You’ve probably never heard the name Larry Van Mourick. This innovative, charismatic gentleman was just beginning his career when his life came to a tragic end nearly four decades ago. Motion picture producer, Van Mourick launched a company called International Communications Films back in the sixties, and he traveled the world producing educational films and documentaries. In time, this tall, bearded visionary caught the attention of the Doubleday Corporation as they focused on their new goal of expanding into new media.
The sixties was an exciting time for those of us working in educational media. It was enough to prompt me into leaving the Walt Disney Studio after the completion of “The Jungle Book,” and move full time into producing educational films. It was while my partners and I were working as educational film producers that our paths crossed with International Communications Films, and their founder Larry Van Mourick. After years of producing films on limited budgets, Van Mourick was naturally excited about the proposition of his company being acquired by Doubleday. This meant new facilities, expanded film budgets, and the opportunity to push the boundaries of educational film production.
Soon, the acquisition was finalized and the new company was christened, Doubleday Multimedia. The enterprise was headquartered in a large new facility in the then ever expanding community of Orange County California. Doubleday Multimedia’s open house was a lavish affair, and the charismatic Van Mourick held educators and business professionals spellbound with his plans for the future. Luckily, we were part of that plan with a proposed series of films dealing with African-American history based on the Doubleday Zenith book series. One of the projects we were excited about was a movie based on the African-Americans soldiers who fought in the Civil War. “The Battle of the Crater,” along with many other films in preparation never came to pass because of the unforeseen events that were to change forever the future of Doubleday Multimedia.
What did the big corporation buy when they purchased International Communication Films back in the late sixties one might ask? Was it the film library or the production facilities? Perhaps it was the savvy management and the talented production staff. Well, not really. You see, Doubleday bought a company all right, but what they really acquired was the leadership of one man. They purchased the vision, charisma and leadership of Larry Van Mourick, and unfortunately they lost all of that one rainy November night in Orange County when Van Mourick’s private plane crashed killing all aboard.
With the sudden loss of Larry Van Mourick and his second in command Clark Burns, Doubleday Multimedia found itself mortally wounded. Although they tried to forge ahead with new management and experience leadership, the company never completely recovered. Our company, Vignette films, Inc. continued production on a few of the movies we had in development, however, the bold plans we shared with Van Mourick never came to pass. Like most corporations, Doubleday Multimedia seemed suddenly mired in bureaucracy. Larry was a guy who got things done. The new managers, like most I’ve dealt with over the years seemed to spend endless hours in meetings. Decisions took forever to make, and nothing ever got done. In time, the company began to bleed red ink, and the handwriting was on the wall. Though they had invested millions in this bold new venture, the Doubleday Corporation eventually pulled the plug on their new production unit, and today hardly anybody even knows Doubleday Multimedia ever existed.
Now, I know you’re already way ahead of me, and you’re well aware of the recent purchase of a successful company by a much larger corporation. You may also be wondering how one person can profoundly affect a company’s future. You might ask if that person can truly determine whether a company succeeds beyond anyone’s imagination or spins off into oblivion. Because whether we like it or not, one leader; one bold, charismatic visionary can make the difference between success and failure. Leadership is the precious commodity in any company without which, you may have simply purchased an empty shell.
Finally, this brings to mind two charismatic leaders who have just joined a major media company, and the events of that merger are still playing out. I hope the company takes good care of these guys because the future of that organization; the entire future may indeed rest on their shoulders. I hope they’re aware that what they’ve purchased is not a building, or a film library, or even a valued staff. They’ve staked a large chunk of change on leadership, and they would be wise to realize its value. It’s a sobering thought as I think back to our old friend and colleague, Larry Van Mourick, and a cold, rainy November weekend when an aircraft crashed to earth forever changing the course of a major media corporation.
Did you find Floyd’s column today kind of sobering? Well, please be aware that Mr. Norman is best known for his gag work. In fact, three collections of Floyd’s writings & cartoons are currently on the market: Norman’s original collection of cartoons and stories — “Faster! Cheaper! The Flip Side of the Art of Animation” (which is available for sale over at John Cawley’s excellent www.cataroo.com web site) as well as two follow-ups to that book, “Son of Faster, Cheaper” & “How the Grinch Stole Disney.” Which you can purchase by heading over to the Afrokids.com website.