[Ads-l] "B movie" and related terms

Wed May 22 03:06:54 UTC 2024

Excellent article, Ben.
While searching for "bromance" I serendipitously encountered instances
of "B-Romance" that fit into the collection of expressions that Ben
was exploring.

For example, the 1941 citation below is titled "'Class B' Romance". It
included the statement "just a Hollywood picture--Class B". This
citation appeared many years after Ben's earliest citations.

Further below is a wildly creative 1895 example of a "Class B
Romance", but the meaning is quite different.

Date: October 10, 1941
Newspaper: The Wichita Beacon
Newspaper Location:
Article: 'Class B' Romance
Quote Page 1, Column 7
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/image/718953058/

[Begin excerpt]
The New York cafe society glamor girl declared that her four-day
southern honeymoon was "just a Hollywood picture--Class B" In
addition, she said she discovered that Webb is "tattooed from head to
foot."
[End excerpt]

Below is an example of a "Class B Romance" that looks like it was
generated by a challenging AI prompt (before electronic computers
existed):

Date: October 31, 1895
Newspaper: The Evening News (Lincoln Evening News)
Newspaper Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Article: A Class B Romance
Quote Page 7, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com
https://www.newspapers.com/image/309171259/

[Begin excerpt]
A Class B Romance.

Beatrice Burton, being beautiful, but beefy, began bicycling.
Becomingly bloomered, Beatrice bowled by bewildered beholders,
bespattering bashful beginners, but bewitching Benjamin Buckingham's
bachelor bosom. "By Bacchus!" blurted Benjamin, beholding big, black
burnished boots beneath bright, baggy bloomers, "Beauty's blessings
bounteously bestowed!" Beatrice blushed becomingly, but brushed
briskly by. Benjamin's beseechings brought Beatrice back betrothed,
beautified. Blueberry blossoms barely blew before blissful bridal
bells began. Beatrice Burton became Benjamin Buckingham's bonny
bride.--Wheel.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, May 19, 2024 at 7:01 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> My Wall St. Journal column this week is on the origins of the term "B
> movie" (a tribute to Roger Corman, King of the B's):
> https://on.wsj.com/3WOkboC
>
> OED doesn't have a whole lot -- the unrevised entry for "B" (n.) includes
> this:
>
> ---
> II.4.b.iii. A supporting film to the main feature in a cinema programme.
> 1949 Here & Now (New Zealand) October 29/2 There is a current reaction
> against the 'big' picture; and it is a sign of the times that the Academy,
> one of London's repertory cinemas, has been showing two American 'B'
> features.
> 1962 Observer 20 May 27/6 Just that something which distinguishes the good
> documentary from the drab British B picture.
> 1967 Listener 7 September 316/2 Things are looking up on ITV, except on
> farmer-and-B-film-haunted Southern.
> ---
>
> Merriam-Webster has an entry for "B movie" (defined as "a cheaply produced
> motion picture") and dates it to 1948.
>
> Some citations of interest...
>
> * class B picture
>
> ---
> https://archive.org/details/movingpicturewor24newy/page/1951/mode/1up
> Moving Picture World, June 19, 1915, p. 1951, col. 1
> Class B subjects will have a lower rental valuation. [...] [Quoting Albert
> E. Smith of Vitagraph:] Since the receipt of this letter, I have talked
> with Mr. Smith, and therefore, am at liberty to add that the Vitagraph
> Company considers "Hearts and the Highway" to be a class "B" picture, as
> compared with "The Juggernaut," and "The Island of Regeneration," and for
> this reason alone, the maximum price is fixed at $50.00 in cities of 20,000
> or more inhabitants.
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/muscatine-news-tribune-class-b-pictures/147428797/
> Muscatine (Iowa) News-Tribune, July 17, 1918, p. 7, col. 2
> Class A pictures will be those that cost from $100 day and up. Class B
> pictures will be those costing from $60.00 to $85.00 per day.
> ---
> https://archive.org/details/exhibitorsherald12exhi/page/n221/mode/2up
> Exhibitors Herald, Jan. 8, 1921, p. 86, col. 2
> Sky Fire (Pinnacle), with Neal Hart. -- Not as good as expected, too slow
> and draggy. Consider this a class B picture.
> ---
>
> * class B feature
>
> ---
> Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly (London), Vol. 19, Iss. 435, Aug. 26,
> 1915, p. 4 (advt.) [ProQuest]
> Butcher's Film Service, Ltd.  [...] Class B Feature, approx. 2,000 ft.
> (over 100 films to select from). 4,000 ft. Ordinary films, varying ages.
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/herald-and-news-class-b-feature/147429721/
> Randolph (Vt.) Herald and News, Sept. 23, 1915, p. 12, col. 5 (advt.)
> Pastime Theatre Program [...] 3-Reel Fox Class B Feature.
> ---
> https://archive.org/details/widsfilmsfilmfol03wids/page/n125/mode/2up
> Wid's Films and Film Folk, Feb. 22, 1917, p. 124, col. 2
> As a “Class B” feature this will get by, although it never “gets under the
> skin.”
> ---
>
> * class B movie
>
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/press-and-sun-bulletin-film-producers-to/147703805/
> Binghamton (NY) Press, Jan. 4, 1937, p. 10, col. 4
> Film Producers to Act on Class B Movies.
> ---
> Dayton (Ohio) Herald, Jan. 13, 1937, p. 8, col. 6
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dayton-herald-class-b-movie/147698407/
> Let it be said here that as a Class B movie the show is a good one, and
> there can be no doubt that it offers a fine quality of entertainment for
> those who prefer adventure shows.
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press-class-b-movie/147698571/
> Pittsburgh Press, July 13, 1937, p. 14, col. 1
> They're roping them off down at the Warner; and the pity is that they
> didn't give it a bigger break instead of letting it sneak into town like
> any ordinary Class B movie.
> ---
>
> * grade B movie
>
> ---
> Life, Nov. 1934, p. 43, col. 2 [ProQuest]
> A Grade "B" movie actress could make a terrible fool of herself in the role
> of an unsophisticated 19-year-old girl free for the first time from the
> shelter of boarding school but Jean Muir, in _Desirable_, makes you love it.
> [Is that a (Grade B movie) actress or a (Grade B) movie actress?]
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-grade-b-movies/147702749/
> Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY), May 3, 1936, p. 8D, col. 7
> We'll make it as good grade "B" movies as we can, however.
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-grade-b-movie/147699713/
> New York Daily News, July 30, 1937, p. 45, col. 2
> No picture ever won a war or even started one. Not even a Grade B movie.
> ---
>
> * B-type picture/movie
>
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-b-type-picture/147705366/
> Los Angeles Times, June 4, 1936, p. 13, col. 1
> Scheduled as a Class "A" rather than "B" type picture, "Take a Number" is a
> new purchase of R.-K.-O., which will star James Gleason and Helen Broderick.
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-south-bend-tribune-b-type-movie/147428160/
> South Bend Tribune, Nov. 23, 1936, p. 8, col. 5
> B-Type Movie Is Bright. "Along Came Love" is a pleasant surprise. It was
> manufactured as a B-type picture, the kind the studios make to balance
> their budgets.
> ---
>
> * B picture
>
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-b-picture/147705779/
> Oakland Tribune, Feb. 12, 1936, p. 11, col. 2
> Or it may be M-G-M refused to have its super-epic soiled by contact with a
> "B" picture.
> ---
> https://archive.org/details/screen-and-radio-weekly-1937-02-07-albany/page/n14/mode/1up
> Screen and Radio Weekly, Knickerbocker Press, Feb. 1937, p. 15, col. 2
> And most commonly they express their disdain with the remark: "Well, as
> long as we have double bills, we'll have B pictures."
> ---
> https://archive.org/details/motionpictureher130unse/page/n157/mode/2up
> Motion Picture Herald, Jan. 8, 1938, p. 74, col. 2
> If Evanstonians continue to backslide, refusing to patronize stale movie
> programs, frequently consisting of 'quickies' and 'B' pictures, along with
> occasional Class A pictures which are very much out of date, the city is
> likely to get a triple-dose of double features from Balaban and Katz.
> ---
>
> * B movie
>
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-need-b-movies-t/147704092/
> Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, July 27, 1937, p. 20, col. 1
> Need B Movies To Train Stars Of Tomorrow, Film Producers Declare.
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-leading-producers/147703169/
> Los Angeles Times, Oct. 31, 1937, p. III1, col. 8
> Though Samuel Goldwyn, leading independent movie producer, fulminates
> against the "B" movie and dual features you'll find many other independents
> who all essay to specialize in "A" class films, admitting they have their
> place.
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle-the-b-picture-is-dying/147698982/
> Spokane Chronicle, Aug 17, 1946, p. 22, col. 7
> The small-cost, or B, movie has long been the most maligned of motion
> picture institutions.
> ---
>
> * B film
>
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-feature-films-to-be-long/147704754/
> Chicago Tribune, Apr. 26, 1936, p. VII4, col. 2
> Producers have been making second rate pictures, calling them "B" products,
> which are to be used for double bills, but they are annoyed by the fact
> that more costly films known as "A" pictures are, in most theaters, used
> along with "B" films.
> ---
> https://newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-hollywood-is-taking-ste/147705703/
> Buffalo News, June 3, 1936, p. 16, col. 1
> Hollywood Is Taking Steps To Combat B-Film Complex.
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-need-b-movies-t/147704092/
> Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, July 27, 1937, p. 20, col. 1
> The "B" film, if you are unacquainted with the term, is the movie usually
> spotted in the second bracket of a double film.
> ---
>
> * B, n.
>
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-the-keeper-of-the-bs/147428299/
> New York Daily News, Oct. 7, 1935, p. 28, col. 2
> The Class B flicker is the cheaper product and can best be described as the
> lower half of a double feature ... Over at the Paramount Studio, they have
> a special title for the producer who specializes in this product. He is
> called "The Keeper of the B's."
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-leading-producers/147703169/
> Los Angeles Times, Oct. 31, 1937, p. III1, col. 8
> Meanwhile all the larger organizations are committed to the policy of "A's"
> and "B's," and once in a while may even turn out a few "Z's."
> ---
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle-the-b-picture-is-dying/147698982/
> Spokane Chronicle, Aug 17, 1946, p. 22, col. 7
> Although it has some advocates, the B is generally greeted by moans of film
> patrons who have to sit through it to see the A feature. [...] Spokesmen
> claim MGM makes no B's, but smilingly admit "sub-A's."
> ---
>
> --bgz
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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