Balboa Amusement Producing Company facts for kids
An image of the studio
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| Industry | Film |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 1913 |
| Defunct | 1918 |
The Balboa Amusement Producing Company, also known as Balboa Studios, was a movie company in Long Beach, California. It made films from 1913 to 1918. During this time, Balboa Studios produced over 1,000 movies! Sadly, about 90% of these films are now lost, meaning they no longer exist.
Many famous silent film stars worked at Balboa Studios. These included Fatty Arbuckle and Buster Keaton. Even Charlie Chaplin visited the studios three times. He came to see Arbuckle's film shoots. He also wanted to learn about managing a studio for his new company, United Artists.
History of Balboa Studios
In 1910, the California Motion Picture Manufacturing Company built the first movie studio in Long Beach. This was also the first studio west of Chicago. At that time, most filmmaking happened in New York.
In April 1913, two brothers, H. M. Horkheimer and Elwood Horkheimer, bought this studio. They used their inheritance to do it. The studio was located at 6th Street and Alamitos Avenue. This became the main place for their new company, the Balboa Amusement Producing Company.
Jack London and Movie Rights
On April 28, 1913, Balboa Studios signed a contract with the famous writer Jack London. This agreement allowed Balboa to turn his novels into movies.
Soon after, another company, Bosworth Company, also announced a deal with Jack London. They planned to make a film version of his book, The Sea Wolf. Balboa quickly advertised that they would release their own version first.
A disagreement started about who had the rights. Jack London sent a telegram saying Balboa's contract was no longer valid. He said Balboa had not made four films by the agreed date. He also stated that their first film was not even finished.
The issue went to court. A judge allowed Balboa to continue making their version of The Sea Wolf. H. M. Horkheimer even thought about suing for damages. The case was reopened, and the Authors' League of America wanted to take it to the highest court if needed. In the end, Jack London won the case. This important decision helped change copyright laws in the United States. The new laws gave more rights to writers.
