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Gertrude Thanhouser is a Actor and Writer American born on 23 april 1882
Gertrude Homan Thanhouser (April 23, 1882 – May 29, 1951), wife of co-founder Edwin Thanhouser, worked at the Thanhouser Company film studio as actress, scenario writer, film editor, and studio executive. Her efforts made the studio one of the key independent US film studios in the nickelodeon and transitional era, praised for its erudite adaptations of Shakespeare and other "classical" stage dramas to the screen.
Gertrude Homan was born in 1882 (one family account gives the date as 1880) in Beauvoir, Mississippi, one of ten children in her family. When she was very young, the family moved to Brooklyn, New York, and she became involved in acting as a child, performing her first stage role at the age of six. As a child actress, her theatrical parts included title roles in Little Lord Fauntleroy and Editha's Burglar. In the 1890s she was part of a stock company in Milwaukee that was managed by Edwin Thanhouser, whom she married in 1900.
In the spring of 1909, Gertrude moved with her husband to New Rochelle, New York where they established Thanhouser Company as an independent motion picture studio; it was the first to be organized by leaders with strong theatrical training. Gertrude's acting career of fourteen years gave her the stagecraft to be a powerful and creative force in this new venture. She received co-scenario writing credit with brother-in-law, Lloyd Lonergan, for the screen adaptation of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Behind the scenes, Gertrude was heavily involved in scenario development, creation of mise en scène and film editing. In 1912, the Thanhousers sold their shares in the company to Charles J. Hite of Mutual Film Corporation for $250,000 and retired from the industry.
In August 1914, Hite was killed in an automobile accident. In February 1915, the Mutual board of directors in an extraordinary move lured Edwin and Gertrude out of retirement. Gertrude immediately resumed her role as supervisor of the scenario department and was credited for writing the scenario for their first "new" release, Their One Love. She remained active in company affairs including attending a meeting with President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. In the summer of 1916 the death of Thanhouser leading actress Florence LaBadie and the rise of feature films with stars such as Mary Pickford contributed to the decline in popularity of the studio's films. In 1918, the founders retired permanently from the film industry leaving the Thanhouser Film Corporation with a positive bank balance, unlike many others of the era.
Source : Wikidata
Gertrude Thanhouser
Birth name Gertrude Homan
Nationality USA
Birth 23 april 1882
Death 29 may 1951 (at 69 years) at Long Island (USA)
Nationality USA
Birth 23 april 1882
Death 29 may 1951 (at 69 years) at Long Island (USA)
Gertrude Homan was born in 1882 (one family account gives the date as 1880) in Beauvoir, Mississippi, one of ten children in her family. When she was very young, the family moved to Brooklyn, New York, and she became involved in acting as a child, performing her first stage role at the age of six. As a child actress, her theatrical parts included title roles in Little Lord Fauntleroy and Editha's Burglar. In the 1890s she was part of a stock company in Milwaukee that was managed by Edwin Thanhouser, whom she married in 1900.
In the spring of 1909, Gertrude moved with her husband to New Rochelle, New York where they established Thanhouser Company as an independent motion picture studio; it was the first to be organized by leaders with strong theatrical training. Gertrude's acting career of fourteen years gave her the stagecraft to be a powerful and creative force in this new venture. She received co-scenario writing credit with brother-in-law, Lloyd Lonergan, for the screen adaptation of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Behind the scenes, Gertrude was heavily involved in scenario development, creation of mise en scène and film editing. In 1912, the Thanhousers sold their shares in the company to Charles J. Hite of Mutual Film Corporation for $250,000 and retired from the industry.
In August 1914, Hite was killed in an automobile accident. In February 1915, the Mutual board of directors in an extraordinary move lured Edwin and Gertrude out of retirement. Gertrude immediately resumed her role as supervisor of the scenario department and was credited for writing the scenario for their first "new" release, Their One Love. She remained active in company affairs including attending a meeting with President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. In the summer of 1916 the death of Thanhouser leading actress Florence LaBadie and the rise of feature films with stars such as Mary Pickford contributed to the decline in popularity of the studio's films. In 1918, the founders retired permanently from the film industry leaving the Thanhouser Film Corporation with a positive bank balance, unlike many others of the era.
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Filmography of Gertrude Thanhouser (4 films)
Actress
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The Actor's Children (1910)
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Actors Yale Boss, Frank Hall Crane, Lloyd Lonergan, Gertrude Thanhouser
Rating59%
The plot of the film was best convened through a published synopsis in trade which introduced the names of the cast and the backstory. Eugenie Freeman and Paul Temple, marry and have two children, a boy and a girl. The parents have been unemployed, but the film starts with the parents finding work in an upcoming production at a theater. As they return home, they are interrupted by the landlady, Mrs. O'Brien, who demands the rent. The landlady does not car about the family's misfortune and is upset when she cannot collect. She provides one week for the Temple family to pay up.
St. Elmo (1910)
Origin USA
Actors Frank Hall Crane, Gertrude Thanhouser
The plot was adapted from Augusta Jane Evans's 1867 novel St. Elmo. The actual production was greatly shortened for the purposes of conveying the plot of the film. The synopsis in The Moving Picture World states: "St. Elmo, a wealthy young man, is betrothed to his cousin Agnes. Dick Hammond, St. Elmo's chum, is studying for the ministry. As soon as he is ordained he is to take charge of a church built for him by St. Elmo. Hammond, however, takes St. Elmo's friendship lightly and makes love to Agnes in secret. The affair is discovered by St. Elmo, who, in a rage at Hammond's perfidy, challenges him to a duel. The false friend loses his life in the ensuing combat. Edna, the granddaughter of the village blacksmith, strays upon the scene of the duel, an uninvited witness. St. Elmo is forced to flee the country. He is pursued by Agnes and the sheriff. Edna tells her first lie when she deceives St. Elmo's pursuers as to his direction and leads them completely off the trail. St. Elmo makes good his escape. On the day that Edna witnesses the duel her grandfather dies, leaving her alone in the world. She is adopted by St. Elmo's mother. Five years later the fugitive returns. Edna recognizes him as the victor of the dual but he does not remember having met her. He discovers that he loves the girl. Edna rejects his suit, declaring that she never would marry a man who had taken a human life. In desperation, St. Elmo attempts suicide, choosing as a spot the grave of Dick Hammond, but is swerved from his purpose by Edna, who relents and promises him her love and sympathy. St. Elmo decides that life is worth living if but for her sake.
Scriptwriter
Their One Love (1915)
, 15minutesDirected by Jack Harvey
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Action
Roles Writer
Rating60%
The Winter's Tale (1910)
, 12minutesDirected by Theodore Marston
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Themes Théâtre, Films based on plays, Films based on works by William Shakespeare
Actors Frank Hall Crane, Martin Faust, Mignon Anderson
Roles Writer
Rating51%
The film is an adaptation of The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, the shortened single reel adaption of the play. The film opens with the meeting of the kings of Bohemia and Sicilia. Hermione, the queen of Sicilia, entertains Polixenes, king of Bohemia. This arouses jealousy in Leontes, the king of Sicilia. Leontes decides to poison Polixenes and orders a courtier to carry out the task. The courtier slips the poison into the cup, but he changes his mind and confesses to the murderous plot. Polixenes and the courtier depart safely, but this enrages the Leontes, who has his wife imprisoned. In prison, Hermoine gives birth to a daughter and sends it to her husband, Hoping to quell his anger. This further upsets Leontes and he orders the child to be taken out to the wilderness to die. Hermione is then brought before a tribunal, swoons, and is pronounced dead by Paulina.