The Thanhouser Company was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New York City until 1920, producing over a thousand films.
The Pasha's Daughter is a 1911 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film based on a true story. The film focuses on an American named Jack who is traveling in Turkey. He befriends an aged Turk and is arrested as a conspirator against the government. His first attempt to flee the jail failed, but the second succeeds. Jack flees into the courtyard of the Pasha and is hidden from the guards by the Pasha's daughter. Disguised as a woman, Jack makes his escape with her aid, but she refuses his offer to flee with him. A year later, the Pasha's daughter is ushered in and announces that she wants to be his bride.
The Mummy is a 1911 American short silent film produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film details the story of Jack Thornton, a businessman, who is in love with Professor Dix's daughter. Jack purchases a mummy and plans to win his respect as an Egyptologist, but the mummy is reanimated in Jack's room by a live electrical wire. The mummy takes immediate interest in Jack, but is rejected and mummifies him. Before Professor Dix can cut up the now-mummified Jack, she returns and saves him. Jack explains everything and the film concludes with Professor Dix marrying the mummy.
She's Done it Again is a 1910 American silent short comedy written by Lloyd Lonergan and produced by the Thanhouser Company in New Rochelle, New York. A thief named Sikes decides to rob a society woman who falsely claimed to have been robbed when she in fact pawned her jewelry. A gentleman thief strikes and robs her, but no one believes her. The thief is caught only by a clever detective. The film was the third release of the Thanhouser company and featured the leading players, Anna Rosemond and Frank H. Crane. The film was met with positive reviews, but is presumed to be lost.
The Best Man Wins is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film features Thanhouser's leading players Anna Rosemond, Martin Faust, Frank H. Crane and Marie Eline in a drama about morality. Two suitors are vying for the hand of Julia Seaton and propose to her on the same day, but she asks for a month to decide between them. In the time, the caliber of both men are tested when asked by a young girl, named May, to help her dying mother. The doctor refuses to help, and the lawyer offers his assistance, but her mother soon dies. The orphan is taken in by the Seaton family and personally attests to the character of both men when Julia Seaton has to choose between her suitors.
The Writing on the Wall is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. Directed by Barry O'Neil from a script by Lloyd Lonergan, this presumed lost film focuses on a young girl named Grace who becomes attracted to a wealthy man named Jack. Two men, named Turner and Hank plot to rob Jack after he withdraws a large sum of money from a bank, but Grace warns him of a plot to drug him. Jack escapes and marries Grace. The film has no known trade publication reviews, but reviews may exist for this film. Theaters were advertising this film as late as 1913.
The Governor's Daughter is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The story details a convict who is being sent to prison when the train is wrecked and the sheriff escorting him is killed. The convict frees himself, but halts his escape to save the life of a little girl. As he returns the girl to her nurse, a policeman identifies and recaptures him. Later the little girl accompanies her father, the governor, on a tour of the prison and the father pardons the hero-convict. The film included scenes of a real train wreck and the scenario was written around the filming of the disaster. The film received praise for the before and after scenes which were described as shocking to The Moving Picture World's reviewer. The film was released on June 24, 1910, and was shown as far away as Australia. The film is presumed lost.
The Lucky Shot is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The plot follows Jack Hunt, the son of a wealthy woman, who weds a chorus singer Nell Horsley. Jack's mother forgives the son's error, but rejects his wife. Then Jack is killed while on strike duty in the local militia and the Nell and her child struggle in poverty. Nell begs her mother-in-law for aid, but the woman is enraged and drops dead. Her property goes to the young boy who saves the financial future of the family by finding a hidden fortune with a lucky shot while playing 'Indian'. Released on July 12, 1910, the film received positive attention and saw an international release. The film is presumed lost.
The Girl Reporter is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows two sweethearts, May and Will, who are reporters for the Daily Wave newspaper. Will leaves the newspaper to work as a secretary to Blake, the commissioner of public works. Blake takes a bribe and blames Will and fires him. May sets out to clear his name and becomes Blake's new secretary. May investigates and clears Will's name while proving Blake's corruption. The film was released on August 16, 1910 and saw a wide national release. The film received mixed responses from critics who liked the acting, but found issues with the staging and the plausibility of the plot. The film is presumed lost.
Dots and Dashes is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. May Wilson is a telegraph operator and Jack Wilson is the head bookkeeper of the brokerage office. May teaches Jack how to use Morse code. At the end of the day is called to into the office and learns that something is wrong with the books and he quickly finds the guilty party and confronts him. While he leans into the safe, Bill pushes him inside and locks the safe before fleeing. May, who is waiting for Jack, goes to the office and searches for him. Hearing groans from the safe, she knows he is in danger and uses Morse code to learn the combination and free him. Later, Bill returns to the scene to see if Jack is dead. As he opens the door, the police pop out of the safe and arrest him. The film was released on September 30, 1910 and was met with mixed reviews for the improbable plot and the inaccurate Morse code being tapped out on screen. The film is presumed lost.
The American and the Queen is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Maud, the fictional queen of Rumania, who is overthrown by her cousin, Rupert. Maud is thrown into prison after refusing the romantic advances of Rupert. She escapes with the aid of her lady-in-waiting and a priest. A wealthy American named Jack Walton, foils an assassination attempt on Maud and he falls in love with her. Maud is recaptured and set to be executed when the priest comes up with a plan to save her, by marrying Jack and Maud. The ceremony takes place through her cell window, and soon the United States military arrives to save the now wife of an American. Rupert is killed in the ensuing conflict. No known cast or production credits for the film is known. The film was released on November 11, 1910 and was met with neutral to negative reviews by critics. The patriotic element of the film was cited as likely being comical for European audiences and the film was also used as an example of an inappropriate example of American flag-waving. The film is presumed lost.
The City of Her Dreams is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Ella Brown, who is sent to live with her aunt who living in a boarding house when her father heads to Alaska to prospect for gold. Ella's life at her aunt's home is miserable and she dreams of going to New York City. She dreams that she is in the city and has all money to buy anything which she fancies. Then she receives word that her father has returned from Alaska with a fortune and wants to give her everything she wants. The cast and staff credits are unknown, but the film includes scenes of New York City. The film was released on November 18, 1910 and saw a wide national release. The film is presumed lost.
The Wild Flower and the Rose is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Frank Wilson, the son of an inventor who has constructed a new airplane model. After failing to secure financing, his father suggests that he marry Rose, the daughter of his wealthy employer, to get the money they need. Jack rejects this idea because he is engaged to another woman, but he soon learns she does not love him. He heads out West to seek a fortune and is quickly successful. He returns to the aviation field and meets Rose again, after a successful flight she confesses to loving him. The cast and staff credits are unknown, but the film may have included scenes from the 1910 International Aviation Meet at Belmont Park One reviewer claimed that a Wright brothers flyer was also shown in full flight. The film was released on November 25, 1910, but is now presumed lost.
Love and Law is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film begins with a meeting between Tom Egan and Sue Jennings. Sue asks Tom, who had previously been sweethearts, for each others' love letters because she will soon marry another man. On this same night, Jack Deming confronts Tom in a drunken state and brandishing a revolver. Jack seeks vengeance because was put into financial ruin by Tom's speculative advice, but Tom manages to calm him down. Tom pens a letter to Sue and takes his own life, making it appear as if Jack murdered him. Jack is arrested, but a young detective named Violet Gray proves his innocence. Jack and Violet also fall in love. The role of Violet Gray was played by Julia M. Taylor, but the other roles and staff credits are unknown. The film was released on December 13, 1910, it would be the first of four films in the "Violet Gray, Detective" series. The film is presumed lost.
The Millionaire Milkman is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focus on Jack Cass, a young millionaire, who has affections for a society girl named Clara Moore. Jack receives a letter of warning about Clara's real interest, his money. Jack decides to decides to test his suspicions and the character of Clara, by having newspapers announce the ruin of his mind and his fortune. Clara calls Jack to confirm the story and breaks off the engagement. May Dustin, the orphan girl who Clara's family treats as a servant, expresses sympathy for Jack. Jack becomes infatuated with May and becomes the milkman to see her every day. The two are married and May learns that Jack had never lost his fortune. The cast and production credits are unknown. The film was released on December 16, 1910, and met with mixed reviews. The film is presumed lost.
The Childhood Of Jack Harkaway is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. Adapted from Bracebridge Hemyng's Jack Harkaway story series by Lloyd Lonergan, the film depicts the life of the title character. Given to the care of strangers after his birth, Jack grows up and is sent to a school at age 12. After being severely and unjustly punished by the schoolmaster, Jack runs away and comes across two thieves plotting a robbery. Jack hurries to the house and warns the mistress of the planned robbery. The robbery is foiled and the lady of the house is very grateful, but Jack's schoolmaster and his guardian arrive to take him back. She recognizes the guardian as the man who forced her to turn over Jack and turns them out of the house. The film's cast and production credits are unknown. The film was released on December 23, 1910, it was met with favorable reviews and saw a wide national release. In 1988, a severely deteriorated nitrate print of the film was known to exist and it was likely transferred to the Library of Congress archives in 1997.
Hypnotized, released in Britain as A Quack Hypnotist, is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on May Smalley and Jack, who loves her, who attend a traveling show that comes to their little town. The show consists of a hypnotist and a Hindu magician and proves to be a popular show, but the hypnotist who is becomes interest in May. The hypnotist lures May away by telling her that he has a message for her from the spirit world and later gets her to leave town with him. Jack knocks the magician down and takes his costume and follows the hypnotist and May back to their hotel, where he rescues her. Aside from William Russell's role in the film, the production and cast credits are unknown. The film was released on December 30, 1910, it was met with positive reviews. The film is presumed lost.
The Heart of Ezra Greer is a 1917 American silent drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company and directed by Emile Chautard. The film focuses on Ezra Greer, a successful middle-aged man who searches for his college age daughter, Mary. The wayward Mary was romanced and abandoned by Jack Denbeigh, later bearing his child. Once Ezra becomes broke he finds employment as the valet for Jack Denbeigh. After Jack's engagement to a cabaret girl, Mary becomes upset and leaves her child at Jack's home. Contrary to Jack's wishes, Ezra keeps the child and Jack ultimately reveals that the child is his own. Ezra convinces Jack to make things right and Ezra convinces the cabaret girl to leave Jack. After a carriage accident in which the baby is injured, Ezra and Jack rush to the hospital and find Mary as a nurse crying over the child. The film ends with the marriage of Jack and Mary. The film was released by Pathé on October 7, 1917. The film was the final release from Thanhouser and was deemed to be an average film by most reviewers. Criticism for the film hinged on far-fetched coincidences to drive the plot. The film is presumed lost.
Bertie's Brainstorm is a 1911 American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Bertie Fawcett, a dim-witted fop, who erroneously believes to have won the heart of May Vernon. In reality, May loves Jack and the two are set to be married, but May's father wishes he would prove his worth by earning his own living. Bertie chances upon the letter and sets off to make a living proceeds through a number of jobs with hope to claim May as his bride. The film ends with Bertie returning and finding out that May has married Jack. Little is known about the production of the film save that William Russell played an unknown role and that the scenario was written by Lloyd F. Lonergan. The foppish character of Bertie may have been inspired by Edwin Thanhouser's role as Bertie Nizril in Thoroughbred. Originally conceived as a series, this ultimately singular work received praise from critics. The film is presumed lost.
The Westerner and the Earl is a 1911 American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on a society woman who seeks to gain status as the mother-in-law of an English earl, but her daughter already loves an American suitor. The earl hires a Wild West show's Indian actors to kidnap him and the heiress so that he can win her affections, but is foiled by her American suitor who hires the cowboy actors and becomes the hero. The earl's plans are foiled and the heiress gets to marry her American suitor. The film was billed as a drama by Thanhouser, but reviewers all state that the plot was that of a comedy. It was released on February 7, 1911. The film is presumed lost.
