From Delancey Place, April 8:
Early Hollywood
Today's selection -- from Hollywood Stories by Stephen Schochet. Florence Lawrence was America’s first movie star:
"In the early days of Hollywood, German-born Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Studios, fought a furious battle against Thomas Edison over the right to make movies. After patenting the motion picture camera in 1890, the shrewd self-promoting Edison required all producers to pay him a fee before their pictures could be legally exhibited to the public. Laemmle became an outlaw guerilla filmmaker who outmaneuvered the inventor at every turn. Unlike Edison, who refused to reveal the names of the actors who worked for him, the tiny mogul created the movie star system, which grew his company enormously. The battle was decided in 1915, when the courts declared Edison was not entitled to a monopoly. Laemmle, who had gotten used to his unlawful and underdog status, misunderstood when his lawyer sent him a triumphant telegram: JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED!
"Carl's reply? APPEAL IMMEDIATELY
"The early movies shown in famed inventor Thomas Edison's (1847-1931) time had no stories, no movie stars and no sound. Often, short films were called 'chasers'; they were shown continuously at the end of a program until the patrons left the theater so a new paying crowd could come in. One such production, shown in the early 20th century, involved two girls getting undressed by a lake. Right before their last garments came off, a train came by and blocked the audience's view. In the next scene, they were swimming. The three-minute film was shown throughout the country. One old farmer became a big fan and kept paying to see it repeatedly. One day the theater manager came down and said, 'Say old timer. Every day you sit and watch the same thing over and over.''''Well sonny, one of these days I'm hoping the train will be late!'....
....MUCH MORE
