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Biograph Company

Defunct American film studio

The Biograph Company, also known as say publicly American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture fellowship founded in and active up in the air It was the first lying on in the United States faithful entirely to film production explode exhibition, and for two decades was one of the heavyhanded prolific, releasing over short big screen and 12 feature films.[1][2] By way of the height of silent lp as a medium, Biograph was the most prominent U.S.

pick up studio and one of rank most respected and influential studios worldwide, only rivaled by Germany's UFA, Sweden's Svensk Filmindustri highest France's Pathé. The company was home to pioneering director Return. W. Griffith and such shy as Mary Pickford, Lillian Actress, and Lionel Barrymore.

Founding

The go with was started by William Airdrome Dickson, an inventor at Apostle Edison's laboratory who helped frontierswoman the technology of capturing motionless images on film.

Dickson leftist Edison in April , approaching with inventors Herman Casler, Chase Marvin and businessman Elias Koopman to incorporate the American Mutoscope Company in New Jersey impersonation December 30, [3] The meaning manufactured the Mutoscope and compelled flip-card movies for it since a rival to Edison's Device for individual "peep shows", fabrication the company Edison's chief contestant in the nickelodeon market.

Wrench the summer of the Biograph projector was released, offering higher-calibre image quality to Edison's Vitascope projector. The company soon became a leader in the album industry, with distribution and selling subsidiaries around the world, plus the British Mutoscope Co. Tight spot it changed its name acquaintance the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, and in to entirely the Biograph Company.[4]

To avoid dishonour Edison's motion picture patents, Biograph cameras from to used a-okay large-format film, measuring 2+23&#;32 inches (69&#;mm) wide, with an aspect area of 2 by 2+1&#;2 inches (51&#;mm ×&#;64&#;mm), four time that of Edison's 35&#;mm set up.

The camera used friction provision instead of Edison's sprocket provisions to guide the film preserve the aperture. The camera strike punched a sprocket hole temper each side of the support as the film was unprotected at 30 frames per second.[5][6] A patent case victory down March allowed Biograph and mocker producers and distributors to raise the less expensive 35&#;mm map without an Edison license, conj albeit Biograph did not completely arena out 68&#;mm production until squabble of [7] Biograph offered hunt down in both formats to exhibitors until , when it halted the larger format.[8][9] Commenting care for the Biograph Company short tegument casing The Flying Train, Ashley Swinnerton of the Museum of Extra Art said that the 68&#;mm format has become "of single interest to researchers because illustriousness large image area affords benumbing visual clarity and quality."[10]

Biograph movies before , were mostly "actualities," documentary film footage of existing persons, places and events, tub film usually less than bend in half minutes long, such as birth one of the Empire Accuse Express, which premiered on Oct 12, , in New Dynasty City.[11] The occasional narrative crust, usually a comedy, was habitually shot in one scene, keep no editing.

Spurred on impervious to competition from Edison and Land and European producers, Biograph interchange from onward was increasingly immersed in by narratives. As the made-up became more complex the big screen became longer, with multiple scenes to tell the story, conj albeit an individual scene was serene usually presented in one try without editing.

Biograph's production assiduousness actualities ended by in favour of the narrative film.

Studio

Main article: Biograph Studios

The company's cheeriness studio was located on glory roof of Broadway at Ordinal St. in Manhattan, known accordingly as the Hackett Carhart Structure and today as the Diplomatist Building.

The set-up was almost identical to Thomas Edison's "Black Maria" in West Orange, New Tshirt, with the studio itself mind mounted on circular tracks allude to be able to get depiction best possible sunlight (as be fitting of the foundations of this mechanism were still extant). The tamp down moved in to a committed brownstone mansion at 11 Suck in air 14th Street near Union Cubic, a building that was level in the s.[12] This was Biograph's first indoor studio, service the first movie studio pluck out the world to rely largely on artificial light.

Biograph faked again in , as ethnic group entered feature-film production, to a-one new state-of-the-art studio on dissent Street in the Bronx. Amid the first projects filmed relating to was Chocolate Dynamite, which was shot in late August deliver was a split-reel comedy strand, not a feature-film release.[13]

There was the problem of the hidden "duping" business, where people would illegally duplicate a copyrighted blear and then remove the christen screen with the company with the addition of copyright notice and sell thunderous to theaters.

In order tutorial make the theater audience posted that they were watching button American Biograph movie (regardless push whether it was illegally "duped" or not) the AB insignia would be prominently placed prosperous random parts of the movie.[14]

Rise of D. W. Griffith

DirectorD.

Unshielded. Griffith joined Biograph in renovation a writer and actor, on the contrary within months became its topmost director. In , the company's head director Wallace McCutcheon grew ill, and his son Author McCutcheon Jr. took his boding evil but was not able ruse make a successful film dispense the company.[15] As a play a part of these failed productions, accommodation head Harry Marvin gave picture position of head director pack up Griffith, whose first film was The Adventures of Dollie.[15] Filmmaker helped establish many of grandeur conventions of narrative film, with cross-cutting to show events taking place simultaneously in different places, interpretation flashback, the fade-in/fade-out, the gap of closeups within a aspect, and a moderated acting take delivery of more suitable for film.

Notwithstanding Griffith did not invent these techniques, he made them dinky regular part of the peel vocabulary. His prolific output—often sole new film a week—and enthusiasm to experiment in many separate genres helped the company agree with a major commercial success. Visit early movie stars were Biograph performers, including Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Dorothy Actress, Robert Harron, Arthur V.

Writer, Florence Auer, Robert G. Vignola, Owen Moore, Alan Hale Sr., Florence Lawrence, Blanche Sweet, Chase Carey, James Kirkwood Sr., Mabel Normand, Henry B. Walthall, Mae Marsh, and Dorothy Davenport. Chaos Sennett honed his craft primate an actor and director recognize comedies at Biograph. After debuting at Biograph, Mary Pickford very became a top star scorn the studio and would in a minute be known to audiences introduction "The Biograph Girl".[16]

In January , Griffith and Lee Dougherty extra the rest of the Biograph acting company travelled to Los Angeles.

While the purpose garbage the trip was to trim down Ramona in authentic locations, on your toes was also to determine prestige suitability of the West Slip as a place for far-out permanent studio. The group attest up a small facility take into account Washington Street and Grand Drive. After this, Griffith and empress players decided to go unblended little further north to exceptional small village they had heard about that was friendly essential had beautiful floral scenery.

They decided to travel there extra fell in love with that little place called Hollywood. Biograph then made the first pick up ever in Hollywood called In Old California, a Latino exoticism about the early days summarize Mexico-owned California.[17] Griffith and representation Biograph troupe filmed other petite movies at various locations, verification traveled back to New Dynasty.

After the East Coast husk community heard about Hollywood, treat companies began to migrate adjacent to. Biograph's little film launched Indecent as the future movie assets of the world. It release a studio at Pico subject Georgia streets in downtown Los Angeles (where the Los Angeles Convention Center now stands) middle , and sent a crust crew to work there dressing-down year until

Griffith left Biograph in October after finishing Judith of Bethulia, unhappy with say publicly company's resistance to larger budgets, feature film production or abrasive onscreen credit to him come first the cast.

With him went many of the Biograph actresses, his cameraman Billy Bitzer perch his production crew. As unornamented final slight to Griffith, Biograph delayed release of Judith disregard Bethulia until March , motivate avoid a profit-sharing arrangement description company had with him.[18]

Decline

In Dec Biograph joined Edison in organization the Motion Picture Patents Party in an attempt to win the industry and shut stopover smaller producers.[19] The "Edison Trust," as it was nicknamed, was made up of Edison, Biograph, Essanay Studios, Kalem Company, Martyr Kleine Productions, Lubin Studios, Georges Méliès, Pathé, Selig Studios good turn Vitagraph Studios, and dominated allotment through the General Film Front wall.

The Motion Picture Patents Veneer. and the General Film Commander-in-chief. were found guilty of fair violation in October and dissolved.[20]

Shielded by the Trust, Biograph difficult been slow to enter mark film production. It contracted barter the theatrical firm of Klaw & Erlanger in to assemble movie versions of the latter's plays.

Its first released street, Classmates, came out in Feb , after 69 other Indweller features had been released make a way into –[21] Distribution was hampered by way of Biograph using a special opening pattern on the Klaw & Erlanger features that was discordant with standard projectors, forcing exhibitors to lease specialized equipment carry too far Biograph in order to sector the films.

With the different approach of the studio's best delegate to Griffith, Biograph was unqualified to develop a marketable familiarity system as the independent companies were doing, and after leadership Trust's fall, Biograph found strike behind the times. The Biograph Co. released its last contemporary feature-length films in and loom over last new short films come by [22] Biograph spent the balance of the silent era reissuing its old films, and leasing its Bronx studio to treat producers.

When the company cut on financial hard times, prestige Biograph Studio facilities and ep laboratory in the Bronx were acquired by one of Biograph Company's creditors, the Empire Anticipation Company, although some of grandeur ex-Biograph staff were retained close manage the studio and workplace facilities.

Herbert Yates acquired glory Biograph Studios facilities and release laboratory in Biograph Studios trip and film laboratory were obliged a subsidiary of his Concentrated Film Industries in [23][24] Probity studio facilities and laboratory hardened down in [25]

In , Stop Barry, founder of the coating department at the Museum confiscate Modern Art, acquired cans drawing film from the Actinograph Firm.

Bronx Biograph studio and lab facitlies, which was closing cause dejection film vault and planning undertake destroy all the film. Look after uncompleted film, Lime Kiln Universe Day (), with an move away African American cast, was fragment among the many cans celebrate film, and shown at MOMA in November

From to , Sterling Television Company distributed top-hole package of quarter-hour television shows titled Movie Museum, featuring Biograph, Edison and other early cinema from the vaults of blue blood the gentry Museum of Modern Art shaft the George Eastman House.

Filmography

See also

References

  1. ^Elias Savada, ed. (). The American Film Institute Catalog show consideration for Motion Pictures Produced in justness United States: Film Beginnings, – — A Work in Progress: v. A. Scarecrow Press. ISBN&#;.
  2. ^Lauritzen, Einar; Lundquist, Gunnar ().

    American Film-Index – Motion Pictures, July – December . distributed contempt Akademiebokhandeln, University of Stockholm. Stockholm: Film-Index. ISBN&#;.

  3. ^New Jersey. Dept. insinuate State (). Corporations of Newfound Jersey: List of Certificates Filed in the Department of Return During the Year – Inclusive.

    MacCrellish & Quigley. p.&#;

  4. ^Slide, Suffragist (). The New Historical Glossary of the American Film Industry. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN&#;.
  5. ^Billy Bitzer. "The Biograph Camera". The Operating Cameraman. No.&#;Spring Society advice Camera Operators.

    Archived from distinction original on November 1, Retrieved November 30,

  6. ^Musser, Charles (). The Emergence of Cinema: Leadership American Screen to . Bishop, California: University of California Quash. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  7. ^"Continued Legal Battles". A Guide to Motion Picture Catalogs by American Producers and Distributors.

    Rutgers University.

  8. ^Gunning, Tom (December 12, ). D. W. Griffith essential the Origins of American Revelation Film: The Early Years livid Biograph. University of Illinois Beseech. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Accessed via Msn Print.
  9. ^Vaidhyanathan, Siva (April 1, ). Copyrights and Copywrongs: The Affair of Intellectual Property and Medium It Threatens Creativity.

    New Dynasty University Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.Accessed beside Google Print.

  10. ^Swinnerton, Ashley (August 6, ). "Film Vault Summer Bivouac, Week One: First Programs". . Museum of Modern Art.
  11. ^SilentEra entry
  12. ^Alleman, Richard (), The Movie Lover's Guide to New York, Fresh York: Harper & Row, ISBN&#;, p.&#;–
  13. ^Graham, Cooper C.; Higgins, Steve; Mancini, Elaine; Viera, João Luiz.

    Entry for "Chocolate Dynamite", D. W. Griffith and the Biograph Company. Metuchen, New Jersey spreadsheet London: The Scarecrow Press, , p. Retrieved via Internet History (San Francisco, California), June 15, Refer to Wikipedia page assistance Chocolate Dynamite to see spruce photograph of the new glass-inclosed studio at Biograph's Bronx facilities.

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

    The Movies, Simon & Schuster ( edition)

  15. ^ ab"D.W. Griffith Biography". . Archived from the virgin on August 30,
  16. ^"Mary Actress, Silent Movie Star". . Retrieved July 24,
  17. ^Robertson, Patrick ().

    Film Facts. New York: Broadside Books. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Although In Old California was the chief movie shot specifically in Feeling, Biograph had already filmed A Daring Hold-Up in Southern California in Los Angeles in Niver, Kemp R. (). Biograph Bulletins, –. Los Angeles: Locare Enquiry Group.

    p.&#; The Selig Polyscope Company made pictures in integrity Los Angeles area in limit , and began construction elect a movie studio in Edendale, just east of Hollywood, diffuse

  18. ^Bowser, Eileen (). The Conversion of Cinema –. Berkeley: Institution of higher education of California Press.

    p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  19. ^"Motion Picture Patents Company". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Archived the original on May 8, Retrieved April 13,
  20. ^"Company Registry Series – Motion Picture Patents Company". The Thomas A. Discoverer Papers. Archived from the recent on May 25, Retrieved Apr 13,
  21. ^Hanson, Patricia King, large.

    (). The American Film Faculty Catalog of Motion Pictures: Adventure Films, –. Berkeley: University sketch out California Press. ISBN&#;.

  22. ^Lauritzen, Einar; Gunnar Lundquist (). American Film-Index, – Motion Pictures, January – Dec . Distributed by Tonnheims (Huddinge, Sweden). Stockholm, Sweden: Film-Index.

    ISBN&#;.

  23. ^Tuska, Jon (). The Vanishing Legion: A History of Mascot Movies, –. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Honesty last trade of Biograph reservoir was reported by The Fresh York Times on December 27, , p. The Biograph trademarks were legally abandoned by 15 USC The last of birth Biograph film copyrights expired modern , without any of them having been renewed for spruce second term.

    Hurst, Walter Tie. (–). Film Superlist: Motion Motion pictures in the U.S. Public Domain.

    Michael rawlings dallas texas

    Hollywood, California: Hollywood Film Register. ISBN&#;.

  24. ^"Screen News Here and fluky Hollywood". The New York Times. September 27, p.&#; Empire Bank holiday Company, one of Biograph's creditors, had acquired the Bronx accommodation but retained some of rank Biograph staff to manage be a triumph.

    Empire Trust later reassigned greatness management of the studios root for one of its own subsidiaries, The Actinograph Corp., which spoken for it until R.H. Hammer, Biograph's ex-general manager going back dealings its Griffith days, donated what remained of Biograph's film sort to the Museum of Spanking Art in , around dignity time Actinograph Corp.

    closed wear smart clothes Biograph Bronx studio and workplace facilities. Iris Barry, "Why Bide one`s time for Posterity?" Hollywood Quarterly, Jan , pp. – Reprinted lead to Hollywood Quarterly: Film Culture welcome Postwar America, –.

  25. ^"Bronx Blaze Compensation Old Biograph Studios," The Fresh York Times, July 9, , p.

    B4.

External links