General Film Company
Encyclopedia
The General Film Company was a motion picture
distribution company
in the United States. Between 1909 and 1920, the company distributed almost 12,000 silent era
motion pictures.
The General Film Company was formed by the Motion Picture Patents Company
(MPPC) in an attempt to monopolize distribution. In 1909, the General Film Company tried to seize the equipment of independent distribution companies to discourage their activities. Using their control over several film patents, the General Film Company and MPPC tried to force independent distribution companies to sell out or lose their patent licenses. Competing organizations, such as the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company
, the National Independent Moving Picture Alliance and the Film Service Association, emerged to challenge the trust. By 1912, the power of the General Film Company had declined and the U.S. Justice Department
started prosecution of the MPCC and the General Film Company under the Sherman Act.
On March 30, 1918, the General Film Company was sold, along with the MPPC, to the Lincoln & Parker Film Company of Massachusetts
. Thomas Edison
reacquired these assets when the Lincoln & Parker Company went bankrupt, and sold them to producer Robert L. Giffen in October 1919.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
distribution company
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
in the United States. Between 1909 and 1920, the company distributed almost 12,000 silent era
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
motion pictures.
The General Film Company was formed by the Motion Picture Patents Company
Motion Picture Patents Company
The Motion Picture Patents Company , founded in December 1908, was a trust of all the major American film companies , the leading film distributor and the biggest supplier of raw film stock, Eastman Kodak...
(MPPC) in an attempt to monopolize distribution. In 1909, the General Film Company tried to seize the equipment of independent distribution companies to discourage their activities. Using their control over several film patents, the General Film Company and MPPC tried to force independent distribution companies to sell out or lose their patent licenses. Competing organizations, such as the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company
Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company
The Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company was a motion picture distribution company that operated in the United States between 1910 and 1912...
, the National Independent Moving Picture Alliance and the Film Service Association, emerged to challenge the trust. By 1912, the power of the General Film Company had declined and the U.S. Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
started prosecution of the MPCC and the General Film Company under the Sherman Act.
On March 30, 1918, the General Film Company was sold, along with the MPPC, to the Lincoln & Parker Film Company of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
reacquired these assets when the Lincoln & Parker Company went bankrupt, and sold them to producer Robert L. Giffen in October 1919.
External links
- General Film Company at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...