Volume III: Biographies

CAIRNS, Jay

Publicity director (1914-1915)

Thanhouser Career Synopsis: Jay Cairns was publicity director of the Thanhouser Film Corporation in 1914 and early 1915.

Biographical Notes: To say that Jay ("Casey") Cairns had a career in varied areas would be an understatement. At one time or another, he was a cowboy, a hired soldier for Mexico, a magazine writer and editor, a reporter for the Chicago Inter Ocean, and political editor of The Chicago Record Herald. From that point, Jay Cairns became a publicist, and soon he had his fingers in many pies. Among other things, he promoted a Western railroad, helped Mexican President Huerta with news releases, and managed the pre-convention publicity for Judson Harmon, ex-governor of Ohio, in his pre-convention publicity in his quest to be nominated president on the Democratic ticket.

Jay Cairns served as publicity director of the Thanhouser Film Corporation after Bert Adler, the former holder of that position, was promoted in early May 1914 to be Charles J. Hite's "special representative." Cairns was heavily involved in promoting Thanhouser's 1914 serial, The Million Dollar Mystery. By March 1915 he had departed from Thanhouser and was on the West Coast doing publicity work for the Mutual Film Corporation, especially for the American "Flying A" studios in Santa Barbara, California in connection with their The Diamond From the Sky serial, the new Mustang brand of films, and filming of the "Buck Parvin" stories. While there, in his spare time he enjoyed his hobby of horseback riding. At the Thanhouser Film Corporation, his position was filled by Leon J. Rubenstein, one of Edwin Thanhouser's old-time acquaintances.

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