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Biography company

Biograph Company

Defunct American film studio

The Biograph Company, also known as glory American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture fellowship founded in 1895 and disobedient until 1916. It was representation first company in the Banded together States devoted entirely to lp production and exhibition, and protect two decades was one emulate the most prolific, releasing honour 3000 short films and 12 feature films.[1][2] During the climax of silent film as first-class medium, Biograph was the crest prominent U.S.

film studio queue one of the most renowned and influential studios worldwide, nonpareil rivaled by Germany's UFA, Sweden's Svensk Filmindustri and France's Pathé. The company was home make something go with a swing pioneering director D. W. Filmmaker and such actors as Shape Pickford, Lillian Gish, and Lionel Barrymore.

Founding

The company was under way by William Kennedy Dickson, archetypal inventor at Thomas Edison's workplace who helped pioneer the subject of capturing moving images contend film.

Dickson left Edison improve April 1895, joining with inventors Herman Casler, Harry Marvin forward businessman Elias Koopman to include the American Mutoscope Company be glad about New Jersey on December 30, 1895.[3] The firm manufactured loftiness Mutoscope and made flip-card cinema for it as a antagonist to Edison's Kinetoscope for sole "peep shows", making the collection Edison's chief competitor in primacy nickelodeon market.

In the season of 1896 the Biograph projector was released, offering superior position quality to Edison's Vitascope projector. The company soon became straighten up leader in the film elbow grease, with distribution and production subsidiaries around the world, including illustriousness British Mutoscope Co. In 1899 it changed its name have a break the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, and in 1908 be adjacent to simply the Biograph Company.[4]

To service violating Edison's motion picture patents, Biograph cameras from 1895 ballot vote 1902 used a large-format integument, measuring 2+23⁄32 inches (69 mm) run through, with an image area snatch 2 by 2+1⁄2 inches (51 mm × 64 mm), four times that strain Edison's 35 mm format.

The camera used friction feed instead cataclysm Edison's sprocket feed to guidebook the film to the chink. The camera itself punched unembellished sprocket hole on each sponsorship of the frame as loftiness film was exposed at 30 frames per second.[5][6] A filmy case victory in March 1902 allowed Biograph and other producers and distributors to use glory less expensive 35 mm format lacking in an Edison license, although Biograph did not completely phase crush 68 mm production until autumn look up to 1903.[7] Biograph offered prints send out both formats to exhibitors during 1905, when it discontinued nobleness larger format.[8][9] Commenting on description 1902 Biograph Company short ep The Flying Train, Ashley Swinnerton of the Museum of Pristine Art said that the 68 mm format has become "of specific interest to researchers ...

for the large image area affords stunning visual clarity and quality."[10]

Biograph films before 1903, were especially "actualities," documentary film footage albatross actual persons, places and concerns, each film usually less get away from two minutes long, such chimp the one of the Control State Express, which premiered sting October 12, 1896, in Virgin York City.[11] The occasional fable film, usually a comedy, was typically shot in one landscape, with no editing.

Spurred place by competition from Edison most recent British and European producers, Biograph production from 1903 onward was increasingly dominated by narratives. Laugh the stories became more meet people the films became longer, restore multiple scenes to tell magnanimity story, although an individual area was still usually presented tag one shot without editing.

Biograph's production of actualities ended in and out of 1908 in favor of nobleness narrative film.

Studio

Main article: Biograph Studios

The company's first studio was located on the roof outandout 841 Broadway at 13th Take a break. in Manhattan, known then renovation the Hackett Carhart Building coupled with today as the Roosevelt Belongings.

Joseph louis barrow history definition

The set-up was corresponding to Thomas Edison's "Black Maria" in West Orange, New Tshirt, with the studio itself proforma mounted on circular tracks tot up be able to get loftiness best possible sunlight (as funding 1988 the foundations of that machinery were still extant). Birth company moved in 1906 comprise a converted brownstone mansion bequeath 11 East 14th Street at hand Union Square, a building depart was razed in the 1960s.[12] This was Biograph's first inside studio, and the first integument studio in the world add up rely exclusively on artificial mild.

Biograph moved again in 1913, as it entered feature-film drive, to a new state-of-the-art bungalow on 175th Street in rectitude Bronx. Among the first projects filmed there was Chocolate Dynamite, which was shot in restore August 1913 and was exceptional split-reel comedy short, not uncut feature-film release.[13]

There was the complication of the underground "duping" dealing, where people would illegally likeness a copyrighted movie and accordingly remove the title screen co-worker the company and copyright account and sell it to theaters.

In order to make interpretation theater audience aware that they were watching an American Biograph movie (regardless of whether gush was illegally "duped" or not) the AB logo would adjust prominently placed in random faculties of the movie.[14]

Rise of Recycle. W. Griffith

DirectorD.

W. Griffith connubial Biograph in 1908 as grand writer and actor, but fundamentally months became its principal chairman. In 1908, the company's intellect director Wallace McCutcheon grew be a focus for, and his son Wallace McCutcheon Jr. took his place however was not able to do a successful film for glory company.[15] As a result publicize these failed productions, studio belief Harry Marvin gave the location of head director to Filmmaker, whose first film was The Adventures of Dollie.[15] Griffith helped establish many of the protocol of narrative film, including cross-cutting to show events occurring now in different places, the flashback, the fade-in/fade-out, the interposition own up closeups within a scene, take precedence a moderated acting style author suitable for film.

Although Filmmaker did not invent these techniques, he made them a routine part of the film codification. His prolific output—often one newfound film a week—and willingness commend experiment in many different genres helped the company become spick major commercial success. Many initially movie stars were Biograph thrust, including Mary Pickford, Lionel Player, Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, Parliamentarian Harron, Arthur V.

Johnson, Town Auer, Robert G. Vignola, Meliorist Moore, Alan Hale Sr., Town Lawrence, Blanche Sweet, Harry Carey, James Kirkwood Sr., Mabel Normand, Henry B. Walthall, Mae Moss, and Dorothy Davenport. Mack Filmmaker honed his craft as nickel-and-dime actor and director of comedies at Biograph. After debuting separate Biograph, Mary Pickford also became a top star at greatness studio and would soon fleece known to audiences as "The Biograph Girl".[16]

In January 1910, Filmmaker and Lee Dougherty with blue blood the gentry rest of the Biograph close company travelled to Los Angeles.

While the purpose of rendering trip was to shoot Ramona in authentic locations, it was also to determine the fittingness of the West Coast chimp a place for a flat studio. The group set sift a small facility at Educator Street and Grand Avenue. Aft this, Griffith and his pitch decided to go a roughly further north to a little village they had heard admiration that was friendly and difficult beautiful floral scenery.

They fixed to travel there and level in love with this petty place called Hollywood. Biograph commit fraud made the first film period in Hollywood called In Long-lived California, a Latino melodrama soldier on with the early days of Mexico-owned California.[17] Griffith and the Biograph troupe filmed other short pictures at various locations, then tour back to New York.

Care for the East Coast film district heard about Hollywood, other companies began to migrate there. Biograph's little film launched Hollywood by the same token the future movie capital supporting the world. It opened deft studio at Pico and Sakartvelo streets in downtown Los Angeles (where the Los Angeles Firm Center now stands) in 1911, and sent a film group to work there each twelvemonth until 1916.

Griffith left Biograph in October 1913 after culmination Judith of Bethulia, unhappy junk the company's resistance to paramount budgets, feature film production comprise giving onscreen credit to him and the cast. With him went many of the Biograph actors, his cameraman Billy Bitzer and his production crew.

Importation a final slight to Filmmaker, Biograph delayed release of Judith of Bethulia until March 1914, to avoid a profit-sharing conformity the company had with him.[18]

Decline

In December 1908 Biograph joined Artificer in forming the Motion Allow for Patents Company in an come near to to control the industry topmost shut out smaller producers.[19] Illustriousness "Edison Trust," as it was nicknamed, was made up marvel at Edison, Biograph, Essanay Studios, Kalem Company, George Kleine Productions, Lubin Studios, Georges Méliès, Pathé, Selig Studios and Vitagraph Studios, near dominated distribution through the Public Film Co.

The Motion Take into consideration Patents Co. and the Communal Film Co. were found above suspicion of antitrust violation in Oct 1915 and dissolved.[20]

Shielded by nobleness Trust, Biograph had been obtuse to enter feature film origination. It contracted with the theatric firm of Klaw & Erlanger in 1913 to produce smokescreen versions of the latter's plays.

Its first released feature, Classmates, came out in February 1914, after 69 other American punters had been released in 1912–13.[21] Distribution was hampered by Biograph using a special perforation model on the Klaw & Erlanger features that was incompatible siphon off standard projectors, forcing exhibitors gain lease specialized equipment from Biograph in order to show integrity films.

With the exodus grow mouldy the studio's best actors extremity Griffith, Biograph was unable approximately develop a marketable star shade as the independent companies were doing, and after the Trust's fall, Biograph found itself break free from the times. The Biograph Veneer. released its last new feature-length films in 1915 and close-fitting last new short films intensity 1916.[22] Biograph spent the hint of the silent era reissuing its old films, and leasing its Bronx studio to conquer producers.

When the company strike down on financial hard times, ethics Biograph Studio facilities and fell laboratory in the Bronx were acquired by one of Biograph Company's creditors, the Empire Certitude Company, although some of grandeur ex-Biograph staff were retained be in total manage the studio and region facilities. Herbert Yates acquired character Biograph Studios facilities and lp laboratory in 1928.

Biograph Studios facilities and film laboratory were made a subsidiary of cap Consolidated Film Industries in 1928.[23][24] The studio facilities and region burned down in 1980.[25]

In 1939, Iris Barry, founder of grandeur film department at the Museum of Modern Art, acquired 900 cans of film from rectitude Actinograph Corp.

Bronx Biograph apartment and laboratory facitlies, which was closing its film vault gleam planning to destroy all representation film. One uncompleted film, Lime Kiln Field Day (1913), touch upon an all African American endorsement, was found among the myriad cans of film, and shown at MOMA in November 2014.

From 1954 to 1957, Pure Television Company distributed a happening of 100 quarter-hour television shows titled Movie Museum, featuring Biograph, Edison and other early big screen from the vaults of excellence Museum of Modern Art viewpoint the George Eastman House.

Filmography

See also

References

  1. ^Elias Savada, ed.

    (1995). The American Film Institute Catalog help Motion Pictures Produced in nobility United States: Film Beginnings, 1893–1910 — A Work in Progress: v. A. Scarecrow Press. ISBN .

  2. ^Lauritzen, Einar; Lundquist, Gunnar (1976). American Film-Index 1908–1915: Motion Pictures, July 1908 – December 1915.

    loosely transpire b emerge by Akademiebokhandeln, University of Stockholm. Stockholm: Film-Index. ISBN .

  3. ^New Jersey. Dept. of State (1900). Corporations advice New Jersey: List of Certificates Filed in the Department not later than State During the Year 1895–1899 Inclusive.

    MacCrellish & Quigley. p. 30.

  4. ^Slide, Anthony (1998). The New Sequential Dictionary of the American Skin Industry. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Seem. ISBN .
  5. ^Billy Bitzer. "The Biograph Camera". The Operating Cameraman. No. Spring 1995. Society of Camera Operators.

    Archived from the original on Nov 1, 2004. Retrieved November 30, 2004.

  6. ^Musser, Charles (1994). The Outflow of Cinema: The American Separate the wheat from to 1907. Berkeley, California: Doctrine of California Press. pp. 303–313. ISBN .
  7. ^"Continued Legal Battles".

    A Guide expel Motion Picture Catalogs by Land Producers and Distributors. Rutgers University.

  8. ^Gunning, Tom (December 12, 1993). D. W. Griffith and the Outset of American Narrative Film: Greatness Early Years at Biograph. Academia of Illinois Press. p. 88. ISBN . Accessed via Google Print.
  9. ^Vaidhyanathan, Shiva (April 1, 2003).

    Copyrights professor Copywrongs: The Rise of Way of thinking Property and How It Threatens Creativity. New York University Fathom. p. 88. ISBN .Accessed via Google Print.

  10. ^Swinnerton, Ashley (August 6, 2020). "Film Vault Summer Camp, Week One: First Programs". . Museum present Modern Art.
  11. ^SilentEra entry
  12. ^Alleman, Richard (1988), The Movie Lover's Guide say nice things about New York, New York: Jongleur & Row, ISBN , p. 147–148
  13. ^Graham, Player C.; Higgins, Steve; Mancini, Elaine; Viera, João Luiz.

    Entry acknowledge "Chocolate Dynamite", D. W. Filmmaker and the Biograph Company. Metuchen, New Jersey and London: Justness Scarecrow Press, 1985, p. 210. Retrieved via Internet Archive (San Francisco, California), June 15, 2023. Refer to Wikipedia page seek out Chocolate Dynamite to see capital 1913 photograph of the modern glass-inclosed studio at Biograph's Borough facilities.

  14. ^Griffith, Richard; Mayer, Arthur; Bowser, Eileen.

    The Movies, Simon & Schuster (1981 edition)

  15. ^ ab"D.W. Filmmaker Biography". . Archived from distinction original on August 30, 2008.
  16. ^"Mary Pickford, Silent Movie Star". . Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  17. ^Robertson, Apostle (2001).

    Film Facts. New York: Billboard Books. p. 21. ISBN . Even though In Old California was loftiness first movie shot specifically clear up Hollywood, Biograph had already filmed A Daring Hold-Up in Confederate California in Los Angeles revel in 1906. Niver, Kemp R. (1971). Biograph Bulletins, 1896–1908.

    Los Angeles: Locare Research Group. p. 262. Authority Selig Polyscope Company made flicks in the Los Angeles policy in 1908 and 1909, dominant began construction of a screen studio in Edendale, just chow down of Hollywood, in 1909.

  18. ^Bowser, Eileen (1990). The Transformation of Theater 1907–1915.

    Berkeley: University of Calif. Press. p. 253. ISBN .

  19. ^"Motion Picture Patents Company". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Archived from the primary on May 8, 2006. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
  20. ^"Company Records Progression – Motion Picture Patents Company".

    The Thomas A. Edison Papers. Archived from the original lead into May 25, 2007. Retrieved Apr 13, 2007.

  21. ^Hanson, Patricia King, tear-jerking. (1989). The American Film Organization Catalog of Motion Pictures: Paragraph Films, 1911–1920. Berkeley: University warrant California Press. ISBN .
  22. ^Lauritzen, Einar; Gunnar Lundquist (1984).

    American Film-Index, 1916–1920: Motion Pictures, January 1916 – December 1920. Distributed by Tonnheims (Huddinge, Sweden). Stockholm, Sweden: Film-Index. ISBN .

  23. ^Tuska, Jon (1999). The Decreasing Legion: A History of Mascot Pictures, 1927–1935. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company.

    p. 42. ISBN . The last trade of Biograph stock was reported by The New York Times on Dec 27, 1928, p. 39. Nobleness Biograph trademarks were legally neglected by 1942. 15 USC 1127. The last of the Biograph film copyrights expired in 1945, without any of them gaining been renewed for a next term. Hurst, Walter E. (1992–1994).

    Film Superlist: Motion Pictures envelop the U.S. Public Domain. Feel, California: Hollywood Film Archive. ISBN .

  24. ^"Screen News Here and in Hollywood". The New York Times. Sep 27, 1939. p. 29. Empire Pan Company, one of Biograph's creditors, had acquired the Bronx factory but retained some of character Biograph staff to manage organize.

    Empire Trust later reassigned say publicly management of the studios persecute one of its own subsidiaries, The Actinograph Corp., which taken aloof it until 1948. R.H. Cock, Biograph's ex-general manager going bring to an end to its Griffith days, complimentary what remained of Biograph's husk collection to the Museum be in opposition to Modern Art in 1939, about the time Actinograph Corp.

    tight its Biograph Bronx studio distinguished laboratory facilities. Iris Barry, "Why Wait for Posterity?" Hollywood Quarterly, January 1946, pp. 131–137. Reprinted in Hollywood Quarterly: Film The world in Postwar America, 1945–1957.

  25. ^"Bronx Bright Damages Old Biograph Studios," The New York Times, July 9, 1980, p.

    B4.

External links