Timeline
1920
Reelcraft advertisement running in the trade press
No mention of the films of Billy B. Van can be complete without mention of Reelcraft Pictures Corporation, with main offices at 729 7th Ave in New York City. Reelcraft distributed at least 4 of Billy B. Van’s films in its “Royal Comedy” series: “More Bull,” “Snakes,” “The Plucky Hoodoo,” and “Where Are Your Husbands?”
Incorporated in February of 1920 for $5,000,000 ($62+ million dollars today), it would eventually face several lawsuits and go into bankruptcy only two years later- though various Reelcraft film exchanges would continue to survive for some time.
Formed through the merger of several regional production and distribution companies, Reelcraft quickly assembles a nationwide network of exchanges and a roster of established comedic performers. Within this framework, Van is signed to produce and star in a series of two-reel comedies as part of the company’s “Royal Comedy” line.
Picture exchanges were the local offices through which Reelcraft distributed its movies. According to its advertising, Reelcraft operated picture exchanges under its own name in Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and New York City, and with other companies across the U.S. The exchange locations remain an active target of investigation for the films of Billy B. Van.
Reelcraft later announces partnership with the Export and Import Film Company of New York for foreign distribution of Reelcraft films. Export and Import Film Company would later go on to buy the assets of Reelcraft when it goes bankrupt in 1922.
By mid-year, Van is announced as actively engaged in production, even as he continues to appear in vaudeville alongside James J. Corbett. Reelcraft announces the first 2-reel Billy B. Van comedy will be titled “More Bull” and to be part of its Royal Comedy Series. Later in the year, the first title is announced instead to be “Snakes,” along with an announcement that Billy has completed his second Royal Comedy, the mis-named “Lucky Hoodoo.”
“Snakes” opens in August 1920 and receives a modestly positive reception in the trade press, described as “acceptable,” with “several humorous bits” and generally solid production values. Additional titles follow in quick succession, including “The Plucky Hoodoo” and “Where Are Your Husbands?, the latter noted for its satirical premise involving domestic role reversals and concluding dream twist.
Reelcraft responds to the apparent success of these releases by expanding its Royal Comedy program, promoting Van as “one of the best comedians on earth” and commissioning additional entries in the series. At the same time, the company pursues aggressive growth, raising additional capital through public stock offerings and extending its distribution reach both domestically and abroad.
Chartered at 5 million dollars in February, Reelcraft follows up with an $800,000 offering of preferred stock to the public in August, according to quarterly reporting and a public announcement.
Yet even at this early stage, signs of overextension are visible. Reelcraft’s rapid expansion, ambitious capitalization, and reliance on a broad network of exchanges foreshadow the financial difficulties that would overtake the company within a few years.
For Van, however, 1920 represents a clear breakthrough: after several years of uncertain ventures and limited documentation, his work now appears regularly on screens, supported by an organized production and distribution system and confirmed by both release records and contemporary reviews.
Publicity photo of Billy B. Van
Left: Advertisement for the newly-formed Reelcraft Pictures, who gave Billy B. Van’s films national distribution.
1921 stock certificate for Reelcraft Pictures Corporation