Hiram Abrams
Encyclopedia
Hiram Abrams was an early American movie mogul and one of the first presidents of Paramount Pictures
and the first managing director of United Artists
.
, the son of a Russia
n emigrant who became a real estate broker. Hiram Abrams left school at the age of sixteen, sold newspapers, and eventually ended up managing several Portland film theaters. By 1909, he began marketing films, and later became a distributor.
and when Hodkinson founded Paramount Pictures
in 1914, Abrams began serving on the five man board-of-directors. When Hodkinson denied Paramount producers Adolph Zukor
and Jesse Lasky more of the profits, Zukor - in a Machiavellian
plot - devised a coup.
Zukor and Lasky sold Hodkinson more of their film rights
and, using that money, they purchased Paramount stock to, by 1916, gain a majority of it. Then with Abrams, Steele and Sherry they used this majority to vote Hodkinson out. Abrams took over as president and Steele as treasurer.
In 1917, Abrams, while in Boston, organised a party for Fatty Arbuckle
, Zukor, Lansky, and several others. Eventually, the party, sans Arbuckle, moved to Mishawum Manor, an inn of notorious reputation. Willing women appeared, and later a photographer. A few days later it became evident the moguls had been caught in a badger game
. Daniel Coakley, a notoriously crooked Boston lawyer, threatened arrest on morals charges. Studio lawyers were hastily summoned and eventually $100,000 was paid to have the charges dropped. It is likely this escapade cost Abrams his job, as Zukor fired him soon afterwards.
, Douglas Fairbanks
, Charles Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith
to break with their studios and form an independent distributing company; the result was United Artists
, set up on 5 February 1919. Abrams was appointed its managing director.
During the company's early years, there were serious problems. The United Artists could not produce a continuous flow of films for theaters and suffered serious distribution problems caused by competing firms. Schulberg walked away within two months. Roughly a year later, he sued Abrams, alleging Abrams had breached their partnership agreement. These distribution problems were not solved until Joseph Schenck
, Abrams' successor, took over.
During Abrams’ tenure, however, United Artists did release Griffith’s Way Down East
(1921) and Chaplin’s The Gold Rush
(1925). Both were enormously successful becoming two of the top ten grossing films of the 1920s (1920s in film
).
Abram's involvement in United Artists, and his life, ended in Manhattan
on 15 November 1926, from a sudden cardiac incident, aged 48.
Golden looked into the picture business, started promoting films, moved to Hollywood, and became very successful as a low-end (poverty row) producer. His biggest success, Hitler’s Children (1942), came during World War II
; the film was a sensational quickie based on Gregor Ziemer's book, Education for Death (1941). Filmed for $200,000, it grossed $3.25 million.
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and the first managing director of United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
.
Biography
Hiram was born in Portland, MainePortland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, the son of a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n emigrant who became a real estate broker. Hiram Abrams left school at the age of sixteen, sold newspapers, and eventually ended up managing several Portland film theaters. By 1909, he began marketing films, and later became a distributor.
Paramount
Through the motion picture industry, Abrams became acquainted with W. W. HodkinsonW. W. Hodkinson
William Wadsworth Hodkinson , known more commonly as W. W. Hodkinson, was born in Independence, Kansas. Known as The Man Who Invented Hollywood, he opened one of the first movie theaters in Ogden, Utah in 1907 and within just a few years changed the way movies were produced, distributed, and...
and when Hodkinson founded Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 1914, Abrams began serving on the five man board-of-directors. When Hodkinson denied Paramount producers Adolph Zukor
Adolph Zukor
Adolph Zukor , born Adolph Cukor, was a film mogul and founder of Paramount Pictures.-Early life:...
and Jesse Lasky more of the profits, Zukor - in a Machiavellian
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...
plot - devised a coup.
Zukor and Lasky sold Hodkinson more of their film rights
Film rights
Film rights are the rights under copyright law to make a derivative work—in this case, a film—derived from an item of intellectual property. Under U.S...
and, using that money, they purchased Paramount stock to, by 1916, gain a majority of it. Then with Abrams, Steele and Sherry they used this majority to vote Hodkinson out. Abrams took over as president and Steele as treasurer.
In 1917, Abrams, while in Boston, organised a party for Fatty Arbuckle
Fatty Arbuckle
Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. Starting at the Selig Polyscope Company he eventually moved to Keystone Studios where he worked with Mabel Normand and Harold Lloyd...
, Zukor, Lansky, and several others. Eventually, the party, sans Arbuckle, moved to Mishawum Manor, an inn of notorious reputation. Willing women appeared, and later a photographer. A few days later it became evident the moguls had been caught in a badger game
Badger game
The badger game is an extortion scheme, often perpetrated on married men, in which the victim or "mark" is tricked into a compromising position to make him vulnerable to blackmail....
. Daniel Coakley, a notoriously crooked Boston lawyer, threatened arrest on morals charges. Studio lawyers were hastily summoned and eventually $100,000 was paid to have the charges dropped. It is likely this escapade cost Abrams his job, as Zukor fired him soon afterwards.
United Artists
Abrams and his new partner, Ben Schulberg, convinced Mary PickfordMary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
, Charles Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith
D. W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
to break with their studios and form an independent distributing company; the result was United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
, set up on 5 February 1919. Abrams was appointed its managing director.
During the company's early years, there were serious problems. The United Artists could not produce a continuous flow of films for theaters and suffered serious distribution problems caused by competing firms. Schulberg walked away within two months. Roughly a year later, he sued Abrams, alleging Abrams had breached their partnership agreement. These distribution problems were not solved until Joseph Schenck
Joseph Schenck
Joseph Michael Schenck was a pioneer executive who played a key role in the development of the United States film industry.Born in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia to a Jewish household, he and his family-including younger brother Nicholas- emigrated to New York City in 1893, he and Nicholas...
, Abrams' successor, took over.
During Abrams’ tenure, however, United Artists did release Griffith’s Way Down East
Way Down East
Way Down East is a silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. It is the best known of four film adaptations of the melodramatic 19th century play Way Down East by Lottie Blair Parker...
(1921) and Chaplin’s The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush is a 1925 silent film comedy written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin in his Little Tramp role. The film also stars Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, Malcolm Waite....
(1925). Both were enormously successful becoming two of the top ten grossing films of the 1920s (1920s in film
1920s in film
The decade of the 1920s in film involved many significant films.----Contents# Events# List of films: # A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.-Events:Many full-length films were produced during the decade of the 1920s....
).
Abram's involvement in United Artists, and his life, ended in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on 15 November 1926, from a sudden cardiac incident, aged 48.
Post-Mortem Influence
Abrams' influence in the film industry continued for twenty years after his death. While in Boston, around 1912, Abrams had visited Edward Golden, a dentist, to have a tooth pulled. Golden was impressed with Abrams’ wealth.Golden looked into the picture business, started promoting films, moved to Hollywood, and became very successful as a low-end (poverty row) producer. His biggest success, Hitler’s Children (1942), came during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; the film was a sensational quickie based on Gregor Ziemer's book, Education for Death (1941). Filmed for $200,000, it grossed $3.25 million.
External links
- Box-Office Top 100 American Films of All-Time at www.filmsite.org
- D.W. Griffith at www.sensesofcinema.com
- - TIME at jcgi.pathfinder.com
- http://www.mainepublicradio.org/homestom/timelines/artstimeline.html#abrams
- Behing-the-scenes intrigue at Paramount at www.cobbles.com
- Baring the Heart of Hollywood at www.cinemaweb.com
- Edward Golden: Hollywood Renegade at www.cobbles.com