In a message dated 8/6/05 11:56:18 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:

> 

> What connection did Mr. KILLIAM (the late Killiam?) have with

> those collecting and distributing enterprises, about which

> I've learned so much this week?  Or was he also important,

> but somehow completely separate from the enterprises

> in which the Turells (father & son) were involved?

> 

Steven,



I guess I'm getting old because it's now considered ancient history. Paul 

Killiam was a silent film collector who started distributing compilations or 

shortened versions -- as well as short docs -- to television in the early 1960s. 

He also had the best rental 16mm and 35mm prints of the PD silents around, was 

the first to tint his silent prints (for better and worse), and hired the very 

elegant piano playing of William Perry to go on those prints. For a long 

time, his prints were the gold standard for exhibition. He was best friends with 

Bill Everson along with Alex and Richard Gordon -- and when Alex discovered the 

goldmine of Fox silent films hidden in the studio's vaults in the late 1960s, 

they licensed them to Killiam to distribute -- this led to the availability 

of Sunrise, Seventh Heaven, Street Angel, and many others in gorgeous prints. 

And yes, Paul also teamed with another friend Saul Turrell on several feature 

docs about film that Janus distributed.



Paul's main competitor was Raymond Rohauer and there were epic battles and 

law suits between the two of them. The Birth of a Nation lawsuit was 

particularly noteworthy.



Paul Killiam's company was actually sold to Janus in the early 1990s, but it 

was never a great fit and it was sold again a few years after that. Now it's 

being sold in bits and pieces by the current owner to David Shepard, the Alloy 

Orchestra and others. Kino distributes some of the Killiam films still.



Paul was a great gentleman who also did some suprisingly naughty (the 

appropriate term really, nothing horribly shocking or illegal) things in the name of 

gathering his collection. I only found that out after he died, but that never 

diminished my exteremely high opinion or fondness of him.



Paul was a mentor to Bruce Lawton who also is involved with silent films 

these days and helped with the Roscoe Arbuckle DVD set that just came out.



I guess I was very lucky starting out in the field at the time these people 

were still around -- and that Kino worked with many of them so I got to visit 

all their offices and hear the old stories. I never met Arthur Mayer, Joseph 

Burstyn and Tom Brandon (who was the real scoundrel of the lot), or knew "Uncle" 

Leo Dratfield very well, but honestly, the study of New York indie 

distribution would be fascinating -- especially the women who all had gravel voices and 

were smarter and tougher then most of the men. It's a shame that MoMA, 

Anthology or AMMI have NEVER done a long series based on NYC's own film indie 

history. 



Dennis Doros

Milestone Film & Video

PO Box 128

Harrington Park, NJ 07640

Phone: (201) 767-3117 or (800) 603-1104 (in the US)

Fax: (201) 767-3035

Email: [log in to unmask]

www.milestonefilms.com



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