I am doing research on the film adaptations of the work of L. Frank Baum.
The earliest film were projects in which he actually had a hand in,
writing, producing, and sometimes directing and acting.  In 1915 he
scripted a film called _The Gray Nun of Belgium_, which was not based on
any of his literary output, but wholly original.  The director was Francis
Powers, and it was produced by Frank Joslyn Baum, the author's son.  It
starred Catherine Countiss, Betty Pierce, and David Proctor.  It was
produced by Dramatic Feature Films and released by Alliance Films.
Allegedly, it was put out on video by the long-defunct The Nostalgia
Merchant, making it very rare, if a video copy exists at all.  Baum's
films have not really been looked at by film preservationists, and the
second film Baum directed, based on his anonymous novel, was _The Last
Egyptian_ (1914), which has never been found.  He also acted in a 1916
short called _Roaring Camp_ that was a stage show filmed by Paramount, but
the only known copy has deteriorated beyond use, as is the case with his
1908 fully hand-colored _The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays_.  The status of
his other films, the shorts _The Country Circus_, _The Magic Bon Bons_,
and _Pies and Poetry_ are, I believe, unknown.
 
Scott hutchins
 
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