New York Motion Picture Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production and distribution |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Founder | Adam Kessel, Charles O. Baumann, Frank Balshofer |
| Defunct | 1914 |
| Fate | Merged into Triangle Film Corporation; Keystone Studios became part of Triangle; later merged into Paramount Studios |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Billy Gane (General Manager), Adam Kessel, Charles O. Baumann, Frank Balshofer, Mack Sennett (partner in Keystone Studios) |
| Products | Films (distributed under labels such as 101 Bison, Kay-Bee, Broncho, Domino, Reliance, Keystone Studios) |
The New York Motion Picture Company operated as a film production and distribution enterprise from 1909 until 1914, undergoing a name change to New York Picture Corporation in 1912. It distributed films under multiple labels, such as 101 Bison, Kay-Bee, Broncho, Domino, Reliance, and Keystone Studios.
Eventually, Keystone was incorporated into the Triangle Pictures, which later merged with Jesse L. Lasky's Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company to establish what became Paramount Studios.
History
Established in 1909 by Adam Kessel, Charles O. Baumann, and cinematographer Frank Balshofer, the company initially concentrated on distributing films but encountered obstacles due to its refusal to align with Thomas Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC). As Kessel remarked, "We would have to go out of business unless we made some films ourselves."
Their inaugural film production, Disinherited Son's Loyalty, was completed in May 1909 with an approximate budget of $200 and generated revenue of $2,000. Following this success, the New York Motion Picture Company began producing about half of the films it exhibited.
Billy Gane held the position of general manager.
The company briefly entered into a merger with Universal Film Manufacturing Company but withdrew to join competing Mutual Film Corp. after Universal attempted to remove Baumann from his presidency. Due to legal intricacies, Universal continued releasing films under the 101 Bison label concurrently with Mutual’s releases, leading NYMPC to distribute flyers encouraging viewers to confirm they were watching genuine "Bison" productions. During their association with Mutual, Kessel and Baumann launched the Keystone Studios brand in partnership with director-actor Mack Sennett. The company also relocated from the Northeast to California, becoming one of the pioneers in establishing the West Coast film industry.
Charlie Chaplin created some of his earliest works during a one-year tenure at Keystone, where he developed his legendary 'Little Tramp' persona.
In 1915, Keystone Studios became part of the Triangle Film Corporation following the conclusion of its merger with Mutual Film Corp. Triangle sought to unite creative forces from producers D.W. Griffith, Thomas H. Ince, and Mack Sennett. This collaboration combined resources from Kessel, Baumann, former Mutual president Harry Aitken, and Jesse Lasky's Feature Play company. Their approach emphasized producing multi-reel pictures designed to attract both sophisticated audiences and the general public alike, drawing inspiration from notable successes such as The Birth of a Nation.
Although Triangle Film's commercial performance was largely disappointing, Feature Play merged with Famous Players to form Paramount Pictures, which flourished through vertical integration strategies.
Filmography
- Disinherited Son's Loyalty (1909)
1910s
- Wrath of the Gods (1914)
- The Colonel's Ward (1914)
- On the Night Stage (1915)
| Release date | Title |
|---|---|
| October 1914 | The Typhoon |
| August 1915 | The Toast of Death |
| November 1915 | The Coward |
| December 1915 | The Winged Idol |
| February 1916 | The Three Musketeers |
| April 1916 | The Stepping Stone |
| August 1917 | The Soul Herder |