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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 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.
The Thanhouser Company was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser. It operated until 1920. It produced over 1,000 films, but several dozen of the films were of small filler subjects, educational or documentaries. Many of these smaller subjects were listed as a quarter or half a reel in length and received very little critical review or analysis by film critics and the media.
The Two Roses is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on the young Tony Prolo who goes to deliver lunch to his father of the same name. After arriving and giving him his lunch, the young Tony is hit by a passing vehicle and the father rushes his son home. Mr. Sears, whose car hit the child, receives a demand for $10,000 by the "Black Hand". The Sears go to the police and set a trap for the Black Hand, but end up wrongly arresting the child's father. Tony convinces the police to investigate further and the confusion is cleared up when the real culprit is caught. Mr. Sears compensates the family by purchasing them a house in the countryside. The film features Marie Eline, cast in the role of an Italian boy, along with the leading players Frank H. Crane and Anna Rosemond as the parents. The film was released on June 7, 1910. The film survives with new inter-titles that were created to replace the lost materials.
The Woman Hater is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Tom Taylor, a woman-hater, who sells his property to a financier at a play. In order to finalize the transaction, Taylor must go to the financier's hotel and becomes the subject of a bet by Lou Bennett that she can win his affections. Lou succeeds in the bet, but Taylor finds out and is preparing to leave forever when Lou speaks to him. Little is known about the production or the cast other than a single credit of Violet Heming as Lou Bennett. The film was released on June 14, 1910, but is not known to have been reviewed by any trade publications. The film is presumed lost, but another production of the same name released the same year was rediscovered in New Zealand in 2010.
The Converted Deacon is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows the daughter who disobeys her father by associated with the theater and becomes a star on the stage. She keeps it a secret, but he father arrives in town and takes her home because her mother is ill. John DeLacy follows her home and disguises himself to secure a position on the farm. A newspaper reveals the daughter's fame and only after a song and dance does the father's anger abate and allows the two lovers to marry. Little is known about the production of the film, but the Thanhouser films were distinguished as being the best of the Independent companies in a The New York Dramatic Mirror editorial. The film was released on July 15, 1910, and met with mixed reception. The film is presumed lost
Lena Rivers is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows a young woman who leaves home to search for employment and becoming married to a wealthy man, but the marriage is kept secret. The husband is arrested by mistake and by the time he is freed, his wife and child depart and he believes them dead. The young woman entrusts her baby, Lena, to her mother before her death. At age 16, Lena goes to the city is visited by her father, but the relationship is only known when he sees a picture of her mother in her locket. The film was an adaptation of Mary Jane Holmes' 1856 novel Lena Rivers and was released on August 12, 1910. It had a wide national release and received positive reviews from critics.
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.
A Dainty Politician is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on corruption political activity during a political convention in which a corrupt politician is running for re-election to the United States Congress. The votes are tallied and the challenger ties with the corrupt Congressman Casey, but a third candidate holds the balance of power. Casey bribes the third candidate to retire in his favor, but the plot is uncovered and the two are ejected from the convention by a reporter who falls in love with challenger's daughter. The film was released on August 23, 1910, and saw a wide national release. Little is known of the actual production, but it received mixed reaction for the plausibility of its plot. The film is presumed lost.
Home Made Mince Pie is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is a comedy of circumstances, in which the Gale family is going to host a dinner. The focus of the humor is in a mince pie that brandy is added to in an attempt to make it more appreciable, but three people each add brandy to the pie. Everyone becomes tipsy upon eating the pie, including the family cat, and the film concludes. No cast or staff credits for this film are known. The film was released on September 27, 1910, to mixed reviews in trade publications. Reviewers mentioned that the film was too long and it was unbelievable that one pie split eight ways would be able to impact everyone. The film is presumed lost.
Leon of the Table D'hote is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows Leon, a waiter at a table d'hote restaurant who is in love with Rosa, a French cashier at the same restaurant. Leon goes on vacation and poses as a foreign noble, attracts the interest of Violet Hope's mother as a suitable candidate to marry her daughter. While at the beach, Leon is knocked over by a breaking wave and Violet rescues him, earning Leon's gratitude. Rosa arrives after tracking Leon down and forces him to confess and return to the restaurant. Violet's mother then allows her daughter to marry the man of her choice. No cast or staff credits are known for the production. The film was released on October 4, 1910, and was met with praise by the reviewer of The New York Dramatic Mirror. The film is presumed lost.
The Fairies' Hallowe'en or The Fairies' Halloween is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The plot focuses on Marie, played by Marie Eline, as a young girl who plays with a jack-o-lantern crafted by her father. When she falls asleep, the girl dreams that she is invited by the Fairy Queen to their Halloween party. Her doll and pumpkin are given life and she enjoys the party. As she awakes, she mourns that it was all a dream, but was content for the experience. The film was advertised as a trick film and received mixed reception by reviewers. It was released on October 28, 1910, but records show that the film was still being shown in 1913. The film is presumed lost.
The Little Fire Chief is a 1910 American silent short comedy produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on a young boy, Willie Stone, who follows a parade of firemen and attempts to join them as their leader. The firemen find it humorous and allow him to play with them. The fire alarm sounds and Willie attempts to join them, but is too slow. On their way back, Willie holds them up and his sister appears. A fireman named Jack, who has affections for the woman, convinces Willie to be relieved of his "command" by promising to call him later. Marie Eline played the role of Willie Stone, but the other two credits are claimed to have been William Garwood and Mignon Anderson. The rest of the cast and credits are unknown. The film was released on November 8, 1910 and does not appear to have had any reviews in the usual trade publications. The film was advertised nationally and was claimed to have been popular in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The film is presumed lost.
A Thanksgiving Surprise is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film follows Jack Clyde, a young man who lives a vain and idle life in the city with his rich friends. His wealthy uncle decides to test the morale character and has his lawyers announce his death and giving his fortune to charity. When Jack learns of his death, he is left penniless and is shunned by his friends, but assisted by the poor. Jack struggles to survive, but decides to host a Thanksgiving dinner for those poorer than himself. His uncle sees Jack has learned his lesson and secretly prepares a feast set while Jack sleeps. After the guest arrives, the uncle reveals himself and all ends well. The film was released on November 22, 1910, and was met with favorable reviews. The film is presumed lost.
John Halifax, Gentleman is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is the first film adaptation of Dinah Maria Mulock Craik's popular novel John Halifax, Gentleman and stars Martin Faust as John Halifax. The film focuses on John Halifax, an orphan who is taken in by a rich Quaker, Abel Fletcher. After a period of five years, John has becomes a foreman and he and Fletcher's invalid son, Phineas, have become good friends. Despite Fletcher's objections, John takes Phineas to the theatre. The trip is too much for Phineas and John carries him home, Fletcher becomes irate and drives John out of the house. Fletcher is soon confronts a mob of workers after closing the mill and throws the bags of grain into the river. John saves the life of Fletcher and his son and marries Ursula, the daughter of the richest man in town. The production credits are unknown, but the film was not directed by Theodore Marston. The film was released on December 2, 1910 and was met with mixed reviews. The film is presumed lost.
Rip Van Winkle is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film is an adaptation of Washington Irving's 1819 short story "Rip Van Winkle" with some differences in the plot. The film focuses on the title character whose idle life is made difficult by his cantankerous wife. Winkle heads into the mountains and encounters spirits of Henry Hudson's men. Upon partaking of their alcohol, Winkle falls into a slumber for twenty years. He returns home and has difficulty proving his identity and must save his property from an unlawful accusation by his rival. After he proves his identity, he is reunited with his family. The title character was played by Frank H. Crane, but the production credits are largely unknown. The film was released on December 6, 1910, and met with positive reviews. The film is 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 Childhood Of Jack Harkaway is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. Adapted from S. 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.
The Norwood Necklace is a 1911 American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company. It is the third of the four "Violet Grey, Detective" series of films produced by Thanhouser and starring Julia M. Taylor. The film begins with the police being alerted to a female suspect who is believed to have the famous Norwood necklace. The police arrest and search the suspect, but find nothing and release her. Violet Grey has suspicions that the suspect has the necklace and tracks her to a hotel, whereby she disguised herself as a maid. Grey finds the necklace and the suspect is arrested. The film was released on February 10, 1911 and was met with positive reviews. The film is presumed lost.
The Little Mother is an American silent short drama film produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film stars Marie Eline who goes to her mother's employer and asks for her mother's job after she dies. Her employer is an artist with a kind heart and though the girl does not do the chores well. One of the artists models plot against him makes false charges against him, leading to his arrest. The little girl follows them and learns that they were out to obtain a large amount of money to have the false case dropped. She reports it to the police and the artist is freed, whereby he adopts the girl out of gratitude. Released on February 28, 1911, the film received mixed reviews. The film is presumed lost.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 2: Filmography - The Vote That Counted". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- ↑ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 1: Narrative History - Chapter 3: 1910 An Overdose of Brandy". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- ↑ Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 1: Narrative History - Chapter 4 1911: Building a Reputation of Quality - Thanhouser and the Industry". Thanhouser Films: An Encyclopedia and History. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- 1 2 Q. David Bowers (1995). "Volume 2: Filmography - Love and Law". Thanhouser.org. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
- ↑ "At the Pergola". The Allentown Democrat (Allentown, Pennsylvania). February 27, 1911. p. 6. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "New Photoplay". The Gettysburg Times (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania). February 8, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved May 28, 2015.