Alice Rosenthal (1868-1935) was a British-Jewish film sales manager, film company owner and cinema owner. She was one of the pioneers of the

British film industry British cinema has significantly influenced the global film industry since the 19th century. The oldest known surviving film in the world, ''Roundhay Garden Scene'' (1888), was shot in England by French inventor Louis Le Prince. Early colour ...

Biography

Rosenthal was born in

Kentish Town Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town, close to Hampstead Heath. Kentish Town likely derives its name from Ken-ditch or Caen-ditch, meaning the "bed of a waterw ...

, London, on 13 December 1868, the daughter of Jewish jeweler and general trader Joseph Rosentall and his gentile second wife Matilda (née Brokenbrow). She had been working as a dressmaker when she was taken on as stock manager and sales person for Maguire & Baucus, agents for Edison films in Britain, around 1895/96.The company operated under the name Continental Commerce Company, and was one of the few sources from which exhibitors could obtain films in the early months of film in Britain. As sales manager Rosenthal became a familiar figure to all in the emerging industry, providing films and projectors to many of showmen and women across the UK. The business expanded hugely in 1897 when a new manager,

Charles Urban Charles Urban (April 15, 1867 – August 29, 1942) was a German-American film producer and distributor, and one of the most significant figures in Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema before the First World War. He was a pioneer of the do ...

, took over, and in 1898 was renamed the

Warwick Trading Company The Warwick Trading Company was a British film production and distribution company, which operated between 1898 and 1915. History The Warwick Trading Company had its origins in the London office of Maguire and Baucus, a firm run by two American ...

, after its offices in Warwick Court, London. Rosenthal now sold films and projectors to exhibitors from around the world, making the word ' bioscope' (the name of Urban's trademark cameras and projectors) globally familiar. Many of these films were taken by her brother, Joseph Rosenthal, who had been taken on by Urban at her recommendation. When Urban left Warwick to form the

Charles Urban Trading Company The Charles Urban Trading Company (CUTC) specialised in travel, educational and scientific films. It was formed in 1903 in London by the Anglo-American film producer Charles Urban, who struck out on his own after five years at the Warwick Trading ...

in 1903, Alice Rosenthal went with him. However, she had left the company by 1904 to join the film department of the French company

Pathé Frères Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

in London. In 1909 she left Pathé to become sales manager at her brother Joseph's new film company, Rosie Films, based in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

(brother and sister each were known by the nickname 'Rosie'). In late 1909 Rosenthal opened a cinema in Croydon, the Cosie Picture Palace. It was a small venue, seating around 200, and ceased operations in 1912. The following year she founded a film company, A.R. Film Co. Ltd. The company produced a small number of short comedy films, shot by her nephew Joseph Rosenthal Jnr., but the business was badly affected by

World War One World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...

and film production ceased after 1914. After the war Rosenthal worked in the offices of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

, before retiring to

Leysdown-on-Sea Leysdown-on-Sea is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Sheppey, in the borough of Borough of Swale, Swale in Kent, England. In 2020 it had an estimated population of 936. The civil parish is Leysdown and includes the settlements of Bay V ...

on the

Isle of Sheppey The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England, neighbouring the Thames Estuary, centred from central London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the districts of England, local government district of Borough ...

. She died there on 10 October 1935.McKernan, Luke,
Alice Rosenthal
, Women Film Pioneers Project, 2023

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenthal, Alice 1868 births 1935 deaths British cinema pioneers British film producers British women film producers English Jews Film people from London People from Kentish Town