Volume I: Narrative History

Chapter 9: 1916 Jacksonville in the Spotlight

Thanhouser's Jacksonville Studio in early 1916. Courtesy of the American Museum of the Moving Image/Lawrence Williams Collection (M-6-X)

The month of February saw numerous articles printed about the Thanhouser Film Corporation's continuing activities in Jacksonville. The comings and goings of Thanhouserites were seemingly of greater interest to Jacksonville residents than they ever were to citizens of New Rochelle.

On February 1st The Florida Metropolis carried this short notice:

Edwin Thanhouser of the Thanhouser Film Company Note is expected to arrive here tomorrow to look over the local Thanhouser studio. The three local Thanhouser companies have been busy every day since they came to Jacksonville.

The New York Dramatic Mirror reported this on February 5th:

With the arrival of Baroness DeWitz and her company, under the direction of Ernest Warde, the Thanhouser studio has four companies at work. Included in the company are Gladys Dore, Thomas Curran, and James Murray.... William McNulty and A.H. Moses of the Thanhouser Studio gave a dinner on the 26th to their Thanhouser friends.... Miriam [sic; actually Marion] Swayne arrived on January 17 at the Thanhouser Studio and is soon to be featured in The Siren of the Sea.

The Sunday Times-Union, February 6, 1916, carried an interview with W. Ray Johnston, auditor of finances at the Jacksonville studio. Upon being queried as to what the citizens and merchants of the city could do to encourage other movie companies to locate there, Johnston noted that motion pictures constituted one of the few industries which did not take from local resources but which at the same time advertised Jacksonville and the state of Florida. For every foot of film exposed in Jacksonville an estimated $2 is spent locally, involving about $30,000 worth of capital per week, he estimated. He went on to suggest that local merchants should be encouraged to give theatrical discounts to people in films.

The Florida Metropolis informed its readers on February 7th that: "Edwin Thanhouser, accompanied by his wife, arrived at the Hotel Mason for a stay of several weeks in the city. While here Mr. Thanhouser will inspect the work of his company now located permanently in this city." The same newspaper noted that George Foster Platt entertained Robert E. Forbes, editor of The New Rochelle Star, and members of his company, at a dinner at Platt's home on Laura Street (sic; most accounts gave his address as Pearl Street) on the preceding Friday evening.

The Sunday Times-Union printed the following on February 13th:

Edwin Thanhouser, president of the Thanhouser Film Corporation, accompanied by Mrs. Thanhouser, arrived in the city last Monday to spend a week. Mr. Thanhouser was greatly pleased with the conditions as he found them at the local studio and while here visited St. Augustine, Mayport, Green Cove, and other surrounding points in order to obtain a better idea of the locations hereabouts, to guide his corporation in the scripts they send for production here. George Foster Platt gave a dinner at his home, 2325 Pearl Street, last Tuesday evening in honor of Mr. Bert Forbes, editor of The New Rochelle Star, who, with Mrs. Forbes, was visiting in Jacksonville. Following dinner several musical numbers were given, among them piano selections by Billy Sullivan, a bass solo by Morgan Jones, a violin solo by Mrs. Jones, and a baritone solo by Boyd Marshall. It is rumored that William Burt also sang.

The Sunday Metropolis in its issue of February 20th told of various Thanhouser players and the automobiles they preferred. William McNulty had purchased a Flanders Runabout; Alfred H. Moses, Jr. was the owner of a new Saxon Six and had motored to St. Augustine the preceding Sunday to give it a tryout; George A. Grimmer became the owner of a 90-horsepower eight-cylinder Stutz; the Thanhouser studio purchased a Hup-20 Roadster the preceding Thursday; Riley Chamberlin had a five-passenger Ford; Ethel Jewett had an Overland car awarded to her the preceding December in a contest staged by The Sunday Telegraph in New York when she was named the second most popular motion picture actress; Billy Sullivan, an assistant director, owned a new Reo roadster; William A. Howell had a Marmon six-cylinder roadster purchased the preceding week; Frank Jobes traded in his old car on a new Saxon Six; Arthur Bauer "has taken a ride in every demonstration car in Jacksonville, but we don't see him driving his own car yet"; and Louise Emerald Bates traveled to and from the Seminole Hotel in her National roadster.

Meanwhile in New Rochelle, The Evening Standard Note reported on an offer reminiscent of the days when Charles J. Hite headed the studio and had his fingers in many business pies:

Edwin Thanhouser, president of the Thanhouser Film Corporation, is negotiating with Tex Rickard to have the coming championship battle between the heavyweight fighters, Jess Willard, the world's champion, and Frank Moran, who seeks the title, fought in New Rochelle. Ruby Rubenstein is acting as the go-between. He spoke optimistically yesterday when he said he thought Mr. Thanhouser could make a better offer than the present backers have heard yet. It is understood that it is to be a 10-round fight for the division of a purse of $60,000. He said Mr. Thanhouser was prepared to put $100,000 into the investment and that he is willing to take the entire business off Mr. Rickard's hands or form a partnership with him guaranteeing the $60,000 and profits.

Mr. Rubenstein stated that Mr. Thanhouser would either enlarge the big studio near Boston Post Road or build a special enclosure for the fight. He said New Rochelle is near enough to New York City to draw all the fight fans for miles around the metropolis and that 30,000 people at least would be here on the big day. Mr. Thanhouser would then have the exclusive rights to the fight picture, and Lloyd Lonergan would write a scenario around the incident. It is the intention of Mr. Thanhouser should he succeed in bringing the big championship battle here to put on three preliminary bouts before the main event, and one of them would be a championship meeting in another class.

On February 19th the first annual ball arranged jointly by the Screen Club and the Exhibitors' League was held in Madison Square Garden. A report in The Moving Picture World Note stated: "The incense wafted from Miss LaBadie's gown must have given an Arabian Night's dreams to the men who sleep in the open. But it was too cold.... Director Sullivan, of Thanhouser, was marshaling his forces for the spectacular entrance of Florence LaBadie. Looking like a veritable queen of ancient history, lolling gracefully in a golden chair carried on the shoulders of Nubian slaves, she was the center of a splendid procession. No beauty of the screen ever was given a more gorgeous setting, and her triumphal march brought applause from every corner of the Garden.... In the second Thanhouser promenade there was a liberal New Rochelle delegation." Many stars and executives from other companies were in attendance as well.

There was trouble brewing between the Mutual Film Corporation and the Thanhouser Film Corporation. The Mutual program was becoming weaker and weaker, and from Thanhouser's viewpoint the releases of the New Rochelle company were one of the few strong points remaining. From Mutual's viewpoint Thanhouser was contributing films which attracted little attention in the marketplace. Inside reports had it that the much-advertised Mutual Masterpicture, DeLuxe Edition films were just ho-hum to the average moviegoer.

On February 19th The Moving Picture World listed the Mutual program schedule as follows: Note

Sunday: Reliance (2 reels), Casino, Thanhouser

Monday: American (2), Falstaff, Novelty

Tuesday: Thanhouser (2), cartoon and scenic, Beauty

Wednesday: Rialto, Centaur (3), Novelty

Thursday: Centaur (2), Falstaff, Mutual Weekly

Friday: Mustang (2), American, Cub

Saturday: Clipper, Than-O-Play or Mustang (3), Beauty

The next week, in its issue of February 26th, The Moving Picture World listed the Mutual program as follows, indicating a number of changes:

Sunday: Beauty, Gaumont, Vogue

Monday: Masterpicture DeLuxe Edition (5 reels)

Tuesday: American (3), Falstaff

Wednesday: Beauty, Thanhouser (3)

Thursday: Falstaff, Mutual Weekly, Masterpicture DeLuxe Edition (5)

Friday: Mustang (2), Cub

Saturday: Masterpicture DeLuxe Edition (5)

While the Thanhouser and American brands, and to a lesser extent, Reliance films were well known to movie patrons, Casino, Novelty, Beauty, Rialto, Centaur, Cub, Mustang, and Clipper were obscure. Increasingly, theatre owners were lessening their loyalty to program releases and were concentrating on securing multiple-reel features. Whether the one-reel film was doomed or whether it was the true mainstay of the business was the subject of much debate within the industry.