HBO Archives Opens Up March of Time Vault

NEW YORK: HBO Archives is making complete episodes from The March of Time newsreel and documentary series, produced from 1935 to 1967, available for online viewing at its stock footage portal.

The award-winning series, produced by Time Inc., contains original footage shot in the 1930s through 1960s, with historic footage dating back to 1913. HBO Archives, launched in 2002, reintroduced The March of Time in 2007 and has been re-cataloging, restoring and transferring the original 35mm films to HD video. HBO Archives has also been developing additional The March of Time productions.

“We are thrilled to put portions of this vast, unique collection online for instant access to researchers,” said Barbara Thomas, the senior VP of HBO Sports. “Unlike the traditional news-style featurettes of the Hollywood newsreels, the long-form documentary style of The March of Time newsreels stood out from its competitors. This series is priceless for all of today’s storytellers.”

Thomas continued: “The March of Time was much more than monthly newsreels. The March of Time produced a number of feature-length films and with the advent of the television era, produced entertainment and political programs specifically for TV. The March of Time production teams were also commissioned to produce a wide variety of government and corporate-sponsored commercial films. HBO Archives is reaching beyond the traditional newsreel series to showcase the depth of these fascinating documentaries.”

The programs feature such diverse topics as the U.S. military, the birth of swing, business “girls” in the big city, Wall Street, the oil and tobacco industries, consumer fraud and classical ballet.