Thomas H. Ince, Director Extraordinary (1914) 🇺🇸
Some one, at some time, some where, said, “Nothing succeeds like success,” but to our way of thinking, nothing succeeds like good, hard conscientious work.
by J. Boothe
A little over a year ago in Santa Ynez Canyon, near Santa Monica, California, stood a tiny studio, consisting of one small stage, a few horses, a little furniture, a few pieces of near-scenery, one or two cameras and a dozen or so people, which went to make up the motion picture plant of the New York Motion Picture Corporation. It was the privilege of the writer to have the pleasure of visiting the plant of the company a few days ago and to enjoy a few words with the general manager, Thomas H. Ince.
The plant has assumed enormous proportions and looks more like the plant of some big commercial concern than a motion picture studio, the grounds covering twenty thousand acres of the most desirable land near Los Angeles. When one sees general manager Thomas H. Ince, who is also director in chief, hurrying from one company to another, seemingly in a dozen different places at the same time, over-seeing every detail and overlooking none which go to make up the wonderful productions of the New York Motion Picture Corporation and the Broncho Motion Picture Company, he ceases to marvel at the tremendous growth of this plant in so short a time, for he knows that it is through this man’s unceasing and untiring efforts that the studio has assumed the proportions it has.
Never has the writer talked with a man or seen a man more able to make every move count and who does not waste any time or energy in unnecessary conversation and needless direction. The working company, which now numbers close to five hundred people, is handled with the same precision and discipline as a military organization. There are seven companies working under Mr. Ince’s general supervision now and the work for each day is so laid out for each company that no time is lost in needless argument and unnecessary preparation.
Not only does Mr. Ince supervise the production of each and every film, but he also revises every scenario before it is handed to the different directors, working far into the night with his two scenario writers, who, by the way, are among the cleverest writers in the scenario field today, in “doping out” the business for each story. When one takes into consideration the fact that each of the seven companies uses one or two scenarios a week, it is no wonder that Mr. Ince is compelled to work sixteen to eighteen hours a day. It is a question whether the public really appreciates a director’s true value and the great amount of energy he puts into his work every twenty-four hours, for Mr. Ince is unceasing in his efforts to put the Broncho, Kay Bee and Domino films at the top of the ladder in the motion picture world. One might talk on forever and then not do justice to this man, but one feels that he deserves all the credit in the world for putting his companies where they stand today.
“Why did I go into the picture field?” said Mr. Ince, when the question was put to him, “Well, to be perfectly truthful, the need of the elusive dollar drove me into it. Like most people in the theatrical business, I found after eighteen years hard work on the stage, it availed me little and after a most disastrous few weeks in vaudeville, I landed in New York with not enough money to pay board. I met a man on the street who, in the past, had played a small part for me in a production, and he told me of his success as a producer of motion pictures. Of course, I was astounded, and realized that if a “hanger-on” in the theatrical business could obtain a directorship in motion pictures, I was losing time and money. He finally offered me a position at the usual $5.00 a day, and I swallowed my pride and enrolled for a “try-out.” I must have made good, as the management asked me if I would care to remain; I said I would, if they would give me a chance at directing. In two week’s time, one of the directors fell down and my opportunity came. I remained with that company for a year, when I joined my present organization. I will let my productions speak for themselves as to my ability and as to my standing in the motion picture world today.
“How much film do we turn out a week? Oh, I should say something like ten thousand feet of finished product. By the way, have you seen our electric light plant?” And some one was called to show me around, convincing me that I had already taken too much of this busy man’s valuable time. I was shown the beautiful truck garden, the cattle range, where the company raises its own cattle, the wonderful electric plant, the private telephone system and was indeed surprised to learn that the pay roll runs as high as $15,000 a week. The interviewer was also shown the beautiful mission, built especially for a series of Spanish pictures; the barkentine Fremont with her twin screw engines, which the company purchased at a cost of something like thirty-five thousand dollars, and when I saw the array of automobiles used by the directors, actors and actresses, I realized to a certain extent the magnitude of this wonderful company. The plant is situated immediately on the ocean shore at the mouth of Santa Ynez Canyon, the ground stretching back into the mountains, giving plenty of variety in locations. The company has named the little village “Inceville by the sea.”
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The American Film Manufacturing Company is particularly interested just now in scenarios adapted for comedies or light dramas, for use by the “Beauty” company. It is willing to pay liberal prices.
Collection: Motography Magazine, May 1914