Film details L.L. Bean the man, the empire

BAR HARBOR – An insightful new documentary airing Thursday night introduces viewers to the man behind an institution that many people from away find synonymous with the state of Maine.

Surely, some have wondered who J.C. Penney and Sears and especially Roebuck were. The premiere episode of “Maine Biographies,” debuting at 8 p.m. on the channels of Maine Public Broadcasting, traces the life of Leon Leonwood Bean, of Maine hunting shoe fame.

The documentary by Jeff Dobbs Productions of Bar Harbor paints a well-rounded portrait of the man who created the merchandising giant. It follows Bean from birth through the development of the hunting shoe upon which he ultimately built an empire.

The story of Bean, of course, also has to become the story of L.L. Bean, and the production does an admirable job of tracking how wise business decisions by the outdoorsman led to steady growth by his company, which later flourished as well under his grandson, Leon Gorman.

The film, narrated by Jack Perkins, is lavishly illustrated with historical photos. Stories of Bean the man told by author John Gould, Gorman and retired L.L. Bean employees help to flesh out this Maine legend. It’s a treat to see that such celebrities as Margaret Chase Smith, Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Ted Williams (who offered to buy L.L. Bean after his retirement from baseball) were L.L. Bean regulars.

The creative team of Dobbs, Bing Miller, Perkins, scriptwriter Catherine Russell and composer John Cooper have gone a long way toward capturing the essence of the outdoor clothing giant, who comes across as both a man of the outdoors and of the people.

This is the first of several “Maine Biographies” planned by Dobbs Productions, with future subjects to include Smith, Edmund S. Muskie, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Sarah Orne Jewett and Joshua Chamberlain.

If “L.L. Bean” is any indication, this series promises to unearth much of the rich history of Maine.