Selig Polyscope Company
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The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company founded in 1896 in Chicago, Illinois by William Selig.
Contents
History
William Selig wanted to enter the film business, but wanted to do so with his own equipment. In 1896, with help from Union Metal Works and Andrew Schustek he shot his first film Tramp and the Dog for the "Selig Polyscope Company". By 1909 he had three studios in operation: New Orleans, Louisiana; Edendale, California; and Chicago, Illinois. Unfortunately the studio was forced to shut down in 1918.Legal Troubles
The first years for the studio were marked with legal turmoil, largely due to the efforts of Thomas Edison's Lawyers. In 1909 William Selig and several other studio heads created an alliance with Edison. Thus the Motion Picture Patents Company and its distribution arm General Films dominated the industry until the Supreme Court ruled the Motion Pictures Patents Company was an illegal monopoly.Edendale, California
Operations in Edendale, California were set up by his associate Francis Boggs. The studio Francis Boggs had built would be leased to William Fox because in 1913 William Selig acquired 32 acres of land near Lincoln Park for USD 1 million and began to shift operations to his new location. As he had acquired numerous wild animals for filming, part of this new set was to become a zoo. However Selig continue to operate the Selig Zoo and produce independent films. In the 1930s the zoo was closed and the animals were donated to Los Angeles County and formed the initial collection at the Griffith Park Zoo. Louis Mayer would move into the studio lot in 1920.William Selig operated his original Edendale lot until 1916 when it was leased to William Fox whom operated there until 1917. This lot has served for many other studios including Garson Studios and Marshall Neilan Studios.
In 1913, in a last-ditch effort to help save the Chicago Tribune, William Selig began a collaborative to boost the paper’s circulation and increase attendance at his pictures. The Adventures of Kathlyn perfected the art of the cliffhanger and each chapter's story was published in conjunction with the latest installment. The combination of wild animals, thrills, adventure and Kathlyn Williams made for an incredible success. Reportedly the Tribune’s circulation increased 10% and a dance and cocktail were named after Kathlyn Williams. It was even a trend for men to carry around a postcard of her.
List of Pictures
- A Hot Time on a Bathing Beach 1903
- A Black Sheep 1915
- Adventures of Kathlyn, The 1913
- Arabia, the Equine Detective 1913
- Brotherhood of Man 1912
- Business Rivalry 1903
- Chicago Fire Run 1903
- Chicago Firecats of Parade 1903
- Chicago Police Parade 1901
- Damon and Pythias 1908
- Dewey Parada 1901
- Gans-McGovern Fight 1901
- House of a Thousand Candles 1915
- Humpty Dumptry 1904
- Hunting Big Game in Africa 1909
- Kings Forest 1912
- Little Orphant Annie 1918
- Soldiers at Play 1898
- The Blacksmith's Love
- The City of Purple Dreams 1918
- The Coming of Columbus 1911
- The Count of Monte Cristo 1908
- The Crisis 1915
- The Daughter of "Gas House" Dan
- The Garden of Allah 1916
- The Girl in Blue 1903
- The Grafter 1907
- The Man from Texas 1915
- The Sheriff of Yavapai County 1913
- The Spoilers 1914
- The Tramp Dog 1904
- The Tramp and the Dog 1896 1906
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 1910
- Trip Around The Union Loop 1903
- View of State Street 1903
- War Time Romance 1912
Actors/Actresses/Directors
- G.M. Anderson
- Roscoe Arbuckle
- Francis Boggs
- Tom Mix
- Kathlyn Williams
Trivia
- The First Tarzan movie was filmed at the Selig Zoo
- It was the only zoo south of San Francisco, California
- At it's time, it became the largest collection of wild animals in the world
- Credited with creating the first cliffhanger with 1913's The Adventures of Kathryn
- Credited with making the first permanent studio in Los Angeles
- Credited as one of the first Motion Picture Studios
- Credited with making the first two-reel film Damon and Pythias
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