Thanhouser Company
Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc.
705 NW Albemarle Terrace
Portland, OR 97210 USA
Historic Wilma Theatre http://www.thewilma.com
E-mail: tco@thanhouser.org
Internet: http://www.thanhouser.org
  Trademark     			 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Historic Wilma Theatre in Missoula, Montana to Screen Rare Thanhouser Films 

Grandson of Pioneering Silent Film Founders to Speak with Andy Crow of Olympia, Washington playing the Mighty Robert Morton Pipe Organ
Missoula, MT – The Historic Wilma Theatre Organ Preservation Fund will present a unique program of silent films produced by the pioneering Thanhouser Company, including a newly discovered film from Montana. Portlander Ned Thanhouser, grandson of company founders Edwin and Gertrude Thanhouser, will present an illustrated lecture followed by the screening of five films at the Historic Wilma Theatre in Missoula, Montana on Friday,  October 27th at 7:30 pm and Saturday, October 28th matinee at 2:00 PM and an evening performance at 7:30 PM. Tickets sold at the door $6.00/ Seniors and children under 13 $4.00
Thanhouser Company was notable for its role as an important leader in the rebellion of the "Independents" against the Motion Picture Patents Trust associated with Thomas Edison. An extraordinarily active and energetic film company, Thanhouser thrived from 1909 to 1918 in New Rochelle, NY where it produced and released to worldwide distribution over 1,000 silent films.
Five rarely seen Thanhouser silent films have been provided exclusively for this program by The Library of Congress in Washington, DC:
•	 The Cry of the Children (1912) The most famous and best documented of all Thanhouser films. In its day it was recognized as one of the most important expressions of the pre-World War One reform movement, in particular child labor. Perhaps because the uncompromising content drew all the attention, the film was not then recognized as the artistic masterpiece it i
•	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912)-  This famous tale, made even more sensational by Richard Mansfield's stage performance, was filmed in at least nine silent versions. Thanhouser's was the second U. S. film version, after Selig in 1908, but was the first based on the stage adaptation. The Thanhouser version downplays the horror element in favor of the thematic conflict between the good and evil sides of one personality. Perhaps unique among all Jekyll/Hyde adaptations is using two actors to portray the two aspects of the same character
•	 The Evidence of the Film (1913) – Discovered in 1999 on the floor of a Superior, Montana projection booth, this 14 minute drama was recently preserved by the Library of Congress. It is a clever and unusual example of a fictional dramatic movie with filmmaking as its subject.
•	 A Dog’s Love (1914)–  The fantasy centers on a dog and a child, a universally appealing movie subject. The loyal dog's attachment to his little girl playmate is treated with pictorial beauty and simple, honest sentiment.
•	Get Rich Quick (1911)-  The moral tale, a staple of early film, observes in this case how an elaborate swindle, the "Utopia Investment Corporation," affects one of its participants. The film challenges the quest for material wealth without concern for those victimized.
“These five films are a good study in the rapid advances in cinematic style, technique, and story development during the early years of the movie industry from 1913 to 1919,” Thanhouser said from his home in Portland, Oregon.  Of the over 1,000 films produced by Thanhouser, only 187 prints have been found and most have been preserved. New Thanhouser films are discovered each year with over a dozen Thanhouser nitrate films currently awaiting preservation. Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established for the research, preservation and publication of educational materials related to early silent era, with a specific focus on Thanhouser. 
Additional information on Thanhouser can be found at www.thanhouser.org or The Historic Wilma Theatre in Missoula, Montana at  www.thewilma.com  or calling Barbara Bick at 406-728-2521 ext 2
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