Edwin Thanhouser (November 11, 1865 – March 21, 1956) was an American actor, businessman, and film producer. He was most notable as a founder of the

Thanhouser Company The Thanhouser Company (later the Thanhouser Film Corporation) was one of the first motion picture studios, founded in 1909 by Edwin Thanhouser, his wife Gertrude Thanhouser, Gertrude and his brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan. It operated in New Yo ...

, which was one of the first motion picture studios. His wife Gertrude Thanhouser and brother-in-law Lloyd Lonergan were co-founders.

Biography

Thanhouser was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

. In 1893, he joined the traveling company of Alessandro Salvini. After Salvini's unexpected death in 1896, Thanhouser managed the Academy Theater in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, for the

Shubert family The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of Broadway theatre, Broadway theaters in New York City's Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District, as the hub of the theatre industry in the United States. Through the The Shubert Org ...

and then the Bush Temple Theater in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. He formed a stock company that put on hundreds of theatrical productions. On February 8, 1900, Thanhouser married actress Gertrude Homan. In 1909, Thanhouser and his family moved to

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtow ...

, where he leased space in an old wooden skating rink to start the Thanhouser Company. This pioneering movie studio released its first commercial film on March 15, 1910. Thanhouser brought actress Florence La Badie to the company in 1911. From 1911 to 1917, she was the company's most prominent star. In 1912, he sold the film company to group headed by Charles J. Hite. Early in 1915, after Hite's death in an accident, Thanhouser took charge of the company again, but was not as successful as he had been before. The Thanhouser Film Corporation was liquidated in 1920. Edwin Thanhouser engaged in securities investments and collected art in his later years. He died March 21, 1956.Slide, Anthony. ''The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry''. Routledge (2014)

References

External links

*
Edwin Thanhouser biography entry on Thanhouser website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thanhouser, Edwin 1865 births 1956 deaths 19th-century American male actors American male stage actors 20th-century American businesspeople Male actors from Baltimore Businesspeople from Baltimore Film producers from New York (state) People of the silent film era Thanhouser Company Silent film producers Male actors from New Rochelle, New York