on chain link fence (0:17). Narrator poses question “what is a corporation” while footage shows different examples – silhouette of processing plant chimney stacks on the horizon, empty train cargo cars line tracks (0:23). Exterior Renneckar’s Drug Store on Glenview Road, Illinois (0:32). Close-up of sign with text “Fairview incorporated,” next scene reveals Fairview Incorporated is small town (0:37). Exterior of building on college campus, Gothic Revival style architecture (0:46). Church also in Gothic Revival style (0:51). Smoke billows from chimney stacks on large property of industrial plant, locomotive pulls cargo carts along train track on property grounds (1:02). Group of container gantry cranes on waters wedge unload crates from industrial ships (1:12). Interior of Imperial Steel Corporation plant, plant employee looks on at processing of smelted metal (1:44). Text to introduce next segment of film – scene featuring Imperial Steel stockholder Walter Brown of Fairview Clothing Store (1:57). Close-up Imperial Steel Corporation stock certificate (2:18). Mr. Brown meets in office with lawyer who advises him to sell stock to help with financial burdens faced at store; Mr. Brown does not like the lawyer’s advice especially upon finding out he and his business partners are all equally responsible for getting the store out of debt (2:23). Close-up Mr. Brown’s business card that reads “Fairview Clothing Store, Walter Brown, Proprietor” (3:22). Flashback reenactment footage of days when Mr. Brown was single proprietor of business, stands at till and helps package customers new purchases, walls decorated with various ties on display (3:25). Flashback of all of Mr. Brown’s responsibilities – tending to customers, taking inventory, putting new products on shelves – overwhelm and mess accumulate (3:50). Return to scene of Mr. Brown and lawyer in his office (4:20). Flashback reenactment footage of Mr. Brown first meeting and opening business to partners – Mr. Baker stands at counter with Mr. Brown in three piece suit, the two shake hands after striking a deal (4:46). Mr. Brown, Baker, and new partner Mr. Johnson stand around in store inspecting display mannequin, critique display outfit and discuss ideas (5:00). Mr. Brown stands in larger, revamped store with floral decorations (5:27). Mr. Johnson presents architectural renderings for store renovation, mid-century modern style storefront (5:44). Back in Mr. Brown’s office, lawyer presents idea of incorporating business – giving stock shares to partners to lower liability and increase Mr. Brown’s control/ voting power of business (6:09). Close-up of lawyer’s hand as he sketches diagram of what it means to incorporate business on note pad with ink pen; narration continues while drawn diagram is animated (7:41). Montage clips of grounds of Imperial Steel Co processing plant – exterior of plant, locomotive on train tracks running through plant grounds (9:42). Men in suits huddled around floor of perhaps Chicago Stock Exchange (9:50). Woman sits beside printing press and prepares freshly printed stock certificates (10:04). Men in suits representing Imperial Steel Co board of directors meet in sparsely decorated office (10:12).
