Christie Film Company facts for kids
The Christie Film Company was an early movie studio in Hollywood, California. It was started by two brothers, Al Christie and Charles Christie, who came from Canada. This company was famous for making funny movies called comedies.
Charles Christie mostly handled the business side. His brother, Al Christie, was the one who actually made the films. Before starting their own company, Al Christie worked at Nestor Studios in Hollywood. This was the very first movie studio in Hollywood. The Christie Film Company eventually closed down in 1933.
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Starting a Movie Studio in Hollywood
In June 1912, Nestor Studios became part of a bigger company called Universal Film Company. Al Christie was put in charge of making comedies there. He worked for Universal until January 1916. Then, he and his brother, Charles, decided to start their own studio. They called it the Christie Film Company.
The brothers rented space from Universal Studios. This was the same place where Al Christie had first started working in Hollywood. For the first six months, the new Christie Film Company made comedies for Universal Film. By July 1916, they began making their own comedies to sell to other movie distributors. They were so successful that they soon bought their own studio property. The Christie brothers quickly made their studio bigger. They also built a modern film laboratory.
What Kind of Comedies Did They Make?
Christie Studios focused on "situational comedy." This means their humor came from funny situations, not just silly stunts. Sometimes their films showed showgirls in fun costumes. The Christie Film Company helped many comedy actors become famous. Some of these actors included Harold Lloyd, Fatty Arbuckle, and Anita Garvin. They also featured Spencer Williams, a talented Black actor. He later became well-known for playing Andy Brown in the Amos & Andy TV show.
The Christie company was very creative. They started a magazine called Film Follies. This magazine advertised their newest films and events at the studio.
Helping Others in Hollywood
In 1921, a famous Canadian actress named Mary Pickford helped create the Motion Picture & Television Fund. This group was made to help actors who were having a hard time. The Christie Film Company supported this important cause. Charles Christie played a big part, serving on the first Board of Trustees.
By 1922, the brothers were doing very well. They even started another company called Christie Realty Corporation. It had a lot of money to invest.
New Ideas and Black Performers
The Christie brothers liked to work with Canadian actors. Stars like Marie Dressler and Marie Prevost appeared in their movies. They also became close friends with the Christies. In 1928, they hired Florence Ryerson to write short films. One of these was called Hot Lemonade.
Al Christie also hired African-American Spencer Williams as a sound technician. But Al soon saw that Williams had many talents. He then involved Williams in writing movie scripts. In early 1929, the Christie Film Company started making special talking pictures. These films were made only for African-American performers. They produced many short comedy-musicals. These movies featured an all-Black cast from the Lafayette Players Stock Company in Harlem, New York. The films were based on popular stories called Darktown Birmingham. These stories were written by Octavus Roy Cohen. Paramount Studios helped distribute these movies.
Why the Company Closed
The Stock Market Crash of 1929 caused a very difficult time called the Great Depression. This event hurt many businesses. In January 1933, the Christie brothers' companies faced financial trouble. Their studio property was then bought by another large film company.
Images for kids
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Teddy Sampson
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Dorothy Devore
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Ann Christy
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Duane Thompson
