George Kirke Spoor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Kirke Spoor
|
|
|---|---|
Spoor in 1919
|
|
| Born | December 18, 1871 |
| Died | November 24, 1953 (aged 81) |
| Spouse(s) | Ada May Thompson (1877–1951) |
| Children | Gertrude Keith Spoor (1893–1975) |
| Parent(s) | Marvin Spoor (1839–1927) Catherine Stressinger (1853–1947) |
George Kirke Spoor (born December 18, 1871 – died November 24, 1953) was a very important person in the early days of movies. He helped create the film industry as we know it! With his friend Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson, he started Essanay Studios in Chicago in 1907. This was a big movie studio! Later, in 1915, he also helped start V-L-S-E, Incorporated, which was a company that helped get movies out to theaters.
Contents
Discovering Movie Stars
George Spoor and his partner, Broncho Billy Anderson, were amazing at finding new talent. They helped discover many famous actors who became big stars. Some of these stars included Wallace Beery, Francis X. Bushman, Ben Turpin, Gloria Swanson, and even the legendary Charlie Chaplin.
They also hired people behind the scenes who became very famous. Allan Dwan, who started as a screenwriter for them, later became a well-known Hollywood director. Louella Parsons, another screenwriter Spoor hired, became a famous Hollywood gossip columnist.
Early Movie Inventions
George Spoor was not just good at finding stars; he was also an inventor! In 1894, he worked at the Phoenix Opera House in Waukegan, Illinois. There, he teamed up with an inventor named Edward Hill Amet. Together, they built something called "The Magniscope."
The Magniscope was a very important invention. It was the first practical 35 mm movie projector that could show films to a large audience. Spoor and Amet even made and showed their own films with this device. This happened before the famous device by the Lumière brothers in France in 1895. While Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope came out in 1891, it only let one person watch at a time through a small peephole. The Magniscope was for everyone!
Filming History and Special Effects
Spoor and Amet were pioneers in many ways. They are known for filming the world's first newsreel. This was a film of President William McKinley's first inauguration in 1897. Imagine seeing a real event on screen for the first time!
They also used some of the first special effects in movies. In their film The Battle of Santiago Bay, they used tiny models and cigar smoke. This made it look like real war footage, which was very clever for the time.
Spoor's films also faced some of the first movie censorship. This happened because of the intense images in their film about China's Boxer Rebellion. They even made the first "fake newsreel." Spoor used his neighbors to act out battles, like the Battle of San Juan Hill, in a local park.
Widescreen Movies and Awards
In 1926, George Spoor and P. John Berggren invented "Natural Vision." This was an early way to make widescreen movies using 65 mm film. It made movies look much bigger and more impressive.
This technology was used for a few films, including Niagara Falls (1926) and Danger Lights (1930). The name "Natural Vision" was later used for a different 3-D movie system in 1953.
In 1948, George Spoor received a special Oscar. He got this award for all his amazing work. It recognized his huge contributions to making motion pictures a popular form of entertainment. He passed away on November 24, 1953.
Selected Films Produced by Spoor
George Spoor was the producer for several films, including:
- Ben Gets a Duck and Is Ducked (1909), which starred Ben Turpin.
- A Burlesque on Carmen (1915), starring Edna Purviance and directed by Charlie Chaplin.
- A Pair of Sixes (1918), starring Taylor Holmes.
- The American (1927), starring Bessie Love and Charles Ray.
