Astra Film Corp

Not to be confused with British film company Astra Films.

Astra Film Corp

Industry	Silent films
Founded	1916;109 years ago (1916) in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Founder	Louis J. Gasnier George B. Seitz
Defunct	March 1920 (1920-03)
Fate	The company became Louis J. Gasnier Productions from 1920-1940, then Monogram Pictures acquired the studio in 1941.
Successor	Louis J. Gasnier Productions (1920-1940)
Headquarters	United States

The Naulahka poster

Ad for The Hunting of the Hawk

Astra Film Corp was an American film production company that produced silent films. ^[1] Louis J. Gasnier was the company's president. George B. Seitz co-founded it. It was making films by 1916. It became Louis J. Gasnier Productions after Seitz left. ^[2]

The studio operated in Jersey City, New Jersey before expanding to Fort Lee, New Jersey. ^[3]

The Fort Lee studio site at 1 Congress Street was acquired from Pathé in 1916. ^[4] The company distributed its films with Pathé. Rolin Studio in Los Angeles also worked with Pathé. ^[5]

The company's Hands Up serial included a storyline featuring the Inca. ^[6]

The studio produced Pathé's photoplay films including Stranded in Arcady . It was an adaptation of a story by Francis Lynde and starred Irene Castle. It was directed by Frank Hall Crane. ^[5]

The company also produced The Fatal Ring and The Seven Pearls serials. ^[5]

Arthur Miller worked for the company since at least 1916 working under director George Fitzmaurice and signing a contract with him personally. ^[7] Grace Darmond left Selig to work for the company.^{[ when? ]}

Filmography

• At Bay (1915)
• Via Wireless (1915) ^[4]
• Pearl of the Army (1916), a serial
• The Shielding Shadow (1916),
• The Romantic Journey (1916)
• The Black Orchid (1916), starring Grace Darmond
• Arms and the Woman (1916)
• Mayblossom (1917) ^[8]
• The Seven Pearls (1917), a serial
• The Fatal Ring (1917), a 19-chapter serial
• The Hidden Hand (1917), a serial
• Kick In (1917)
• The Cigarette Girl (1917)
• Mystery of the Double Cross (1917)
• Caleb Piper's Girl (1917), starring Helene Chadwick ^[9]
• The Hunting of the Hawk (1917)
• Vengeance Is Mine (1917)
• Stranded in Arcady (1917) ^[10]
• Hands Up (1918), a serial
• The Yellow Ticket (1918)
• The House of Hate (1918)
• The Honest Thief (1918)
• The Naulahka (1918)
• The Hillcrest Mystery (1918)
• The House of Hate (1918), a serial
• A Japanese Nightingale (1918)
• The Adventures of Ruth (1919)
• The Cry of the Weak (1919)
• Out Better Selves (1919)
• The Tiger's Trail (1919), a serial
• The Lightning Raider (1919)
• The Pleasant Devil (1919)
• Daredevil Jack (1920)
• The Phantom Foe (1920)
• Pirate Gold (1920), a serial
• The Third Eye (1920), a serial
• Trailed by Three (1920)

References

1. "The Moving Picture World". World Photographic Publishing Company. November 7, 1916 – via Google Books.
2. "Silent Wierdness". silentwierdness.blogspot.com.
3. Koszarski, Richard (March 2, 2005). Fort Lee: The Film Town (1904-2004). Indiana University Press. ISBN   9780861969425 – via Google Books.
4. "Pathé Fort Lee – The Movie Studios". themoviestudios.com.
5. "Motography". August 17, 1917.
6. "Motography". November 7, 1918 – via Google Books.
7. Koszarski, Richard (2005). Fort Lee : The Film Town. Indiana University Press. pp. 150–151. ISBN   978-0-86196-942-5.
8. "Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Pamphlets, leaflets, contributions to newspapers or periodicals, etc.; lectures, sermons, addresses for oral delivery; dramatic compositions; maps; motion pictures". U.S. Government Printing Office. November 7, 1917 – via Google Books.
9. "Caleb Piper's Girl". cplorg.contentdm.oclc.org.
10. "Irene Castle and Frank Hall Crane on a film set. | Photograph". Wisconsin Historical Society. December 1, 2003.