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The Balboa Amusement Producing Company (also known as Balboa Studios, and Balboa Feature Film Company) was a film production company in
In 1910, the California Motion Picture Manufacturing Company built the first movie studio in the city of Long Beach. This was also the first studio west of Chicago, since the hub of film-making at that time was in New York. In April 1913, H. M. Horkheimer (along with his brother, Elwood) invested their inheritance in the purchase of the studio built by the California Motion Picture Manufacturing Company at the corner of 6th Street and Alamitos Ave. This became the center of their Balboa Amusement Producing Company.
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
, from 1913 to 1918 that produced more than 1000 films, around 90% of which have been lost.
Some of the notable silent film
A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
stars who worked at the studios during this time are Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...
. Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
also made three visits to the studios to visit Arbuckle's film shoots and to study studio management for his newly formed United Artists company.
History
In 1910, the California Motion Picture Manufacturing Company built the first movie studio in the city of Long Beach. This was also the first studio west of Chicago, since the hub of film-making at that time was in New York. In April 1913, H. M. Horkheimer (along with his brother, Elwood) invested their inheritance in the purchase of the studio built by the California Motion Picture Manufacturing Company at the corner of 6th Street and Alamitos Ave. This became the center of their Balboa Amusement Producing Company.
Jack London
A contract between Balboa andJack London
John Griffith London (; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors t ...
was signed on April 28, 1913, allowing the studio to make film adaptations of his novels. In the beginning of August, '' Variety'' announced a contract between the Bosworth Company and Jack London to produce film versions of London's novels. The first release would be '' The Sea Wolf''. The Balboa company would advertise that they would be the first to release the film and announced their own version of ''The Sea Wolf'' and several other adaptations of London's works. In an article in '' Motion Picture News'' in which Hobart Bosworth stated the production would be ready by October 1 and there is no reason to doubt the contract between Bosworth and London. The publication received a telegram from Jack London confirmed that Balboa's contract had lapsed because of a failure to produce four films by the stipulated date. London also stated that the first film had not even been completed by this point. When the matter was taken to court, the federal judge in Los Angeles refused to grant an injunction on Balboa's three reel version of the film and H. M. Horkheimer was considering suing for damages by Bosworth. The judge allowed the case to be re-opened and the Authors' League of America announced a desire to take it to the United States Supreme Court if necessary. London won the case and influenced the United States Congress to change the copyright law in the writer's favor.
Filmography
*''The Sea Wolf'' (1913), pulled from theaters after Jack London sued *'' St. Elmo'' (1914) *'' Joy and the Dragon'' (1916) *'' Little Mary Sunshine'' (1916) *'' The Sultana'' (1916) *'' The Stolen Play'' (1917) *'' The Devil's Bait (1917) *'' Alien Blood'' (1917) *'' The Wildcat'' (1917) *'' The Neglected Wife'' (1917) *'' Vengeance of the Dead'' (1917)See also
* Henry King (director) * The Sea Wolf (1913 film), a 1913 Lubin Manufacturing Company filmReferences
Bibliography
* * * * * * {{Authority control 1913 establishments in California 1918 disestablishments in California American companies established in 1913 Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles Entertainment companies based in California Entertainment companies established in 1913 Film production companies of the United States History of Long Beach, California Mass media companies established in 1913 Mass media companies disestablished in 1918 American companies disestablished in 1918