Freeman Harrison Owens

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Freeman Harrison Owens had an interesting and unusual career. Born in 1890 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas he attended Pine Bluff High School and quit during his senior year. He had developed an interest in photography and motion pictures. Owens moved to Chicago in 1910 and became a licensed projectionist. He worked with Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson and many other silent movie stars. In late 1910 he went to work for a company that later became Universal Studios and traveled throughout the country making films. In 1917, when America went to war, he began working with Major General Glenn making films about the training and everyday life of American Soldiers. In Fort Dix, New Jersey he came in contact with Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower who praised his work for the War Department. In March of 1918 Owens joined the United States Marine Corps and continued his film production work. A hit movie he produced was "Flying with the Marines", to promote Marine Aviation. In January 1919 Owens traveled on USS George Washington on special assignment to film President Woodrow Wilson on his trip to Brest, France. Owens received an Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps with a Good Conduct Medal in March of 1922. He took an interest in radio and continued to be involved in the motion picture industry. Owens filmed the first talking movies of George Bernard Shaw in England and Benito Mussolini in Italy. Owens returned to Pine Bluff in 1974, passing in 1979 at the age of 89. He had over 11,000 ideas and 200 patents in the field of motion pictures.