In Search of the Elusive George Scott: The Story Behind the Story

The American Film Company (AFC), California, camera unit, 1916. Scott is in back row, far right. Courtesy Dana Driskel, University of California at Santa Barbara. This photo also appears in “Flickers and Flashes,” New York Dramatic Mirror, 1 July 19… — The American Film Company (AFC), California, camera unit, 1916. Scott is in back row, far right. Courtesy Dana Driskel, University of California at Santa Barbara. This photo also appears in “Flickers and Flashes,” *New York Dramatic Mirror*, 1 July 1916, 32, and in the *Ontario History* article.

In April 2020 the academic journal Ontario History published my article, “In Search of George Scott: Jack of All Trades, Motion Picture Pioneer, World Explorer.” Because of the pandemic, they made it available on line (not their usual practice with recent issues). So you can read it here, if you want.

Ontario History, published by the Ontario Historical Society [link], Vol. CXII, No. 1 (Spring 2020), pp.1–25. In case you can’t read the small print at the bottom of the opening page: “Many people helped in the research and writing of this article. … — *Ontario History*, published by the Ontario Historical Society [link], Vol. CXII, No. 1 (Spring 2020), pp.1–25. In case you can’t read the small print at the bottom of the opening page: “Many people helped in the research and writing of this article. I particularly want to thank Paul Moore, David Pfluger, Luke McKernan, Raphaël Millet, Amanda Crocker, Ruth Kuchinad, the anonymous reviewer for Ontario History, and, as always, Ferne Cristall.”

Here is some of the research history, documentation, and more images related to that story . . .

“Floor Covered with Sawdust, Seats Were Planks, in City’s First Play House,” Examiner, Feb. 25, 1939, p.10. — “Floor Covered with Sawdust, Seats Were Planks, in City’s First Play House,” *Examiner*, Feb. 25, 1939, p.10.

The article had a lengthy gestation period. It goes back to the 2014 ReFrame “The Electric City Goes to the Movies” exhibit. When doing research for that project, I was led astray by an Examiner article that identified Wonderland as the “city’s first play house” (by which it meant motion-picture theatre).

Wonderland was opened July 27, 1907. It was only after I went back to the newspapers of the time that I found out that another motion-picture theatre had been established seven months earlier. A place called Scott’s Colloseum had opened towards the end of January 1907. An introductory news item on Jan. 23 made much of the owner who was establishing the operation, one George Scott, of Toronto.

The Colloseum was not around all that long. After moving to a sheltered area in Jackson Park that June, it had disappeared from the city by September, with no more to be heard of it.

I wanted to find out more about who this George Scott was, where he came from, and where he went after Peterborough. Given that “George Scott” is a common name — and, as I eventually found out, not even his original name — it took me a couple of years to gather and sort out the details. George Scott was an ambitious but elusive fellow. The search turned out to be a fascinating exploration of previously unconnected, and widely scattered, territory. What I found was a life full of surprises, twists and turns, and adventure.

And that is the subject of the Ontario History article. If you’re interested, you can read that story for more of the details. You can order it from the Ontario Historical Society or read it on line. In any case, what I have here are a few sample pieces of the puzzle.

A key source at the beginning of my research was the website “Media History Digital Library” – a wonderful, vast repository (out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison) of books and magazines culled from the histories of film, broadcasting, and recorded sound – everything from a Hollywood studio system collection to non-theatrical and global film publications – including the likes of Variety, Billboard, and Moving Picture World. Besides finding a George Scott who was manager of the Alambra Theatre in England, and a George Scott who was a 1910s cowboy (neither of them mine) – and, in later years, lots of hits for the better known actor George C. Scott, I found evidence of a George Scott who seemed, just maybe, to be the guy I was looking for.

As I began the search I quickly found out, from some Canadian film books, that a man named George Scott was known for producing The Great Toronto Fire (1904) — I was surprised that just maybe a filmmaker had established the first motion picture theatre in Peterborough! I could see from Toronto directories that this George Scott had an office in Toronto for quite a few years before disappearing from the lists. I won’t go into the rest here – it is all (or at least part of it) in the article.

Over the course of time, through various records — with the name “George Scott” leading to countless dead ends — I found out that the real name of this man was James Scotney George, and that he was born to Edward C.S. George and Louise Nurina George in India in 1872. Amanda Crocker, with her Ancestry.ca wizardry, managed to track down the family.

James Scotney George in India

Ancestry.ca findings in part, thanks to Amanda Crocker.

Record of his parents’ marriage, in England, 1864. They had been living in India, and moved back there after the wedding.

A partial list of family births and deaths, including James Scotney George at bottom, from Ancestry.ca.

In England — and he becomes George Scott

A section of a list of “Personnel” in McKernan’s Charles Urban website, <http://www.charlesurban.com/index.html. Terry Ramsaye, also on the list, went on to become a prominent film historian, author, and editor of Motion Picture Herald. — A section of a list of “Personnel” in McKernan’s Charles Urban website, <http://www.charlesurban.com/index.html. Terry Ramsaye, also on the list, went on to become a prominent film historian, author, and editor of *Motion Picture Herald*.

How did I connect this “James Scotney George” to my “George Scott” who came to Peterborough and Toronto? A key “ah hah” moment for me came in an Internet search quite early on, when I found a man named George Scott listed as an employee at the Maguire and Baucus firm in London, England.

This information was thanks to the work of Luke McKernan, a historian and news curator at the British Library, and author of Charles Urban: Pioneering the Non-Fiction Film in Britain and America (2013) and editor of A Yank in Britain: The Lost Memoirs of Charles Urban, Film Pioneer (1999). Charles Urban came from the United States to work at Maguire and Baucus in 1897, and later wrote about meeting up with Scott on his first day at the office. But, just as important, Urban said the young man was known as “Scotney George.”

McKernan, ed. A Yank in Britain: The Lost Memoirs of Charles Urban, Film Pioneer, p.42. — McKernan, ed. *A Yank in Britain: The Lost Memoirs of Charles Urban, Film Pioneer*, p.42.

Possibly to Japan, as George Scott, 1900

From Chronology of Japanese Cinema, listings for 1900: “a certain camera operator named George Scott.” It is not known for certain whether or not Scott made this trip. According to his own later account, he travelled a good deal in his early years, … — From *Chronology of Japanese Cinema*, listings for 1900: **“a certain camera operator named George Scott.”** It is not known for certain whether or not Scott made this trip. According to his own later account, he travelled a good deal in his early years, as well as later on. Stephen Bottomore refers to Scott and this trip in his dissertation (noted in the sources, above).

In Canada . . . and the Great Toronto Fire (1904)

A snip of a letter from Scott to the city to inquire about showing films on Toronto Island. City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 688, File 16, Three Communications.

In Peterborough, Ontario

In Toronto, 1907—13 or thereabouts

To the Pacific and Far East, with Gaston Méliès, 1912—13

Moving Picture World, Aug. 3, 1912, p.438. — *Moving Picture World*, Aug. 3, 1912, p.438.

“Melies Globe Trotters Reach Tahiti Islands,” Moving Picture World, Aug. 24, 1912, p.774. Off on this trip; not in this photo, but it indicates he is missing. — “Melies Globe Trotters Reach Tahiti Islands,” *Moving Picture World*, Aug. 24, 1912, p.774. Off on this trip; not in this photo, but it indicates he is missing.

Scott at the camera with Japanese children, c.April 1913. Courtesy of David Pfluger.

A Digital Media Library search early on led me to this “George Scott” and his trip to the Pacific and Far East; but two people were also of immense help for this part of the story: Raphaël Millet, a French filmmaker, and David Pfluger, a Gaston Méliès specialist at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Millet, through Nocturne Productions, made two documentaries on the trip: Le Voyage cinématographique de Gaston Méliès à Tahiti (2014), and Gaston Méliès and His Wandering Star Film Company (2015), and gave me access to these films. He also connected me with David Pfluger, who helped with images of the Asian trip and with translations from the Méliès diaries.

In Hollywood, California

“Real Tales about Reel Folk,” Reel Life, May 29, 1915, p.20. With Thomas H. Ince, said to be the creator of the Hollywood studio system. Scott is third from left. — “Real Tales about Reel Folk,” *Reel Life*, May 29, 1915, p.20. With Thomas H. Ince, said to be the creator of the Hollywood studio system. Scott is third from left.

To Japan (for the second or third time), with Benjamin Brodsky, 1917—18

To Africa and back with Universal Studios

Exhibitors Herald and Motography, Aug. 2, 1919, p.39. — *Exhibitors Herald and Motography*, Aug. 2, 1919, p.39.

Exhibitors Herald and Motography, Aug. 2, 1919, p.40. — *Exhibitors Herald and Motography*, Aug. 2, 1919, p.40.

1920s, in Los Angeles, a relatively quiet life, with little known . . .

The Lampoc Review, March 20, 1928, np. — *The Lampoc Review*, March 20, 1928, np.

. . . and coming to a seemingly tragic end.

A Kamloops, B.C., connection.

Although Scott died in L.A., “Find a Grave” has a notice for him in the Pleasant Street Cemetery, Kamloops. The date given is his correct date of death, although his birth date appears to have been unknown to the person who made this entry. His moth… — Although Scott died in L.A., “Find a Grave” has a notice for him in the Pleasant Street Cemetery, Kamloops. The date given is his correct date of death, although his birth date appears to have been unknown to the person who made this entry. His mother and at least three of his siblings had immigrated to Canada around 1900, taking up residence and working a ranch in the Kamloops area. They have a family plot in the cemetery, where his mother and a brother are buried.

The headstone reads: “In loving memory of our Dear Mother Louise Nurina George, Born March 18 1843 Died Sept. 3 1904, Good Wife and The Best of Mothers. Widow of Edward C. George Late Presidency Post Master of Benegal India. Photo by Valdine Ciwko.

Many people helped me out along the way – I’ve acknowledged a few of them at the bottom of the first page of the article, reproduced above. I want to take the chance here to thank a few others. John Wadland read an earlier draft of the article, and encouraged me greatly. Others lending a hand over the years were Jon Oldham at the Peterborough Museum and Archives; the folk at Trent Valley Archives (especially Elwood Jones and Heather Aiton Landry); and Peter van Katwijk, who generously gave me his copy of a key book, Robert W. Gutteridge, Magic Moments: First 20 Years of Moving Pictures in Toronto (1894-1914), which has a few paragraphs on Scott. Valdine Ciwko and Gary Cristall took some photos at the Kamloops Cemetery for me.

I need, finally, to offer special thanks to Paul S. Moore, of Ryerson University, author of Now Playing: Early Moviegoing and the Regulation of Fun (2008) and many articles on the early days of cinema-going and exhibition in Canada (and one important article on more recent days — “The Cineplex Sale Is Just a Sequel to a Familiar Story,” Globe and Mail, Dec. 20,2019). He was willing to meet with me, talk about what I was doing, read what I had written — in general, he encouraged me and led me to Ontario History.