On Film Inc. was an American industrial film production company in the 1950-60s known for its innovative and award-winning creative productions and advertisements and its roster of talented filmmakers and documentarians. Scholar Dr. Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece described On Film Inc. as "making lightly surreal films with plays on surfaces, tints, and music . . . with a playful approach of color, light, and texture rather than narrative coherence." Robert (Bob) Bell led the firm, along with his wife

Virginia Bell Virginia Bell may refer to: * Virginia Bell (judge) (born 1951), Australian judge * Virginia Bell (actress) (1934–2010), American topless actress * Virginia Bell (baseball) (1927–1994), American baseball player * Virginia Surtees ...

(who also went by Tracy Ward) in operations and creative leadership roles. The film company was headquartered in

Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...

and established in 1951. It soon started was producing motion pictures and slide films that were sponsored by local and federal government agency, industrial, medical, and commercial clients. Another distinguishing feature of the company was that "On Film rarely promoted a single creator; instead, the production unit worked together as a team and was acknowledged as such, illustrating the left-leaning collectivist politics embraced by much of the company and the avant-garde artists they often hired." Noted filmmakers associated with the company include Bert Spielvogel,

Stan Brakhage James Stanley Brakhage ( ; January 14, 1933 – March 9, 2003) was an American experimental filmmaker. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th-century experimental film. Over the course of five decades, Brakhage cr ...

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, Stan Vanderbeek, Marcel Rebiere, Richard Miller, Richard Bagley, Hugh and Suzanne Johnston, and

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. Its commercials, such as "Qualities of Aluminum," for the

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, were notable for its experimental style and striking visuals. Other ad clients and campaigns included

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, NBC ("Strangers into Customers"), Johnson & Johnson,

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("Alice in Wonderland," 1962), and

Newsweek Magazine ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev ...

("Communicative People," 1957).

Filmography

* ''Sutures since Lister'' (1942), for Ethicon Suture Division of Johnson and Johnson * ''The Rh Factor'' (1954), for the ORTHO RESEARCH FOUNDATION, and supervised by Dr. Philip Levine, Lasker Award winner and discoverer of the Rh factor * ''Your Home As You Like It'' (1956), sponsored by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. * ''Color and Texture in Aluminum Finishes'' (1956), sponsored by the Aluminum Company of America * ''In the Suburbs'' * ''Radio Free Europe'' (1956), through the cooperation of the United Stales Department of Defense and sponsored by the

Crusade for Freedom The Crusade for Freedom was an American propaganda campaign operating from 1950–1960. Its public goal was to raise funds for Radio Free Europe; it also served to conceal the CIA's funding of Radio Free Europe and to generate domestic support f ...

* ''

The Relaxed Wife The Relaxed Wife is a 13-minute live action American film produced in color for distribution during 1957. Structured in a form similar to the 1942–55 series of MGM's Pete Smith Specialty comedy short subjects, which were written and directed b ...

'' (1957), sponsored by Pfizer & Co. * ''Conversation Crossroads'' (1958), sponsored by Bell System * ''Tie Tie Go-Round'' (1959), sponsored by the Chicago Printed String Co, Chris certificate in 7th Annual Columbus (Ohio) Film Festival * ''Aluminum Is Not Only Aluminum'' (1959) * ''The New Girl'' (1960), distributed by the President's Committee on Government Contracts, top award Citizenship and Government films, American Film Festival * ''Pittsburgh'' (1959), commissioned by the Pittsburgh Bicentennial Association * ''The Kitchen Keyboard'' (1961), sponsored by R.T. French * ''Someone's in the Kitchen'' (1961), sponsored by

General Foods General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the United States by C. W. Post, Charles William (C. W.) Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The company changed its name to "General Foods" in 1929, a ...

, Award to a Motion Picture Reflecting the Corporate Image * ''What is a Painting?'' (1963), sponsored by

Book of the Month Club Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a United States subscription-based e-commerce service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members ch ...

, Silver Award, San Francisco International Film Festival"The Award-Winning Pictures of the Year," ''Business Screen Magazine'' 8(23), 1963, p.34. * ''Did You Hear What I Said?'' (1966)''
''

References

{{reflist

External links

''The New Girl'' '' Did You Hear What I Said?'' '' In the Suburbs''
Color and Texture in Aluminum Finishes
'
Conversation Crossroads
' Defunct marketing companies of the United States Film production companies Sponsored films