Volume I: Narrative History

 

Chapter 9: 1916 More About Jacksonville

Throughout April 1916 many news items about the Jacksonville studio appeared in print. Not stated was the fact that Thanhouser films, including those produced in Jacksonville, were not doing well on the Mutual program, and that the rift between Edwin Thanhouser and his confreres in the Mutual Film Corporation was widening.

The New Rochelle Pioneer printed this paragraph on April 1st: "Director George Foster Platt, James J. Dunne, his assistant, and Bert Delaney returned from Jacksonville last Saturday, where they were engaged in taking pictures at the Southern studio. Mr. Platt has resigned from the local corporation and leaves tomorrow for California." Note

The New York Dramatic Mirror, March 4, 1916: reported: "George K. Hollister, now with Thanhouser, will join an expedition to South America as a cameraman. Hollister covered the greater part of the globe with a camera and was formerly with Kalem.... So many of the Thanhouser members are purchasing automobiles that parking space at the studio is becoming congested."

The Sunday Metropolis reported on April 9th that two Thanhouser comedians, Frank McNish and Claude Cooper, had recently arrived at the Southern studio.

The Moving Picture World, April 15, 1916, carried an article about Falstaff films, the majority of which were now being produced in Jacksonville:

It is now about a year since Edwin Thanhouser launched one of his new ideas in the form of the Falstaff brand of comedy. It was at that time announced that these single reelers would represent the direct line of legitimate comedies in vogue. It was pointed out by Mr. Thanhouser that attention would be given first to story; that was the most conspicuous missing element of rapid-fire funny films. The genius of Lloyd Lonergan...was put into play, also Phil Lonergan, his able younger brother.

From the very first Note the big feature of the Falstaff brand was the oddity of the alliterative title; and they quickly caught on. The character of the subject is quickly proclaimed by such titles as Perplexing Pickle Puzzle, Busted But Benevolent, Oscar the Oyster Opener, Pedro the Punk Poet, Pansy's Prison Pies, Film Favorite's Finish, "Clarissa's" Charming Calf, and others, all of them funny to the tongue and the ear. They caught on quickly and after a few releases the trade realized that Falstaffs were a different kind of comedy.

Then when the Mutual Exchanges were booking them out at a top rate, the wizard of New Rochelle Note let fly his heavy artillery. He signed up Riley Chamberlin to appear in Falstaffs exclusively, and soon after that Louise Emerald Bates as well, the blonde Ziegfeld beauty who is now known as the Falstaff Girl. Claude Cooper, funmaster, was made an acting director, and Walter Hiers, the fat comedian, was engaged to foil Chamberlin. Claude Cooper then reached out for a fun partner and finally landed Frank E. McNish, the famous old eccentric comedian. While all of this was being done the Falstaff output was doubled to two a week, and William A. Howell was added to the directing staff.

The original Falstaff director was Arthur Ellery, and his company remained in New Rochelle when it came time to go to Florida. Ellery's grasp of legitimate comedy values makes him easily the most consistent performer in his line, and he gets his results through his very seriousness when he stages the funniest scenes. Frances Keyes is his chief comedy character, and her versatility will be amply exhibited in a forthcoming Note release entitled Pansy Post Protean Player. Ellery's methods seem to assure positive results, possibly due to his success as a writer of comic short stories. Under the present release schedule the two Falstaffs per week have established their following, but it is expected that new additions will be made to the staff which will put them over with still more vim and smash.

More Thanhouser news appeared in The Florida Metropolis, April 20, 1916:

Riley Chamberlin, the popular comedian of the Thanhouser Company, left yesterday afternoon on the Lenape for New Rochelle, New York, where he will remain during the summer. Riley says he expects to return to the city in the fall with the other members of the Thanhouser family who have already gone north.

 

Copyright © 1995 Q. David Bowers. All Rights Reserved.