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Tiffany Pictures

From Alfawiki
Tiffany Pictures
Company typePrivate
IndustryFilm production
Founded1921; 105 years ago (1921)
FounderMae Murray, Robert Z. Leonard, Maurice H. Hoffman
Defunct1932 (1932)
FateBankruptcy; absorbed by Sono Art-World Wide Pictures
SuccessorSono Art-World Wide Pictures
Headquarters
Los Angeles
,
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
John M. Stahl (director), Phil Goldstone (head), Maurice H. Hoffman (vice president)
ProductsFilms, including Westerns and early Technicolor drama Mamba
OwnerLeonard A. Young (investor from 1929)

Tiffany Pictures, which later operated under the name Tiffany-Stahl Productions, was a Hollywood film studio active between 1921 and 1932. It belonged to the group known as Poverty Row, specializing in producing films with modest budgets and featuring lesser-known actors relative to the major studios of the time.

History

Established in 1921, Tiffany Productions was founded by actress Mae Murray, her then-spouse director Robert Z. Leonard, and Maurice H. Hoffman. The studio initially produced eight films distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer before Murray and Leonard's divorce in 1925.

Beginning with the 1925 release Souls for Sables, Tiffany went on to produce around 70 feature films, including approximately 20 Westerns. At its height, the company managed to secure bookings in nearly 2,500 theaters nationwide.

In 1927, Tiffany purchased the former lot of Reliance-Majestic Studios located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Between 1927 and 1930, under the leadership of director John M. Stahl, the company rebranded as Tiffany-Stahl Productions. Phil Goldstone served as head of Tiffany, while Maurice H. Hoffman held the position of vice president; Hoffman later assumed presidency at Liberty Films, which eventually merged into Republic Pictures. In 1929, investor Leonard A. Young acquired a stake in Tiffany.

Despite ongoing production activities, Tiffany struggled due to an unprofitable distribution system and ultimately declared bankruptcy in 1932. The firm was subsequently absorbed by the short-lived Sono Art-World Wide Pictures, which completed distribution for its remaining titles.

Most of Tiffany's film copyrights were not renewed, resulting in many titles entering the public domain. The studio facilities were later obtained by Columbia Pictures and utilized by producers Sam Katzman and Irving Briskin. Additionally, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired Tiffany’s original nitrate negatives, which were reportedly destroyed during the production of Gone with the Wind.

A restored print of Mamba was showcased at Cinefest in Syracuse, New York, in January 2012.

Partial list of Tiffany films

Several of Tiffany’s later productions, such as The Death Kiss (1932), were distributed by Sono Art-World Wide Pictures. Among its notable releases are:

Films from 1929 include: Broadway Fever, Midstream, New Orleans, Whispering Winds, Two Men and a Maid, The Rainbow, Lucky Boy, My Lady's Past, and The Lost Zeppelin

Early 1930s releases: Extravagance, Journey's End, Kathleen Mavourneen, The Love Trader, She Got What She Wanted, The Swellhead, Hot Curves, Paradise Island, Borrowed Wives, Peacock Alley, Troopers Three, Party Girl, Oklahoma Cyclone, Sunny Skies, and The Third Alarm

A technical highlight was the 1930 film Mamba, recognized as one of the first full-Technicolor dramas.

Prominent actors included Jack Benny in The Medicine Man, and Bob Steele who starred in multiple Westerns such as Near the Rainbow's End

1931 productions featured titles like: Branded Men, Caught Cheating, Morals for Women, Arizona Terror, and James Cruze’s directed film, The Drums of Jeopardy

Among 1932 offerings was 'The Death Kiss', starring Bela Lugosi, David Manners, and Edward Van Sloan; this title was filmed on location at Tiffany Studios and counted among its final projects.

Other productions encompassed:

  • A series of eight films produced by Mae Murray in which she also starred
  • Eight singing cowboy Westerns headlined by Bob Steele
  • Ten Westerns featuring Ken Maynard
  • Short subject series entitled 'The Voice of Hollywood'
  • Comedy shorts created by Jack White involving chimps with dubbed voices chewing bubble gum

Tiffany Pictures faced legal challenges for trademark infringement initiated by Tiffany & Co. due to advertising phrases such as "Another Gem from Tiffany".

References

Sources
Further reading

External links

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