Kalem Company
Encyclopedia
The Kalem Company was an American
film studio founded in New York City
in 1907
by George Kleine, Samuel Long , and Frank J. Marion
.
The company immediately joined other studios in the Motion Picture Patents Company
that held a monopoly on production and distribution. Frank Marion had been the sales manager at Biograph Studios
and Samuel Long was the manager of the Biograph production facility at Hoboken, New Jersey
. Needing to raise more capital, the two experienced filmmakers approached Chicago
businessman George Kleine to come in as a partner. Kleine, already a successful film distributor, was involved only a short time but it was a profitable investment for him as his partners were soon successful enough to buy out his shares at a considerable premium.
away from Biograph who eventually became the Kalem Company's president and was rewarded with one share of its stock. Kalem had no indoor studios, so most of its films were shot on location. In February 1907, the company made its first motion picture, titled "The Sleigh Belle". While Kalem scored success after success in their first year, at the once-powerful Biograph their rate of production stagnated, hampered by the loss of important personnel.
and the following year, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In 1910 Olcott gave actress Alice Joyce
her first acting job in his production of "The Deacon's Daughter." That year, the company shot a film in Ireland
, making Kalem the first movie studio to travel outside the United States to film on location. As director, Olcott headed the team in Ireland and among those he brought with him were Kalem's leading lady and principal screenwriter, Gene Gauntier
, actor Robert Vignola and cameraman, George Hollister. There, they notably filmed A Lad from Old Ireland
plus they made a number of film shorts in Blarney Castle
, Glengarriff
and the Lakes of Killarney
. Olcott and Valentine Grant
, his future wife, and others from the studio returned to Ireland for most of the summer in the next two years. The O'Kalems, as the American entourage were affectionately dubbed, made such Irish films as Rory O'Moore, The Gypsies of Old Ireland, You Remember Ellen, The Colleen Bawn, plus more than a dozen others. Later on, only the outbreak of World War I
prevented Olcott from following through with his plans to build a permanent studio in Beaufort
, County Kerry
.
The Irish films led to Olcott taking a crew to Palestine
in 1912 to make the first five-reel film. Titled From the Manger To the Cross
, it told the life story of Jesus
. According to Turner Classic Movies
, it is considered the most important silent film
to deal with the life of Christ. In 1998 the film was selected for the National Film Registry
of the United States Library of Congress
.
Kalem was also one of the first studios to regularly film year-round by setting up facilities in Florida
during the winter. The Florida company consisted of Sidney Olcott, George Hollister, camera man; Allen Farnham, scenic artist; Arthur Clough, property man; Gene Gauntier
scenarist and leading actress; Jack J. Clarke, leading male actor; Robert Vignola and Ethel Eastcourt.
to assess the feasibility of a permanent studio for the making of Western style films. Wright saw the potential and after given the go ahead from head office he acquired a property in Verdugo Canyon in Glendale
and a permanent crew was dispatched from New York City. Headed by director Kenean Buel
, his crew consisted of star actress Alice Joyce
, George Melford
, Jane Wolfe
, Frank Lanning
, Howard Oswald, Frank Brady
, Knute Rahmn, Francelia Billington
and Daisy Smith. With films from the Western genre much in demand, in 1911, a second California studio was opened in Santa Monica
with actors Ruth Roland
, Marin Sais
, Ed Coxen and Marshall Neilan
taken under contract. The Santa Monica facility eventually would be used to make comedies. Kalem operated in these Southern California locations until October 1913 when they took over the Essanay Studios
property at 1425 Fleming Street (now, Hoover Street) in east Hollywood.
The Hazards of Helen
. An adventure film
, Helen Holmes
played the lead character "Helen" and did most of her own stunts in the first 26 episodes until she and director J.P. McGowan left to set up their own film production company. The two began a relationship while working on the serial that led to marriage. Director James Davis took over and Elsie McLeod substituted in episodes 27-49 until a permanent "Helen" could be found for the remainder in the form of Helen Gibson
.
On the heels of the immediate success of the Hazards of Helen, Kalem Studios simultaneously produced another sixteen episode action/adventure series they released in October 1915 called The Ventures of Marguerite starring Marguerite Courtot
.
joined Kalem for a short time, as did Mary Pickford
, who also directed films in 1913. Over the years, Kalem contracted various other directors such as actor-turned-director George Melford
, James W. Horne
, Rube Miller, William Beaudine
, Harry F. Millarde
, and Robert Ellis
. In 1915, the company lost Sidney Olcott who left to work independently for World Film Corporation, Famous Players-Lasky Co.
, and other studios. Two years later, after having made close to one thousand motion pictures, the Kalem Company was sold to Vitagraph Studios
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film studio founded in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1907
1907 in film
The year 1907 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 19 - Variety publishes its first film review.* May 7 - Seattle film maker William Harbeck sets up a camera at the front of a B.C. Electric streetcar and films the downtown streets of Vancouver, British Columbia...
by George Kleine, Samuel Long , and Frank J. Marion
Frank J. Marion
Frank Joseph Marion was an American motion picture pioneer. He was born in Tidioute, Pennsylvania. He had a wife named Florence and 3 kids...
.
The company immediately joined other studios in the Motion Picture Patents Company
Motion Picture Patents Company
The Motion Picture Patents Company , founded in December 1908, was a trust of all the major American film companies , the leading film distributor and the biggest supplier of raw film stock, Eastman Kodak...
that held a monopoly on production and distribution. Frank Marion had been the sales manager at Biograph Studios
Biograph Studios
Biograph Studios was a studio facility and film laboratory complex built in 1912 by the Biograph Company, formerly American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, at 807 E. 175th Street, in the Bronx, New York....
and Samuel Long was the manager of the Biograph production facility at Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
. Needing to raise more capital, the two experienced filmmakers approached Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
businessman George Kleine to come in as a partner. Kleine, already a successful film distributor, was involved only a short time but it was a profitable investment for him as his partners were soon successful enough to buy out his shares at a considerable premium.
Formation and history
The company began operations from a small office at 131 West Twenty-fourth Street in New York City. The partners were able to lure general manager and director Sidney OlcottSidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Born John Sidney Alcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great directors of the motion picture business...
away from Biograph who eventually became the Kalem Company's president and was rewarded with one share of its stock. Kalem had no indoor studios, so most of its films were shot on location. In February 1907, the company made its first motion picture, titled "The Sleigh Belle". While Kalem scored success after success in their first year, at the once-powerful Biograph their rate of production stagnated, hampered by the loss of important personnel.
Olcott leadership
Under the direction of Sidney Olcott, Kalem made a number of significant films, including the first adaptation of Ben HurBen Hur (1907 film)
Ben Hur is a 15 minute long 1907 silent film, the first film version of Lew Wallace's novel Ben-Hur, one of the best-selling books at that time....
and the following year, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In 1910 Olcott gave actress Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce was an American actress, who appeared in more than 200 movies during the 1910s and 1920s, perhaps best known for her roles in the 1923 silent and 1930 talking versions of The Green Goddess....
her first acting job in his production of "The Deacon's Daughter." That year, the company shot a film in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, making Kalem the first movie studio to travel outside the United States to film on location. As director, Olcott headed the team in Ireland and among those he brought with him were Kalem's leading lady and principal screenwriter, Gene Gauntier
Gene Gauntier
Gene Gauntier was an American screenwriter and actress who was one of the pioneers of the motion picture industry. A writer, director and actress in films from early 1906 to 1920, she wrote screenplays for 31 films...
, actor Robert Vignola and cameraman, George Hollister. There, they notably filmed A Lad from Old Ireland
A Lad from Old Ireland
The Lad from Old Ireland is a 1910 American made motion picture. It is the first ever production by an American movie studio to be filmed on location outside of the United States....
plus they made a number of film shorts in Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in Blarney, near Cork, Ireland, and the River Martin. Though earlier fortifications were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty, a cadet branch of the Kings of Desmond, and dates from 1446...
, Glengarriff
Glengarriff
Glengarriff is a village of approximately 800 people on the N71 national secondary road in the south-west region of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it boasts many natural attractions...
and the Lakes of Killarney
Lakes of Killarney
The Lakes of Killarney are a renowned scenic attraction located near Killarney, County Kerry, in Ireland. They consist of three lakes - Lough Leane, Muckross Lake and Upper Lake.Lough Leane is the largest of the three lakes...
. Olcott and Valentine Grant
Valentine Grant
Valentine Grant was an American silent film actress.Grant became the companion of film director Sidney Olcott who cast her in his 1915 production of Nan o' the Backwoods...
, his future wife, and others from the studio returned to Ireland for most of the summer in the next two years. The O'Kalems, as the American entourage were affectionately dubbed, made such Irish films as Rory O'Moore, The Gypsies of Old Ireland, You Remember Ellen, The Colleen Bawn, plus more than a dozen others. Later on, only the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
prevented Olcott from following through with his plans to build a permanent studio in Beaufort
Beaufort, County Kerry
- See also :* List of towns and villages in Ireland...
, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
.
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in 1912 to make the first five-reel film. Titled From the Manger To the Cross
From the Manger to the Cross
From the Manger to the Cross or Jesus of Nazareth is a 1912 American motion picture filmed on location in Palestine which tells the story of Jesus' life. Directed by Sidney Olcott who also appeared in the film, actress and screenwriter Gene Gauntier wrote the script and portrayed the Virgin Mary...
, it told the life story of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. According to Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
, it is considered the most important silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
to deal with the life of Christ. In 1998 the film was selected for the National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
of the United States Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
Kalem was also one of the first studios to regularly film year-round by setting up facilities in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
during the winter. The Florida company consisted of Sidney Olcott, George Hollister, camera man; Allen Farnham, scenic artist; Arthur Clough, property man; Gene Gauntier
Gene Gauntier
Gene Gauntier was an American screenwriter and actress who was one of the pioneers of the motion picture industry. A writer, director and actress in films from early 1906 to 1920, she wrote screenplays for 31 films...
scenarist and leading actress; Jack J. Clarke, leading male actor; Robert Vignola and Ethel Eastcourt.
Expansion
In the fall of 1910, Kalem began organizing other studio locations. In November 1910, William Wright, company treasurer, was sent to the West CoastWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
to assess the feasibility of a permanent studio for the making of Western style films. Wright saw the potential and after given the go ahead from head office he acquired a property in Verdugo Canyon in Glendale
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
and a permanent crew was dispatched from New York City. Headed by director Kenean Buel
Kenean Buel
Kenean J. Buel was an American film director.Born in Kentucky, he became involved in theatre work and eventually made his way to New York City where he was hired by the Kalem Company in 1908 as a film director under the tutelage of Sidney Olcott...
, his crew consisted of star actress Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce
Alice Joyce was an American actress, who appeared in more than 200 movies during the 1910s and 1920s, perhaps best known for her roles in the 1923 silent and 1930 talking versions of The Green Goddess....
, George Melford
George Melford
George H. Melford was an American stage and film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.-Career:...
, Jane Wolfe
Jane Wolfe
Jane Wolfe was an American silent film character actress and Thelemite.-Early life:A Pennsylvania Dutch, Wolfe was born in St. Petersburg, Pennsylvania on March 21, 1875...
, Frank Lanning
Frank Lanning
Frank Lanning was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 84 films between 1910 and 1934.He was born in Marion, Iowa and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:...
, Howard Oswald, Frank Brady
Frank Brady
Frank Brady is Chairman of the Department of Mass Communications, Journalism, Television and Film at St. John's University, New York. He is Professor of Communication Arts and Journalism at that university. He has also been an Adjunct Professor of Journalism for the past 25 years at Barnard...
, Knute Rahmn, Francelia Billington
Francelia Billington
Francelia Billington was an early American silent-screen actress, and an accomplished camera operator.-Early life:...
and Daisy Smith. With films from the Western genre much in demand, in 1911, a second California studio was opened in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
with actors Ruth Roland
Ruth Roland
Ruth Roland was an American stage and film actress and film producer.-Early life and career:Born in San Francisco, California, her father managed a theatre and she became a child actress who went on to work in vaudeville...
, Marin Sais
Marin Sais
Marin Sais was an American motion picture actress whose career was most prolific during the silent film era of the 1910s and 1920s...
, Ed Coxen and Marshall Neilan
Marshall Neilan
Marshall Ambrose Neilan was an American motion picture actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.-Early life:...
taken under contract. The Santa Monica facility eventually would be used to make comedies. Kalem operated in these Southern California locations until October 1913 when they took over the Essanay Studios
Essanay Studios
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915.-Founding:...
property at 1425 Fleming Street (now, Hoover Street) in east Hollywood.
Notable serials
In November 1914, Kalem released the first of 119 episodes of the serialSerial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
The Hazards of Helen
The Hazards of Helen
The Hazards of Helen is an American adventure film serial of 119 twelve minute episodes released over a span of slightly more than two years by the Kalem Company between November 7, 1914 and February 24, 1917....
. An adventure film
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
, Helen Holmes
Helen Holmes
Helen Holmes was an American silent film actress.-Early life:While there is no known official birthplace record, Helen Holmes stated in an interview that she was born in South Bend, Indiana, but grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She began working as a photographer's model but turned to acting,...
played the lead character "Helen" and did most of her own stunts in the first 26 episodes until she and director J.P. McGowan left to set up their own film production company. The two began a relationship while working on the serial that led to marriage. Director James Davis took over and Elsie McLeod substituted in episodes 27-49 until a permanent "Helen" could be found for the remainder in the form of Helen Gibson
Helen Gibson
Helen Gibson was an American film actress, vaudeville performer, radio performer, film producer, trick rider and rodeo performer; and is considered to be the first American professional stunt woman.- Rodeo riding :...
.
On the heels of the immediate success of the Hazards of Helen, Kalem Studios simultaneously produced another sixteen episode action/adventure series they released in October 1915 called The Ventures of Marguerite starring Marguerite Courtot
Marguerite Courtot
Marguerite Gabrielle Courtot was an American silent film actress.Courtot was born in Summit, New Jersey of French ancestry. She became a child model and in June 1912, while not yet fifteen years old, joined the Kalem Company, appearing in 1913's "The Riddle of the Tin Soldier" alongside star Alice...
.
Final changes
Allan DwanAllan Dwan
Allan Dwan was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:...
joined Kalem for a short time, as did Mary Pickford
Mary 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...
, who also directed films in 1913. Over the years, Kalem contracted various other directors such as actor-turned-director George Melford
George Melford
George H. Melford was an American stage and film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.-Career:...
, James W. Horne
James W. Horne
James Wesley Horne was an early American actor, screenwriter and film director. He began his career as an actor under director Sidney Olcott at Kalem Studios in 1913 and directed his first film for the company two years later....
, Rube Miller, William Beaudine
William Beaudine
William Beaudine was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres.-Early life and career:...
, Harry F. Millarde
Harry F. Millarde
Harry F. Millarde was a pioneer American silent film actor and director.Millarde was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and began his acting in film in 1913 with Kalem Studios in New York City...
, and Robert Ellis
Robert Ellis (actor)
Robert Ellis was an American film actor, screenwriter and film director. He appeared in 166 films between 1913 and 1934...
. In 1915, the company lost Sidney Olcott who left to work independently for World Film Corporation, Famous Players-Lasky Co.
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 other studios. Two years later, after having made close to one thousand motion pictures, the Kalem Company was sold to Vitagraph Studios
Vitagraph Studios
American Vitagraph was a United States movie studio, founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. By 1907 it was the most prolific American film production company, producing many famous silent films. It was bought by Warner Bros...
.