- unitid
-
{"value"=>"1138", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"MssCol 1138", "type"=>"local_call"}
- unitdate
-
{"type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1901/1922", "value"=>"1901-1922"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1901
- date_inclusive_end
-
1922
- keydate
-
1901
- date_start
-
1901
- date_end
-
1922
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"George Kleine records"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"15.75 linear feet (2 boxes and 63 v.)"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">Stephen A. Schwarzman Building</span> <span class=\"addressline\">Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The George Kleine Company distributed motion picture films. The company was established by George Kleine (1864-1931) who was involved in various ventures in the early motion picture industry. He also formed the Kleine Optical Company to handle the rental of projection apparatus and other accessories for new films. Collection consists of ledgers, journals and registers of the George Kleine Company; ledgers of the Kleine Optical Company; university and college film rental reports; balance sheets of Kleine's production of the movie \"Gloria's Romance\"; and movie posters."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"Materials in English"}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>George Kleine records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"George Kleine (Firm)", "type"=>"corpname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>George Kleine (1864-1931) began his career by opening a store in Chicago, where he dealt in lantern slides, stereopticons (a double magic lantern arranged to combine two images of the same object or a scene upon a screen, so as to produce the appearance of solidity.) and optical instruments. In 1896 Kleine took over the agency for one of the first projectors ever built. It was the \"magniscope,\" which through legal entanglements, soon got out of his control. Kleine then made a trip to West Orange, N. J., where Thomas A. Edison was already well started in the business. Kleine watched the Edison projecting \"kinetoscope\" in action, liked its looks, and placed wholesale orders for one at a time.</p> <p>In a partnership with Samuel Long and Frank Marvin, he began producing pictures on a small scale in competition with the giants of the day: Biograph, Essany, Vitagraph, Lubin, Selig, Melies and Pathe. He was also directing a flourishing film agency when the courts decision against Selig for infringing on Edison's patents was announced. Kleine won the support of all the leaders except the Biograph heads and formed the Motion Pictures Patents Company, all under the control of Edison.</p> <p>Kleine was the first to import the Italian picture \"Quo Vadis\" and was responsible for negotiating for the last great prize fight that could be shown legally on an American screen. This was the bout between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries. In 1916 Kleine signed a $150,000. Contract with Miss Billie Burke to make \"Gloria's Romance,\" a super-serial. That same year Kleine was able to get Max Linder out of retirement and team him with Charlie Chaplin. Both films were box office failures.</p> <p>As Kleine's unsuccessfulness as a producer progressed, his interests focused on distribution and formed George Kleine Company and Kleine Optical Company. The Kleine Optical Co. was owned 100% by George Kleine and its operations handled the rental of projection apparatus and other accessories for new films. The film business (rental and distribution of films) was handled entirely under the name George Kleine.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection consists primarily of ledgers, journals and registers of the George Kleine Company. These contain detailed rental accounts giving names of exhibitors, town where located, titles of films rented and rental prices; general production costs, including advertising, circulars, posters, music and insurance. There are ledgers concerning the Kleine Optical Company which handled the projection apparatus and other accessories for new films. Also included are university and college film rental reports, weekly balance sheets of production of \"Gloria's Romance\" and approximately eighty movie posters.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>1930, Received from Mr. George Kleine</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"type"=>"processing", "value"=>"<p>Accessioned by LB, 9-24-1986</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
15.75 linear feet (2 boxes and 63 v.)