Foster Photoplay Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | William D. Foster |
| Defunct | 1918 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Films featuring exclusively African-American casts |
Foster Photoplay Company was a film production enterprise based in Chicago, founded in 1910 by William D. Foster (also known by the alias Juli Jones). It holds the distinction of being the first African-American-owned film studio to feature exclusively African-American casts. The company produced significant titles including The Railroad Porter (1913), The Fall Guy (1913), and The Butler (1913). Building on the popularity of The Railroad Porter and The Fall Guy, the studio became known for its comedic slapstick films.
Bill Foster
For more information see William D. Foster
Born on September 16, 1860, William Foster began his entertainment career promoting African-American theatrical productions such as Bob Cole and Rosamond Johnson's A Trip to Coontown, as well as Bert Williams and George Walker's shows In Dahomey and Abyssinia. After gaining experience in New York’s theater world, he relocated to Chicago where he served as business manager and advisor at Robert Mott's Pekin Theatre, a venue renowned for black vaudeville performances. In 1909, Foster took on the role of secretary for the Goats, an organization dedicated to assisting performers in distress.
Foster founded the Foster Photoplay Company in 1910 but initially balanced this endeavor with other professional commitments. Concurrently, he worked as an entertainment journalist under the pen name "Juli Jones" for the Indianapolis Freeman and various African-American newspapers across the country. By 1913, he left journalism to concentrate fully on filmmaking, producing his debut film, The Railroad Porter. Over the subsequent thirty years, Foster continued to produce films, although his work was periodically interrupted by other engagements.
In 1919, Foster resumed his journalism career with Half-Century Magazine, where he championed African-American investment in the film industry. He encouraged collective financial backing to seize emerging business opportunities within cinema.
By 1920, after encountering financial difficulties in filmmaking, Foster managed the William Foster Record and Roll Supply Company, which sold sheet music and promoted Pathe Records. Following this venture’s failure, he undertook several roles including employment at a Haitian Coffee Company (1925–1927) and contributions to The Chicago Daily Times and The Chicago Defender, focusing on issues pertinent to African Americans. After a conflict at the Defender, he reentered the motion picture sector.
In 1929, through connections made in Hollywood, Foster secured a director position at Hollywood Pathe Corporation. His initial project there was Black and Tan, a serious crime-themed film. Despite achieving financial success in Hollywood, Foster aimed to establish a premier black-owned film studio based in Santa Monica. Unfortunately, his plans were cut short by his unexpected death on April 9, 1940, in Los Angeles at age 79. He left behind his wife, Ella B. Foster.
Inspirations
Prior to the founding of Foster Photoplay Company, positive representation of African Americans in film was scarce. Most portrayals relied on exaggerated caricatures frequently performed by white actors in blackface. Confronted with this negative portrayal landscape and frustrated by black performers reinforcing such stereotypes, William Foster was motivated to enter the film industry and establish his own company dedicated to authentic representation.
Beginnings of the Foster Photoplay Company
In 1913, Foster and Joe Shoecraft purchased film equipment with the intention of providing audiences with quality films to counteract the harmful portrayals produced by other studios. Their inaugural production captured a YMCA dedication ceremony and a ball game. Soon thereafter, Foster created the company's debut feature, The Railroad Porter (1913), which debuted at Chicago’s notable States Theater located in the Black Belt neighborhood. This film courageously confronted stereotypical depictions of African Americans by portraying characters grappling with complex situations and presenting them as fully realized individuals. Due to this groundbreaking effort, Bill Foster is regarded as a pioneer in African American cinema.
Foster regarded the motion picture industry as one of the most lucrative global markets and felt that African Americans were missing critical chances to attain economic success and social respect through film. His frustration over the community’s limited participation was evident in his extensive writings throughout his filmmaking career, reflecting both his enthusiasm for cinema and dedication to enhancing black representation.
The Foster Photoplay Company’s Southern Venture
After achieving success with The Railroad Porter and The Fall Guy, Foster intended to establish a studio in Jacksonville, Florida. There, bankers at Anderson Tucker granted him permission to acquire property within Jacksonville’s central filmmaking district. Foster sought to rival major studios such as Sigmund Lubin and Pathé. Despite these promising developments, the company never completed the move to Jacksonville, and Foster eventually returned to Chicago following his southern efforts.
Controversy
In 1915, Foster recommended that the Grand Theater manager replace vaudeville acts with films to reduce expenses and increase audience numbers. This approach proved unsuccessful as patrons favored live entertainment, resulting in diminished ticket sales. The theater also screened the racially offensive film Nigger (1915), which provoked public outrage and led to Foster’s termination. The black press condemned Foster for placing profit above racial loyalty, interpreting his actions as a betrayal of the African American community. Some commentators viewed this incident as indicative of the financial hardships confronting black filmmakers at the time.
The Barber
Issued in 1916 by the Foster Photoplay Company, The Barber was promoted as an important action comedy that signaled a fresh creative direction for the studio. The storyline centers on John Willis, a barbershop patron seeking a Spanish music instructor for his wife. A barber impersonates this teacher, triggering romantic confusion and comedic turmoil involving mistaken identities, disputes, and police pursuits.
The Barber is notable as one of Foster’s most intricate productions, delving into themes such as disguise, infidelity, and urban moral challenges. It demonstrates Foster’s dual mission of entertaining while delivering instructive content, highlighting the company’s commitment to socially aware narratives aimed at African American audiences.
Correspondence from Foster
In a significant letter addressed to the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, Foster questioned whether black cinema could attain comparable popularity in white theaters as black performers had achieved in vaudeville circuits. He also sought information about their approach to distributing external films, expressing interest in collaborating with them as a director specializing in "race films."
Company's Decline
The Foster Photoplay Company experienced a slow downturn influenced by several elements, chief among them being Bill Foster's divided attention. In addition to his film work, Foster was active in contributing to African American newspapers across the country, created a newsreel entitled The Colored Championship Base Ball Game, and held a position with the Grand Theater's management. He also honored the memory of stage artist Aida Overton Walker following her passing in 1914.
Foster played a key role in the production of the 1916 motion picture Birth of a Race, which was supported by financiers such as Universal Pictures, the Tuskegee Circle led by Booker T. Washington, and Julius Rosenwald from Sears Roebuck. The project spanned over two years before its debut in 1918. Despite the considerable funding, the film failed to achieve commercial success, exacerbating the company's financial troubles and hastening its eventual shutdown.
Filmography
- The Railroad Porter / The Pullman Porter (1913)
- The Butler (1913)
- The Grafter and the Girl (1913)
- Mother (1914)
- Brother (191?)
- Birthmark (191?)
- Fool and Fire (191?)
- A Woman's Worst Enemy (191?)
- The Barber (1916)
- Birth of a Race (1918)
General references
- Boyd, Todd. "African Americans and Popular Culture: Theater, Film, and Television". 2008.
- Wintz, Cary D. "Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance, Volume 1". 2004.
- Reid, Mark A. "Redefining Black Film". 1993.
- Lindstrom, J.A. "Encyclopedia of Chicago".