Reliance Film Company (1910–1915) was an early movie production studio in the United States. It was established in 1910 in Coney Island by Adam Kessel Jr. and

Charles O. Baumann Charles O. Baumann (January 20, 1874 – July 18, 1931) was an American film producer, film studio executive, and pioneer in the motion picture industry. Biography Career He was a partner in the Crescent Film Company formed in 1908 and in ...

Harry Aitken Harry E. Aitken (1877August 1, 1956) was a film studio executive. Life He was born on 4 October 1877. He grew up on a family farm near Goerke's Corners, Wisconsin. The brothers operated Keystone Studios and eventually Harry became a partner in ...

purchased the Reliance Film Company in 1911 from

. It also went by the name the Reliance Motion Picture Company.

History

Reliance Film Company was founded in 1910 by Adam Kessel Jr. and Charles O. Baumann in

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to th ...

in Brooklyn, New York City. It was a subsidiary of the

New York Motion Picture Company The New York Motion Picture Company was a film production and distribution company from 1909 until 1914. It changed names to New York Picture Corporation in 1912. It released films through several different brand names, including 101 Bison, Kay ...

. They were also the founders of the

Bison Film Company Bison Film Company, also known as 101 Bison Film Company, is an American film studio established in 1909 and disestablished in 1917. It partnered with Miller Brothers 101 Ranch to lease 20,000 acres to build a Western town set and an Indian vill ...

on the West Coast. In 1911, Baumann stepped down from leadership at the company in order to focus more time at the Bison Film Company; control and management was succeeded by J. V. Ritchey and J. C. Graham. From 1910 until 1912, Kessel and Baumann were joined at the company by

Phillips Smalley Wendell Phillips Smalley (August 7, 1865 – May 2, 1939) was an American silent film director and actor. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was the grandson of Wendell Phillips; he was the son of George Washburn Smalley, a war correspo ...

and

Lois Weber Florence Lois Weber (June 13, 1879 – November 13, 1939) was an American silent film actress, screenwriter, producer and director. She is identified in some historical references as among "the most important and prolific film directors in the e ...

, both were actors and filmmakers. The studio took over the offices of the Sanford White studio in Manhattan. It also operated a 10,000 sq ft factory on

. It published ''The Film'', a weekly. Actor

Max Davidson Max Davidson (May 23, 1875 – September 4, 1950) was a German-American film actor known for his comedic Jewish persona during the silent film era. With a career spanning over thirty years, Davidson appeared in over 180 films. Career Bor ...

portrayed the character 'Izzy' in a series of Reliance films shorts in 1914.

Filmography

*''

A Brass Button A Brass Button is a 1911 American social drama film in one reel, released on February 1, 1911. It was produced by Reliance Film Company. The actors are James Kirkwood and probably Marion Leonard. External links * 1911 films 1911 drama fil ...

'' (1911) *''

Her Son ''Her Son'' is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by Walter West and starring Violet Hopson, Stewart Rome and Mercy Hatton. It was based on the 1907 novel ''Her Son'' by Horace Annesley Vachell. Cast * Violet Hopson - Dorothy Fairfax ...

'' (1911) * ''Jealousy'' (1912 film) *'' Votes for Women (film)'' (1912), about women's suffrage produced in partnership with the National American Woman Suffrage Association *''

The Rose Bush of Memories ''The Rose Bush of Memories'' is a 1914 American silent short film. The film starred Earle Foxe, Miriam Cooper, Courtenay Foote Courtenay Foote (22 November 1878 – 4 May 1925) was an English stage and silent film actor. Born in Yor ...

'' (1914) *''

The Huron Converts ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

'' (1915) with Joseph Henabery *''

Man (1913 film) A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chro ...

'', a Reliance film directed by Oscar Apfel starring James Ashley, Gertrude Robinson *''

Before the White Man Came Before is the opposite of after, and may refer to: * ''Before'' (Gold Panda EP), 2009 * ''Before'' (James Blake EP), 2020 * "Before" (song), a 1996 song by the Pet Shop Boys * "Before", a song by the Empire of the Sun from ''Two Vines'' * "Befo ...

'' *''

At Cripple Creek AT or at may refer to: Geography Austria * Austria (ISO 2-letter country code) * .at, Internet country code top-level domain United States * Atchison County, Kansas (county code) * The Appalachian Trail (A.T.), a 2,180+ mile long mounta ...

'' *''

The Victoria Cross (1912 film) The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

'' (''

The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to s ...

''), directed by Hal Reid *'' A Man's Duty'' *''

The Secret Service Man ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

'' *''

Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...

'' (1912) *''

His Mother's Son His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, in ...

'' (1913) *'' Kaintuck'' (1912), a Kaintuck is a native of Kentucky *''

Virginius (film) Virginius may refer to: * ''Virginius'' Affair, a diplomatic dispute that occurred during the Ten Years' War **, the ship at the center of the Affair *Virginius Island, West Virginia, an island on the Shenandoah River in Harpers Ferry, West Virgini ...

'' (1912), based on the play by

James Sheridan Knowles James Sheridan Knowles (12 May 1784 – 30 November 1862) was an Irish dramatist and actor. Biography Knowles was born in Cork. His father was the lexicographer James Knowles (1759–1840), cousin of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The family mo ...

*''

The Second Mrs. Roebuck ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

'' (1914) *''

The Great Leap; Until Death Do Us Part ''The Great Leap; Until Death Do Us Part'' is a 1914 silent American drama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Mae Marsh, Robert Harron, and Ralph Lewis, and was released on March 26, 1914. Plot Cast * Mae Marsh as Mary Gibbs * Rob ...

'' (1914) *''

The Three Brothers (1915 film) Three Brothers may refer to: Film and television * ''Three Brothers'' (1944 film), a U.S. Army animated short by Friz Freleng * ''Three Brothers'' (1981 film), an Italian film by Francesco Rosi * ''Three Brothers'' (2014 film), a film by Jan Sv� ...

'' (1915) *''

Station Content (1915 film) ''Station Content'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Arthur Hoyt and starring Gloria Swanson. The original, five reel feature is presumed to be lost, but a one reel abridgment created in 1926 does survive and has been releas ...

'' (1915) *''

The Craven ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'' (1915) *''

Sympathy Sal Sympathy is the perception of, understanding of, and reaction to the distress or need of another life form. According to David Hume, this sympathetic concern is driven by a switch in viewpoint from a personal perspective to the perspective of ano ...

'' (1915) *''

The Outlaw's Revenge ''The Outlaw's Revenge'' is a 1915 silent American biographical drama film, directed by Christy Cabanne. It stars Raoul Walsh, Irene Hunt, and Teddy Sampson, and was released on April 15, 1915. Cast list * Raoul Walsh as the outlaw * Irene Hunt ...

'' (1915) *''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' *'' Rosanna's Dream'' *'' Solomon's Son'' *''

When Men Love When may refer to: * When?, one of the Five Ws, questions used in journalism * WHEN (AM), an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in Syracuse, New York * WHEN-TV, the former call letters of TV station WTVH in Syracuse, New York Music * Whe ...

'' *''

Invasion of the Wilderness An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishin ...

'' *''

The Girl Who Waited "The Girl Who Waited" is the tenth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', and was first broadcast on BBC One and BBC America on 10 September 2011. It was written by Tom MacRae and was directe ...

'' *''

The Reckoning The Reckoning may refer to: Literature * ''The Reckoning'' (Armstrong novel), a 2010 novel by Kelley Armstrong * ''The Reckoning'' (Grisham novel), a 2018 novel by John Grisham * ''The Reckoning'' (Long novel), a 2004 novel by Jeff Long * ' ...

References

Silent film studios Entertainment companies established in 1910 Defunct American film studios Entertainment companies based in New York City {{US-company-stub