Volume I: Narrative History

Chapter 5 (1912): Dora Thorne

Dora Thorne, directed by George O. Nichols and released around May 1, 1912 by the Mutual Film Corporation on a states rights basis, was filmed at the Thanhouser studio in New Rochelle, although it was not released under the Thanhouser imprint. Originally, the intention of the Thanhouser Company was to issue the two-reel production on its regular program, but then came the Mutual buy-out, and Charles J. Hite reserved the film as the first to be released under the Mutual name as a Mutual special feature.

Advertisement in The Moving Picture News, April 27, 1912 for the two-reel Thanhouser production of DORA THORNE.

Dora Thorne was slated to be the first of a string of Mutual films to be issued on a states rights basis. Under this system, exchanges, or even various theatre chains, would contract for exclusive rights to distribute a film in a certain area, such as New England, New York State, or California, and pay a fixed amount for the privilege. The holder of the franchise would then make his own arrangements with theatres and exchanges within his specified territory. While some films released on such a basis did well - The Birth of a Nation, still two years in the future at this time, was to be a great success story in this way - most studios preferred to distribute through exchanges, which would automatically take everything they turned out. In 1912, the states rights market was filled primarily with the offerings of small producers and importers who could not release through the Patents Company or Sales Company cartels.

Readers of The Billboard were advised on May 4, 1912:

The Mutual Film Corporation's first business activity in connection with the exhibitors and film buyers of the country has just been evidenced. That company is offering for sale on the states rights basis a two-reel picture of Dora Thorne, taken from the book by Charlotte M. Braeme. The films are being shown at a straight twelve cents per foot rate, with states rights thrown in wherever the films are purchased. The plan has proven so successful where tried out heretofore that the Mutual Company has undoubtedly taken a wise move in offering its first feature in this manner and stands in line for big success in the sale of the feature.

The subject is perhaps the most popular one that could be chosen, both for its inherent qualities gained on account of the popularity of the novel in book form and for the wonderful lasting power of a subject of this kind. Not dependent upon any special event in history which is now before the public's mind, nor any advantage offered to the publicity department, the feature stands upon its worth alone and should be taken up by purchasers who are looking for a proposition where their money can be spent for something they can show the public. The publicity department is fast at work, however, and has prepared two kinds of one-sheets as well as three and eight sheets and other advertising matter. The feature is to be handled like any other of the big films, the price alone being the item on which it differs from other features, the quality of course being equal to any and better than many.

However, Dora Thorne attracted very little notice by reviewers or others in the trade, therefore the Mutual Film Corporation decided that for the moment it should go back to releasing feature pictures under the logotypes of the various Mutual companies, such as Thanhouser, Reliance, and American. The idea that the Mutual Film Corporation could profit by releasing films under its own label was to be revived in December 1912 when the short lived Punch series of comedies was launched.

In the meantime, companies which comprised the Mutual Film Corporation were prominent on the Sales Company program. For the week of April 29, 1912, the lineup of Sales Company and Patents Company release days was as follows:

SALES COMPANY FILMS:

Sunday: Eclair, Gaumont, Rex

Monday: American, Champion, IMP, Nestor

Tuesday: Eclair, Powers, Republic, Thanhouser (2 reels; The Cry of the Children)

Wednesday: Ambrosio, Champion, Nestor, Reliance, Solax, Animated Weekly (produced by IMP)

Thursday: American, Eclair, IMP, Gaumont, Rex

Friday: Lux, Solax, Thanhouser

Saturday: Great Northern, IMP, Nestor, Reliance, Republic Note

PATENTS COMPANY FILMS:

Monday: Biograph, Kalem, Lubin, Pathé Weekly, Selig, Vitagraph

Tuesday: Edison, Essanay, C.G.P.C., Cin-es, Selig, Vitagraph

Wednesday: Edison, Eclipse, Kalem, Lubin, Pathé, Vitagraph

Thursday: Biograph, Essanay, Lubin, Méliès, Pathé, Selig

Friday: Edison, Essanay, Kalem, Selig, C.G.P.C., Vitagraph

Saturday: Edison, Essanay, Cin-es, Lubin, Pathé, Vitagraph

Miss Arabella Snaith, a film featuring Thanhouser's Florida contingent, was released on May 3, 1912. Distributed on May 7th was The Saleslady, another Florida production, featuring new spring and summer fashions by Worth, Paquin, Louise, and Redfern, couturiers whose dresses and ensembles used in the film were said to be worth $40,000. Thanhouser still wasn't releasing cast lists with its films, and reviewers who didn't want to go to the effort of contacting Bert Adler in New Rochelle had to guess, as in the case of the writer for The Moving Picture World who commented: "The story is entirely natural and convincing. It is also very pleasingly acted by Miss M. Snow in the leading role with Miss Flo LaBadie, Mr. Russell, and a very good player whose name we don't know."

Love's Miracle, released on May 10th, and Jilted, released May 14th, were both filmed in Florida, and both received praise for the scenery and other characteristics. The latter film was split with Niagara the Beautiful at the end of the reel, a contrast between North and South. Then came The Little Shut-In, released on May 17th, which told of a crippled boy who lived in a basement. Through the window he could see just the feet of passers by - but what interesting stories could be imagined from what those feet looked like and seemed to do! The Morning Telegraph called it "a unique play," while The New York Dramatic Mirror considered it to be "a decidedly clever little conception, a romance of feet at work."

In the meantime spring weather was in full force in New Rochelle, the Florida players had been home for more than a month now, and the fancies of young men turned to baseball. The New Rochelle Evening Standard, May 14, 1912, reported:

The Thanhouser Company has accepted a challenge from the Pathé Frères Company to play a game of baseball within three weeks. Practice is held daily by candidates for the local team, which promises to be a good one. For pitcher the local nine will have Charles Horan, who was the sensation of the college baseball circles when he pitched for Harvard University. Horan maintains that he is in excellent trim and has not lost his former control of the ball. William Russell, the heavy man of the company will do the receiving. James Cruze will endeavor to imitate Connie Mack and turn out a championship team, having been appointed manager. Other players on the team will be Thompson, Reineck, Horton, Gleason, and the two Zimmerman brothers who have a brother playing for the Chicago Cubs.