Volume III: Biographies

BEATTY, Jerome

Publicity director (1916)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Jerome Beatty was Thanhouser's publicity director in 1916.

Biographical Notes: Jerome Beatty was born in Lawrence, Kansas on November 14, 1886 and was educated at the University of Kansas. Early in his career he was a newspaper reporter, dramatic writer, and sports editor for a number of publications and organizations, including the Kansas City Star, Kansas City Journal, Hutchinson Gazette, New York Globe, World, Evening Mail (he conducted the "Unofficial Scorer" column), American Press Association, Los Angeles Express ("Hitting the High Spots" column), New Orleans Statesman, and New York Tribune (baseball writer). He contributed articles to Collier's, Munsey's, McClure's, and various film magazines.

His full-time screen career may have begun with Essanay, where he directed the publicity for Mary Page, after which he went to Thanhouser. The July 21, 1916 issue of Variety carried this item: "Jerome Beatty has been appointed publicity promoter for the Thanhouser Film Corporation. He is a former newspaperman and handled The Strange Case of Mary Page serial for the Essanay."

The New Rochelle city directory lists his 1916 address as care of the Pepperday Inn at 70 Main Street, where it is probable that he maintained an address while working at the Thanhouser Studio, which was just a few steps away. In autumn 1916 his home address was 205 Greenway North, Forest Hills, New York, according to the October 1916 edition of the Motion Picture News Studio Directory.

For Thanhouser he prepared many news releases. Often he would write articles to order for Picture-Play, Photoplay, and other magazines. In his spare time, he enjoyed baseball and tennis. In December 1916 he left Thanhouser to go to McClure Pictures and was succeeded in his post by G.T. Bindbeutel. At one time he did publicity work for Famous Players-Lasky, later known as Paramount. In the mid-1920s he served as assistant to Will Hays, who was named to monitor and regulate the motion picture industry in the wake of several scandals. In 1927-1928 he was publicity director for First National Pictures. A prolific author, his work appeared in Collier's, Reader's Digest, American, and other magazines. Jerome Beatty died in Newtown, Connecticut on May 8, 1967. His sole survivor was Jerome Beatty, Jr., who was a writer for The Saturday Review and other publications.

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