Theodore Wharton
Theodore Wharton (born April 12, 1875 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , † November 28, 1931 in Hollywood ) was an American film director , producer and screenwriter of the silent film era .
Life
Beginnings
Theodore Wharton began his professional career as the Treasurer of the Dallas Opera . He soon moved in front of the scenes and worked as an actor and director in various theater companies, including in St. Louis and New York . In 1907 he visited Thomas Alva Edison's studios several times , where he became interested in the film business. He worked for Edison as technical director before setting up the Kalem film company studio in 1909 . From 1910 to 1912 he worked for Pathé , where he made some of the first serial films in film history, before moving to Chicago to work for Essanay . Wharton had written, directed and produced more than five hundred films during this period and made a name for himself as a specialist in fast-paced action and adventure films.
Essanay
Wharton shot for the film production company Essanay mainly in Ithaca , which was then known as the Hollywood of the East . The director strived for unusually realistic recordings in real backyards and side streets, but also had a spacious studio built on the grounds of Cornell University , where he used the lively campus life as a background for his films. Stars Wharton wrote and directed scripts for and directed included Francis X Bushman and Beverly Bayne , the firm's leading star couple. Wharton was best known for fast-paced adventure and action films with spectacular stunts, but also made one of the first known screen adaptations of Charles Dickens ' A Christmas Carol .
In 1912 Wharton was commissioned by the American government to make a film about the Indian Wars. This production, The Late Indian Wars , became the first seven-role work in American film history. It was shot on the original locations in South Dakota , Montana , Wyoming and Oklahoma , more than five thousand Indians and soldiers were used as well as historical figures such as General Nelson A. Miles and William F. Cody , better known as Buffalo Bill .
Own company
In 1914 Wharton felt that Essanay no longer supported him enough and founded his own film company in Ithaca with his brother Leopold Wharton : Wharton . The Wharton brothers were the first independent producers in American film history. They had great success from the start. A number of famous actors have been employed by Theodore and Leopold Wharton, who often directed together, including Lionel Barrymore , Henry B. Walthall , Pearl White , Oliver Hardy , Wallace Beery and Rudolph Valentino .
The company was particularly successful with action-packed sequels, such as the Elaine series with Pearl White in the title role. Nonetheless, Wharton , also because of the brothers' reluctance to take out loans, was in serious financial trouble in 1917. Theodore Wharton had to sublet his studio and move into a smaller one himself. He did manage to use bonds to fund another sequel, The Eagle's Eye . In line with the US entry into World War I , this series told the story of a German US ambassador who forged a plot to destroy the RMS Lusitania . Wharton spent a tremendous amount on the film, but when The Eagle's Eye came out, the truce had just been declared and the subject of the film had become uninteresting to the audience. In addition, the Spanish flu was at its peak, which caused a dramatic drop in visits to the movie theaters.
The company was now bankrupt and Wharton was forced to close his studio. Cameras, lighting, backdrops, props, and costumes were foreclosed on, all of which raised no more than $ 12,000. Wharton's attorney kept the original prints of the films in his vault, hoping to make a profit from them at some point. In the hot summer of 1929 the highly sensitive nitrate films went up in flames due to spontaneous combustion; almost all of the Wharton Film Society's works were irretrievably lost.
Final plans
Wharton was only able to make a few films for Universal Studios after his bankruptcy . He tried repeatedly to get back into the film business. In 1925, for example, the Whartons planned to set up a studio in Santa Cruz . In fact, the Whartons bought a piece of land and began construction, although the work was slow due to financial difficulties. In the end, only a few office buildings were built from the planned studio.
Theodore Wharton died in Hollywood in 1931 after a long illness . He was completely forgotten.
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://goldensilents.proboards46.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=print&thread=1152580912 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
- Theodore Wharton in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Theodore Wharton at Santa Cruz Local History
- Contemporary newspaper article on Wharton ( Memento of May 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wharton, Theodore |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American film director, film producer and screenwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 12, 1875 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Milwaukee , Wisconsin |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 28, 1931 |
| Place of death | Hollywood |