Volume III: Biographies

KIMBERLEY, Paul

British managing director (1913-1914)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Paul Kimberley managed the distribution of Thanhouser films in the British Isles during the 1913-1914 period.

Biographical Notes: Paul Kimberley was born in Longley, near Birmingham, England. In 1909 he joined Paul Brockliss, and in June 1913 he formed the Imperial Film Company. He supervised the production of Ivanhoe, the biggest British production of the time.

Paul Kimberley was named by Charles J. Hite in November 1913 as the managing director of Thanhouser Films, Ltd., the London branch of the Thanhouser Film Corporation. The New Rochelle Pioneer, September 26, 1914, carried this item: "Paul Kimberley, managing director of Thanhouser Films, Ltd., London, who has been at the local studio for several weeks, has been taking group pictures of the stars to take back to England with him, where Thanhouser is as well known as it is in America. Wednesday he was snapped with all of the children of the studio climbing all over him, and he had a short strip of film taken for a movie."

A 1913 Chat: The Bioscope, December 11, 1913, carried "A Chat With Mr. P. Kimberley," which told the British trade about his visit to America: "There are few men in the trade with quite so long an experience and deep a knowledge of the cinematograph industry as Mr. P. Kimberley, who has been a well-known and popular trade personality for years. Calling upon him the other day at the head European office of Thanhouser Films, Limited, of which firm Mr. Kimberley is, of course, managing director, we enjoyed a most interesting chat, and heard some account of his adventures in America, from where he has so recently returned.

"'Perhaps the pleasantest feature of the whole trip,' he commenced, 'was the warmhearted friendliness shown me by everyone I met, and particularly by members of the Screen Club. The Screen Club is a splendid institution. It draws members of the industry together in a manner which would be impossible without it, and strangers are made to feel at home at once. Yes, I was elected a member - the second British member, I believe, Mr. Dick Edmondson being the first. I had a delightful chat with Mr. Lubin, and he wanted to take me over to Philadelphia, to see his studios, but, unfortunately, I hadn't time to go. I inspected the Biograph, IMP, Solax, and, of course, the Thanhouser studios, however, and I saw John Bunny doing a 'turn' at Hammerstein's Theatre.

"'Trade conditions are very different in America, and the keen competition of the English market is not understood at all by the majority of people. Most of the hiring exchanges take a fixed number of films from the manufacturers each week - sometimes without even seeing them through, and these are sent on to the exhibitor, who does not see them either, until they are shown in his theatre. This naturally means that a great deal of very poor stuff is in circulation - a fact which accounts largely for the daily change of programme, usual at most theatres. All rather difficult for us to realise over here, where each film is bought on its individual merit alone! Things are beginning to change in America, however, now that exhibitors are commencing to see that it is possible to break away from these restrictions. In fact, the open market is well within sight.

"'Turning to more personal matters, I firmly believe that Thanhouser is one of the coming companies. Mr. C.J. Hite, the president, is a splendid businessman, and he is surrounding himself with a band of the very best artists he can find, such as Miss Maude Fealy. The studies are being greatly enlarged, and, when the alterations are finished, they will be among the biggest in America. A strong feature will be made of classical stuff, and of pictures with plenty of 'heart interest' and parts for the famous Thanhouser children. Once a month we shall release in England a four-reel Thanhouser 'special,' the first being entitled The Legend of Provence. I am keeping very closely in touch with the studios, and it is Mr. Hite's intention to cater specially for the needs of British exhibitors. Princess films, which are made in the Thanhouser studios, will be chiefly single-reel comedies.'

"Mr. Kimberley then took us over the premises of Thanhouser Films, Limited, and introduced us to his brother, Mr. J. Kimberley, who is joining him as publicity manager, and who has had extensive journalistic experience both in England and in America. On the first floor, at 100, Charing Cross Road, is the private theatre, a delightfully comfortable apartment most artistically decorated. Upstairs, on various floors, are Mr. Kimberley's private office, a general office, the cashier's department, the publicity department, and a big poster stock room. In the theatre we had the pleasure of seeing a wonderfully clever dramatic comedy by the Thanhouser Company, entitled An Unfair Exchange, but further mention of this we must leave until later. Meanwhile, we wish Mr. Kimberley the very best of good fortune."

A 1914 Visit to New Rochelle: The New Rochelle Pioneer, October 3, 1914, carried this article: "Paul Kimberley, managing director of the Thanhouser Films, Ltd., 100 Charing Cross Road, London, W.C., England, who has been visiting in New Rochelle during the past two weeks, expecting to return home today, was interviewed by a representative of the Pioneer, Monday morning, in regard to his first impressions of this beautiful city and the wonderful industry on East Main Street, which it possesses. Mr. Kimberley, who is blessed with a wonderful, upright character, seemed more than willing to explain to his guest about his visit and the effect the war will have on the film industry on the continent.

"'My first visit to the United States was in September 1913,' began Mr. Kimberley, 'and I shall never forget this visit as it was during this trip that I had the pleasure of chasing one of the finest men in the film business - that was the late Charles J. Hite. He was such a busy man that I followed him to Chicago and back, but he was too quick for me and I returned to New York just a few hours after him, still on his track. Eventually, I caught him, that was only for a few minutes at the Pennsylvania Station, where I managed to get a few minutes conversation and also a further appointment. Since then I got into very close touch with him by correspondence, and I assure you, I feel his loss [Hite died five weeks earlier - Ed.] very keenly.

"'My visit this time has impressed me very favorably with the deep friendship and sympathy that really exists between Americans and Englishmen. This terrible war has brought to the surface the very keen friendship that exists between America and England. American pictures have always been most popular in Great Britain, and the great American producing companies will be in a very advantageous position on the London market this coming winter. Of course, a few of the picture houses in Great Britain have been closed in garrison and seaport towns where the military authorities have taken them over as hospitals, but this is only a very small proportion, but speaking generally the war has not affected the picture business very much in Great Britain, and personally, I think the picture theatres will prove to be a big public 'safety valve,' because the British public will visit them as a means of forgetting their troubles for a few hours during this terrible time.

"'The rest of Europe is, of course, entirely closed down for films and will remain so for several months after peace is declared, but as all the continental studios will have to be entirely re-staffed and re-organized, the American and British producers will have a long start with their productions. My visit to the wonderful studios in New Rochelle has been a wonderful education and I feel proud of the fact that I am a member of this great organization and a part of the 'Great Big Happy Thanhouser Family.' I was received with open arms by every Thanhouserite, each giving me a hearty handshake that was well worth a very rough trip of 3,000 miles. No one can say that the days of miracles are over after visiting the Thanhouser beehive and realizing that the whole plant was burned to the ground and nothing left but a camera, minus the lenses, less than two years ago.

"'I shall return to England to assure our friends that the Thanhouser Corporation will be sending to Europe regularly some of the finest pictures, money, brains and ability can produce, and our motto for the future is 'Onward and Upward,' the spirit of the message that our late chief left us, and it will honor the memory of Mr. Hite by carrying on this policy, and this is the determination of every member of the Thanhouser family. The English company, Thanhouser Films, Ltd., is carving a place out for itself on the other side of the pond and is looking forward to the time when every English exhibition will insist upon having a Thanhouser film in each and every program.'"

Other Activities: During the teen years Paul Kimberley was a principal in Colourama Films, Ltd., a firm set up to exploit inventions relating to motion pictures in color. In 1916 in England, Kimberley was instrumental in developing a system to train disabled servicemen as motion picture projectionists, which was later adopted by the National Kinematograph Trade Advisory Committee, for which group he served in an advisory capacity. In 1917 he became associated with Hepworth Picture Plays and held offices of director and distribution manager. During the World War he held military offices of captain and adjutant and was attached to the Ministry of Information. He received the Order of the British Empire for special services as a transport officer. At the time his private address was 1, Pierrepont Road, Acton, W. Paul Kimberley was director of cinematography for the Army through the War Office for several years beginning in 1940, and from 1940 to 1943 he was a governor of the British Film Institute. He served as managing director of the National Screen Service until 1945. His address in 1947 was White Lodge, The Friary, Old Windsor, Bucks., England. His death occurred at the age of 82, on November 5, 1964 in Chichester, England.

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