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Wilding Picture Productions, Inc. (also known as Wilding Studios or Wilding) was an American-based major supplier of industrial films and commercial films established in 1914. It headquartered firstly in Detroit, Michigan. In 1937, Wilding moved its headquarter to 1333–45 W. Argyle St in Uptown, Chicago, where used to owned by the famous Essanay studio. It produced industrial films for many corporations on a wide range of subjects, including employee-training, sales promotion and institutional advertising. During World War II, it produced many films for the U.S. armed services. Most motion pictures from Wilding are full length, Hollywood type productions in colors.

Contents

 * 1History
 * 2Partial filmography
 * 3References
 * 4External links

1914-1936: Detroit Period
Norman Wilding (1892–1947) founded Wilding Studios in 1914 at Detroit. Before the company moved to Chicago, it had already gathered enough resources and frames in the industrial films prodcution to create works like Wheels Across Africa for the promotion of vehicles from the Dodge Division of Chrysler Corp. This is a 50 minutes long histtoric documentation of 42000-mile expedition by a caravan of 1936-model Dogde cars and trucks.

1937-1966: Chicago Essanay Studio Period
In 1937, the company moved its studio to Chicago which it purchased the The Essanay Building (1345 W. Argyle Ave). It was a studio once owned by Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. At the time the studio was sold to Wilding Studio, it was one of the largest and most completely equipped studio producing motion pictures outside Hollywood. Wilding contiunted this legacy and eventually became one of world's biggest producers of industrial films over the next few decades. At its peak period, Wilding produced and distributed a large portion of the industrial movies that were made in America. In 1958, according to Wilding Studio's production schedule, there were around 100 to 125 major business films made within a year with a total cost of about 130 million dollars.

Some special equipments such as huge rear screen process projector and a large mirror permitted the company to film almost any kind of action-from a storm at sea to chopping down trees in the north woods-all inside the studio. This allowed Wilding Studio to have the ability to produced most of its scenes inside its studio building while having the images filmed outside the studio projected on the screen. Also, due to the enormous need of power, Wilding had its own powerhouse and two generator trucks to supply electricity.

During this period of time, Wilding's customers included Ford, Chrysler, Goodyear, General Electric, U.S. Steel, Alcoa, and Amoco.

1967-Now: Closure
In 1967, Wilding was acquired by local projector manufacturer Bell & Howell, who ultimately closed Wilding's Chicago unit in 1972 when there were 34 employees at the Argyle Avenue location. Bell & Howell donated the real estate to Ch. 11, which in turn sold the property. Wilding Detroit, was also sold to another Detroit company in the late 1970s.