Independent companies of the 20s

[Harold Aherne]

Here are some notes that I've been able to gather on a few of the more prominent independent studios of the silent era, or those that I simply want to hear more about. Most information comes from the 20s AFI catalogue or the wonderful Film Daily scans at archive.org.

Arrow: one of the longest-lasting independents of the silent era, Arrow was active between 1915 and 1926, releasing more than 130 features along with a number of serials and many comedy shorts. Although never a powerful studio, they did attract some better-than-average talent by the mid 1920s, including May McAvoy, Jane Novak and Clara Bow. Film Daily reveals that Arrow went into receivership in 1926; the disposition of the studio and its films is unknown to me.

Aywon: prolific company with more than 120 features between 1919 and 1935. Westerns were their bread and butter, but other genres were represented as well (and they distributed some European titles domestically, like An der schönen blauen Donau, a German film from 1926). Releases of domestic films ended for a few years after 1928 but resumed with a series of Bill Cody westerns in 1934-35. Aywon is perhaps best-remembered today for its frequent reissuing and reediting of older material from other studios, particularly Tom Mix’s Selig output.

Preferred/B. P. Schulberg: Preferred Pictures was originally the production company for Katherine MacDonald’s 1921-23 First National releases (which B. P. Schulberg produced). Beginning in 1922 it was also the name of Schulberg’s independent production company that released through the states’ rights system, with Rich Men’s Wives their first film (Shadows was their second). This company is of course best known as the place where Clara Bow cut her acting teeth in The Plastic Age, Parisian Nights and many more before she (and Schulberg) moved to Paramount in 1926. New releases from Preferred and Schulberg Productions ended that year as well.

Truart Film Corporation: an independent that released films from 1921 until 1926, and a fairly ambitious one at that—Elaine Hammerstein, Madge Bellamy and Art Acord could be counted among those who made Truart pictures. They released about 37 features before disappearing, but Film Daily suggests a possible connection between Truart and Tiffany. In one issue I read that Mae Murray and Robert Z. Leonard had a stake in Truart, which is interesting—Tiffany, of course, was the brand name used for her 1922-24 Metro/MGM films. I had always assumed that there was no direct connection between them and Tiffany-Stahl, but it’s always educational to be proven wrong.

Any more information on the above (or corrections!) will be welcomed.

-Harold

[David Pierce]

The 1927 Film Daily Year Book has a special section http://www.archive.org/stream/filmyearb ... 6/mode/2up on Independent Producers and Distributors. It's fascinating to see the small companies - Columbia, Disney - that were soon to escape Poverty Row, while most of these entrepreneurs stayed there.

There are more volumes of The Film Daily in the scanning queue, and a volume or two are emerging each day.

David Pierce
Media History Digital Library
http://www.archive.org/details/mediahistory

[Brooksie]

Thanks for this - I find these smaller companies fascinating. In Australia (and I'm sure the situation was similar in rural America), there were whole circuits where a major studio film was never seen, and B-grade stars really had their time in the sun. There's certainly a book in it, if someone were to attempt it.

[David Pierce]

Here are two Truart Pictures trade ads from The Film Daily Short Subject Quarterly for June 21, 1925.

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The name of M.H. Hoffman is associated with numerous companies. There is a short bio of Hoffman in The Motion Picture Almanac 1929

HOFFMAN, M. H. : Vice president and general manager. Tiffany-Stahl Productions ; b, Chicago. Ill.. March 20. 1881 ; e. graduate of public school in Chicago, also at New York City college, with a title of bachelor of law from New York university. 1900. Prior to the study of law he studied the arts, consisting of music and painting. Practiced law until 1910 in New York, having been admitted to the bar in New York. New Jersey and Massachusetts ; then became interested in theatres in Massachusetts as an exhibitor and still continued with the practice of law in Springfield. Mass. Then became associated with W. E. Green, managing his Springfield exchange. Universal Film Company then bought out Green and after a short time he became general manager for Universal Film Company; resigned in 1917 and for several years was in the independent state right market, producing and distributing pictures. In 1920 organized Tiffany Productions and made eight Mae Murray pictures, which were at that time considered outstanding productions. These pictures were distributed through Metro Film Corporation. After completing this series, the Tiffany Company under his management launched into its own production units and started the establishment of exchanges, The present company, known as Tiftany-Stahl Productions, is the completed outcome of the original Tiffany Company, which went into the production of the Mae Murray pictures. On Feb. 19, 1929. he announced he had just sold his holdings in Tiffany-Stahl.

and

International Motion Picture Almanac 1937-38

HOFFMAN, M. H.: President, Allied Pictures and Liberty Pictures Corp. b. Chicago, Ill., March 20. 1881; p. Howard and Bertha Hoffman ; e. College of the City of New York and New York University, studied painting and singing, taught languages and practiced law; m. Mary Hoffman, has a daughter and two sons, Hermine, M. H.. Jr., and George F. (adopted). Practised law until 1910; then entered motion picture business; operated theatres in New England; was general manager. Universal, until 1917; founded and operated Tiffany until he sold out his interests to L. A. Young in 1929, was vice president and general manager of Tiffany. Then organized Liberty Productions in 1930 and was acting president and general manager. Without relinquishing his holdings in Liberty he organized Allied Pictures in 1931, of which he is president and M. H. Hoffman, Jr., is vice president. Sold his interests in Liberty Productions. Now producing for Allied and Liberty Pictures Corp., which he organized in 1933, together with M. H. Hoffman. Jr.. then President Independent Motion Picture Producers' Association.

[FrankFay]

The "Cinemelodramas" sound rather interesting.

[Frederica]

The 1927 Film Daily Year Book has a special section http://www.archive.org/stream/filmyearb ... 6/mode/2up on Independent Producers and Distributors. It's fascinating to see the small companies - Columbia, Disney - that were soon to escape Poverty Row, while most of these entrepreneurs stayed there.

There are more volumes of The Film Daily in the scanning queue, and a volume or two are emerging each day.

David Pierce
Media History Digital Library
http://www.archive.org/details/mediahistory

Woot! Thanks so much for scanning these yearbooks (and other stuff) and making it available, these volumes are a real boon. I spent several hours going through the Yearbooks in the LA Public Library to confirm that Hitchcock's The Mountain Eagle was released in the U.S. as The Mountain Eagle, rather than as Fearogod, but I didn't get a copy from the books to use on our Nita website. Protective librarians. VOILA! Website filmography updated (with appropriate credit), thanks!

I love the photos in the Yearbooks. They are often the only time I've seen photos of people when they were young.