Sidney Olcott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sidney Olcott
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Olcott in 1922
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| Born |
John Sidney Allcott
September 20, 1872 |
| Died | December 16, 1949 (aged 76) Hollywood, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Film director, producer, screenwriter, actor |
| Years active | 1904–1942 |
| Spouse(s) |
Valentine Grant
(m. 1914; |
Sidney Olcott (born John Sidney Allcott; September 20, 1872 – December 16, 1949) was a Canadian film pioneer. He was a talented director, producer, actor, and writer in the early days of movies. He helped shape how films were made and told stories on screen.
Sidney Olcott's Life Story
Early Days in Film
Sidney Olcott was born John Sidney Allcott in Toronto, Canada. He dreamed of becoming an actor. So, he moved to New York City. By 1904, he was acting in films for Biograph Studios.
In 1907, a new movie company called the Kalem Company started. They hired Olcott because he was becoming very successful. Olcott was paid ten dollars for each movie he directed. His contract said he had to direct at least one "one-reel" film every week. A "one-reel" film was about 1,000 feet long, which was a typical length for movies back then.
Making Famous Films
Olcott made many popular films for Kalem. These included Ben Hur (1907), famous for its exciting chariot race. He also directed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1908). He became the company's president and was given one share of its stock.
In 1910, Olcott traveled to Ireland to make a film called A Lad from Old Ireland. He loved filming there and made more than a dozen movies in Ireland. He even planned to build a permanent studio there, but World War I stopped him.
A Groundbreaking Movie
His Irish films led him to travel to Palestine in 1912. There, he made the first five-reel film ever, called From the Manger to the Cross. This movie told the life story of Jesus.
Many people were unsure about the idea at first. But when the film came out, audiences and critics loved it. From the Manger to the Cross cost $35,000 to make. However, it earned the Kalem Company almost $1 million in profits! This was a huge amount of money in 1912. People in the movie business called him their greatest director. The film even inspired other famous filmmakers like D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille. Today, From the Manger to the Cross is still shown to film groups and students. In 1998, it was chosen for the National Film Registry in the United States.
Leaving Kalem and Later Years
Even though Olcott made the studio owners very rich, they would not pay him more than $150 a week. His share of the huge profits was only $350. Because of this, Olcott left Kalem. He took some time off, making only a few films.
In 1915, famous actress Mary Pickford encouraged him to join her at Famous Players–Lasky, which later became Paramount Pictures. The Kalem Company struggled after Olcott left. A few years later, in 1916, another studio bought them out.
Olcott was a founder of the Motion Picture Directors Association on the East Coast. This group later became the Directors Guild of America. He even served as its president. Olcott married actress Valentine Grant, who starred in his 1916 film, The Innocent Lie.
During World War II, Olcott opened his home in Los Angeles to soldiers visiting from the British Commonwealth. Writer Charles Foster wrote about this time in Olcott's life. He shared how Olcott introduced him to many Canadian people working in Hollywood.
Sidney Olcott passed away in Hollywood, California, in the home of his friend Robert Vignola. He had moved there after his wife, Valentine Grant, died. Olcott wanted to be buried in Canada. He is buried in Park Lawn cemetery in Toronto, Ontario.
Selected Films by Sidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott directed many films throughout his career. Here are a few examples from different years:
1907 Films
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1908 Films
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1909 Films
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1910 Films
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1911 Films
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1912 Films
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1913 Films
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1914 Films
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1915 Films
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1916 Films
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Later Films
- The Belgian (1918)
- Scratch My Back (1920)
- Timothy's Quest (1922)
- Little Old New York (1923)
- Monsieur Beaucaire (1924)
- Salome of the Tenements (1925)
- The Amateur Gentleman (1926)
- The Claw (1927)
Images for kids
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Olcott's grave in Toronto, Ontario
See also
Source
- Michel Derrien, Aux origines du cinéma irlandais: Sidney Olcott, le premier oeil, TIR 2013; ISBN: 978-2-917681-20-6
