The Victor Film Company was a

motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

company formed in 1912 by

movie star A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an actor who is famous for their starring, or leading, roles in movies. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names and whose names ...

Florence Lawrence Florence Lawrence (born Florence Annie Bridgwood; January 2, 1886 – December 28, 1938) was a Canadian-American stage performer and film actress. She is often referred to as the "first movie star", and was long thought to be the first film act ...

and her husband,

Harry Solter Henry Lewis Solter (November 19, 1873 – March 2, 1920) was an American silent film actor and director. Career Solter began his career as an actor in 1908 with Biograph Studios. That same year he met actress Florence Lawrence while maki ...

. The company established Victor Studios in

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a Borough (New Jersey), borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades (Hudson River), The Palisades. As of the 2020 Uni ...

, when early

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; how ...

s in

America's first motion picture industry Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 40,191, an increase of 4,8 ...

were based there at the beginning of the 20th century. At a time when actors received no screen credits,

Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle ; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a German-American film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the ...

of the Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP) had begun promoting Lawrence's name and image, making her into America's "First Movie Star." Harry Solter had already been directing Lawrence at IMP and with their own studio, he made a large number of

film short A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

s starring his wife, many of which co-starred

Owen Moore Owen Moore (12 December 1886 – 9 June 1939) was an Irish people, Irish-born American actor, appearing in more than 279 movies spanning from 1908 to 1937. Early life and career Moore was born in Fordstown Crossroads, County Meath, Ireland. A ...

and

King Baggot William King Baggot (November 7, 1879 – July 11, 1948) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was an internationally famous movie star of the silent film era. The first individually publicized leading man in America, Baggo ...

. In addition, the studio teamed Moore with

Fritzi Brunette Fritzi Brunette (born Florence Brunet; May 27, 1890 – September 28, 1943) was an American actress. Early years Fritzi Brunette was born Florence Brunet in Savannah, Georgia, or in Boston although some sources list her birthname as Florence Si ...

in several of its productions. However, with the amalgamation of several studios to create the colossal

Universal Film Manufacturing Company Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American film production and distribution company headquartered at the Universal Studios complex in Universal City, ...

, Lawrence and Solter had little choice but to sell out in 1913. With Solter no longer involved, Universal brought in young directors such as

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

and

James Kirkwood, Sr. James Cornelius Kirkwood Sr. (February 22, 1876 – August 24, 1963) was an American actor and Film director, director. Biography Kirkwood debuted on screen in 1909 and was soon playing leads for D. W. Griffith. He started directing in 1912, a ...

The Victor entity remained in use until 1917 when it was absorbed completely into Universal.

References

Early film in Fort Lee, New Jersey Mass media companies established in 1912 Mass media companies disestablished in 1917 Defunct American film studios Mass media in New Jersey Fort Lee, New Jersey 1912 establishments in New Jersey 1917 disestablishments in New Jersey Film production companies of the United States 1913 mergers and acquisitions Film studios and soundstages in New Jersey {{Film-studio-stub