Mitchell Mark
Encyclopedia
Mitchell Mark aka Mitchell H. Mark (born as Mitchel Henry Mark aka Mitchel H. Mark) (1868-1918) was a pioneer of motion picture exhibition in the United States.
founded the Vitascope
Theater (a special attraction of his Edisonia Hall
in the Ellicott Square Building
), one of the first permanent, purpose-built movie theater
s in the world. It opened Monday, October 19, 1896 (according to local papers), in Buffalo, New York
. It operated nearly two years, the longest run for any such theater at that time: comparable early theaters were temporary and lasted only days or weeks.
Although his name is usually spelled "Mitchell", on his grave site it is spelled "Mitchel"
His obituary notes that he was the first American to have a distribution arrangement with Pathé Frères
to import Pathé films to the United States. Indeed, nearly the entire Vitascope Theatre program of October 19, 1896, consisted of Lumiere films.
With his brother Moe Mark
, Mitchell founded the Automatic Vaudeville Company in 1906 in New York City
. Among their partners were Adolph Zukor
(co-founder with Jesse Lasky of Paramount Pictures
) and Marcus Loew
(founder of Loew's Theatres
). It was based in form on Edisonia Hall and the Vitascope Theatre in Buffalo.
The Mark brothers went on to build and operate dozens of important theaters in the United States after their auspicious start in Buffalo.
In 1914, Mark Brothers opened the Mark Strand Theatre at 47th Street and Broadway in Times Square
, New York City. Costing one million dollars, this theater may have been first real movie palace
, specifically built only to show motion pictures. It was designed by Thomas W. Lamb
and served as a model for many film theaters that soon followed it. The New York Times favorably reviewed the opening of this theater, helping to establish its importance. To manage the theater, Mark personally hired Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel
, who went on to become the best known motion picture showman in New York City.
On December 31, 1917, Mark received a determination from the New York State Supreme Court that he had the sole right to use the name "The Strand" for a movie theater.
The Mark Brothers owned and operated more than a dozen theaters in the United States and Canada called "Mark-Strand" or "Mark Strand"
By 1917, Mark's importance in motion picture exhibition was such that when Cecil B. DeMille
complained in his autobiography that exhibitors were protesting the high price of Hollywood movie rentals, he cited Mitchell Mark along with Thomas Lincoln Tally
as the worst offenders.
Mark is credited with installing the first church organ to be used for the movies, at Cleveland's Alhambra Theatre in 1907.
Mark died in an accident at his family's home in Buffalo in 1918. His body was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
.
Biography
Michell Henry Mark and his brother Moe MarkMoe Mark
Moe Mark was the brother of Mitchell Mark. Together they opened the first known purpose-built motion picture theater in the world, Vitascope Hall aka Vitascope Theater in Buffalo, New York, and the Mark Strand Theatre in New York City. They founded an important chain of theaters in the United...
founded the Vitascope
Vitascope
Vitascope was an early film projector first demonstrated in 1895 by Charles Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat. They had made modifications to Jenkins patented "Phantoscope", which cast images via film & electric light onto a wall or screen...
Theater (a special attraction of his Edisonia Hall
Edisonia Hall
Edisonia Hall was a generic name for exhibition halls that displayed the various inventions of Thomas Alva Edison's company. These included the phonograph, the Vitascope, the Kinetoscope and other such devices....
in the Ellicott Square Building
Ellicott Square Building
The Ellicott Square Building is an office complex in Buffalo, New York, USA. It was designed by Charles Atwood of D. H. Burnham & Company, and completed in May, 1896. At the time of its completion, it was the largest office building in the world...
), one of the first permanent, purpose-built movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s in the world. It opened Monday, October 19, 1896 (according to local papers), in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. It operated nearly two years, the longest run for any such theater at that time: comparable early theaters were temporary and lasted only days or weeks.
Although his name is usually spelled "Mitchell", on his grave site it is spelled "Mitchel"
His obituary notes that he was the first American to have a distribution arrangement with Pathé Frères
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
to import Pathé films to the United States. Indeed, nearly the entire Vitascope Theatre program of October 19, 1896, consisted of Lumiere films.
With his brother Moe Mark
Moe Mark
Moe Mark was the brother of Mitchell Mark. Together they opened the first known purpose-built motion picture theater in the world, Vitascope Hall aka Vitascope Theater in Buffalo, New York, and the Mark Strand Theatre in New York City. They founded an important chain of theaters in the United...
, Mitchell founded the Automatic Vaudeville Company in 1906 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Among their partners were Adolph Zukor
Adolph Zukor
Adolph Zukor , born Adolph Cukor, was a film mogul and founder of Paramount Pictures.-Early life:...
(co-founder with Jesse Lasky of Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
) and Marcus Loew
Marcus Loew
Marcus Loew was an American business magnate and a pioneer of the motion picture industry who formed Loews Theatres and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .-Biography:...
(founder of Loew's Theatres
Loews Cineplex Entertainment
Loews Theatres, aka Loews Incorporated , founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew and Brantford Schwartz, was the oldest theater chain operating in North America until it merged with AMC Theatres on January 26, 2006. From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The...
). It was based in form on Edisonia Hall and the Vitascope Theatre in Buffalo.
The Mark brothers went on to build and operate dozens of important theaters in the United States after their auspicious start in Buffalo.
In 1914, Mark Brothers opened the Mark Strand Theatre at 47th Street and Broadway in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, New York City. Costing one million dollars, this theater may have been first real movie palace
Movie palace
A movie palace is a term used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opened every year between 1925 and 1930.There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed...
, specifically built only to show motion pictures. It was designed by Thomas W. Lamb
Thomas W. Lamb
Thomas White Lamb was an American architect, born in Scotland. He is noted as one of the foremost designers of theaters and cinemas in the 20th century.-Career:...
and served as a model for many film theaters that soon followed it. The New York Times favorably reviewed the opening of this theater, helping to establish its importance. To manage the theater, Mark personally hired Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel
Samuel Roxy Rothafel
Samuel Lionel Rothafel, known as "Roxy" was an American theatrical impressario and entrepreneur. He is noted for developing the lavish presentation of silent films in the deluxe movie palace theaters of the 1910s and 1920s.-Biography:Born in Stillwater, Minnesota, Samuel L. Rothafel was a showman...
, who went on to become the best known motion picture showman in New York City.
On December 31, 1917, Mark received a determination from the New York State Supreme Court that he had the sole right to use the name "The Strand" for a movie theater.
The Mark Brothers owned and operated more than a dozen theaters in the United States and Canada called "Mark-Strand" or "Mark Strand"
By 1917, Mark's importance in motion picture exhibition was such that when Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
complained in his autobiography that exhibitors were protesting the high price of Hollywood movie rentals, he cited Mitchell Mark along with Thomas Lincoln Tally
Thomas Lincoln Tally
Thomas Lincoln Tally on or near April 16, 1902, opened his Electric Theater in Los Angeles, the first movie theatre in that city and the first movie theater in California known to have been built from the ground up inside a larger building on the ground floor...
as the worst offenders.
Mark is credited with installing the first church organ to be used for the movies, at Cleveland's Alhambra Theatre in 1907.
Mark died in an accident at his family's home in Buffalo in 1918. His body was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York was founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clark. It covers over 250 acres and over 152,000 are buried there. Notable graves include U.S. President Millard Fillmore, singer Rick James, and inventor Lawrence Dale Bell...
.