Willis Brown (July 31, 1881 – October 20, 1931) was a permanently removed Utah juvenile court judge, ^[1] falsely-claimed lawyer, ^[2] self-described humanitarian, and filmmaker.

Born James Willhenry Brown in Columbus, Indiana to James W. Brown and Lucetta Pierson.

Judge

In the decade of the 1900s Brown lectured ^[3] on the Chautauqua circuit as a judge of the Utah Juvenile Court and a progressive expert on boys' reformation. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

He was appointed to the Juvenile Court in Salt Lake City in the spring of 1905, served two years, but had been permanently removed by the Utah Supreme Court. ^[2] In 1910, the Juvenile Court debunked Judge Brown's credentials. ^[1] Brown was, in fact, not even a lawyer, and had been misrepresenting himself.

Boy City Film Company

Building a national reputation, in the 1910s he started "Boy Cities" in Charlevoix, Michigan, and Gary, Indiana, ^[8] then relocated to Southern California. (The better-known Boys Town, Nebraska was founded in December 1917.)

By 1917 Brown founded the Boy City Film Company in Culver City, part film studio, part homeless shelter. He served as a film producer.

In film history, Brown is remarkable for giving director King Vidor his first directing job. Brown funded a series of twenty-two reelers, both moral lessons and promotional films. Brown appeared as himself in all but the first one; Vidor directed at least ten ^[9] of them. These films have evidence of "fascinating social content" - the plot of the second entry, The Chocolate of the Gang, deals with a black child being denied membership in an all-white club, and employed black actors for the lead roles as opposed to the usual practice of white performers in blackface. ^[9]

Death

According to Variety, Brown was shot to death in Columbus, Ohio in 1931 by "a jealous widow". ^{[10] [11]}

Film series

• The Boy City (1910) ( it) ( fr) ^{[12] [13] [14]}
• Bud's Recruit (1918) ^{[15] [16]}
• The Chocolate of the Gang (1918) ^[17]
• The Lost Lie (1918)
• Tad's Swimming Hole (1918)
• Marrying Off Dad (1918) ^[18]
• The Accusing Toe (1918)
• Thief or Angel (1918) ^[19]
• The Rebellion (1918)
• The Preacher's Son (1918)
• A Boy Built City (1918)
• I'm a Man (1918)
• Love of Bob (1918)
• Dog vs. Dog (1918)
• The Three Fives (1918)
• The Case of Bennie (1918) ^[20]
• Kid Politics (1918)
• The Demand of Dugan (1919)
• Shift the Gear, Freck (1919)
• Gum Drops and Overalls (1919)
• Danny Asks Why (1919)

References

External links

• Willis Brown at IMDb
• picture and storie on Judge Willis Brown (Motion Picture Magazine, 1911)