Chronological Biography of Gertrude Homan Thanhouser April 23, 1882 to May 29, 1951 by Q. David Bowers Edited by Edwin W. Thanhouser April 2005 Copyright© 2005 Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. GERTRUDE (HOMAN) THANHOUSER BIOGRAPHY TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................III GERTRUDE HOMAN THANHOUSER (MRS. EDWIN)........................................... 1 THANHOUSER CAREER SYNOPSIS ............................................................................................................ 1 BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 1 FILMOGRAPHY WITH THANHOUSER ........................................................................................................ 2 GERTRUDE’S EARLY LIFE......................................................................................... 3 1882: BORN IN NEW ORLEANS ................................................................................................................. 3 1888: ON THE STAGE AT AGE SIX IN NEW YORK .................................................................................... 3 1888: ON THE WEST COAST ..................................................................................................................... 3 1888: WITH SALVINI................................................................................................................................. 4 1888: SINGING TO THOMAS A. EDISON.................................................................................................... 4 1890: BOOTLES' BABY, LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY & THE BURGLAR ..................................................... 4 1892: PYGMAILION, ROMEO AND JULIET, THE CHILDHOOD OF JACK HARCKAWAY ................................. 5 HER SCRAPBOOK ...................................................................................................................................... 6 EDWIN AND GERTRUDE’S ROMANCE ................................................................... 7 1898: EDWIN THANHOUSER AND THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC IN MILWAUKEE ........................................ 7 1898: GERTRUDE JOINS THANHOUSER-HATCH STOCK COMPANY ........................................................ 7 1899: EDWIN’S COURTSHIP OF GERTRUDE .............................................................................................. 8 1900: GERTRUDE MARRIES EDWIN ....................................................................................................... 11 1902: EDWIN AND GERTRUDE’S FIRST CHILD: LLOYD FRANK ............................................................ 12 1906: EDWIN AND GERTRUDE’S SECOND CHILD: MARIE LOUISE........................................................ 12 THEATRE MANAGEMENT IN MILWAUKEE AND CHICAGO......................... 12 1905: SHUBERT TAKES OVER THE ACADEMY ....................................................................................... 12 1906: SHUBERT THEATRE OPENS FOR BUSINESS .................................................................................. 12 1907: EDWIN THANHOUSER TAKES OVER THE STAR THEATRE........................................................... 13 1907: EXIT MILWAUKEE FOR CHICAGO BUSH TEMPLE THEATRE ...................................................... 14 THANHOUSERS MOVE TO NEW YORK, ENTER FILM BUSINESS ................ 15 1909: ENTERING THE FILM BUSINESS.................................................................................................... 15 1909: MOVING TO NEW ROCHELLE....................................................................................................... 15 1909: THANHOUSER COMPANY INCORPORATED................................................................................... 17 1909 TO 1912: GERTRUDE AND EARLY THANHOUSER FILMS ............................................................... 18 1910: Featured in St. Elmo................................................................................................................ 19 1910: Scenario Writer for The Winter’s Tale ................................................................................... 19 1911: RAISING LLOYD AND MARIE ........................................................................................................ 20 1911: THANHOUSER INCREASES OUTPUT AND QUALITY ...................................................................... 20 THANHOUSER SELLS TO THE MUTUAL FILM CORPORATION................... 22 MARCH 30, 1912: A MEETING OF INDEPENDENT MANUFACTURES...................................................... 22 APRIL 6, 1912: HARRY E. AITKEN INTERVIEW ..................................................................................... 22 APRIL 11, 1912: THANHOUSER SELLS TO CHARLES F. HITE OF MUTUAL ........................................... 23 APRIL 15, 1912: THANHOUSER PURCHASE BY HITE EFFECTIVE .......................................................... 24 APRIL 15, 1912: THANHOUSER GALA BALL .......................................................................................... 25 APRIL 20, 1912: FROM MAIN STREET TO WALL STREET ..................................................................... 27 UNDER THE MUTUAL BANNER .............................................................................. 28 i Gertrude Homan Thanhouser Biography SEPTEMBER 10, 1912: QUALITY SUFFERS.............................................................................................. 28 NOVEMBER 30, 1912: GERTRUDE AND EDWIN SET SAIL FOR EUROPE................................................. 29 JANUARY 13, 1913: WHEN THE STUDIO BURNED .................................................................................. 29 1914: EDWIN AND GERTRUDE WRITE FROM EUROPE........................................................................... 30 JULY 29, 1914: THE TRUST FLEXES ITS MUSCLES................................................................................ 31 AUGUST 21, 1914: CHARLES J. HITE DIES FROM AUTO ACCIDENT...................................................... 31 EDWIN AND GERTRUDE RETURN TO AMERICA.............................................. 32 AUGUST 1914: THE WORLD WAR AND ESCAPE FROM EUROPE ........................................................... 32 SEPTEMBER 1914: RETURN TO NEW ROCHELLE................................................................................... 34 FEBRUARY 21, 1915: EDWIN AND GERTRUDE RETURN TO THANHOUSER............................................ 34 1915: GERTRUDE AS SCENARIO WRITER............................................................................................... 35 May 2, 1915: Their One Love ............................................................................................................ 35 May 25, 1915: Fairy Fern Seed......................................................................................................... 36 June 7, 1915: The Patriot and the Spy .............................................................................................. 36 September 5, 1915: From the River’s Depths ................................................................................... 37 September 30, 1915: The Price of Her Silence ................................................................................. 37 1916: EDWIN AND GERTRUDE MEET THE PRESIDENT .......................................................................... 37 1916: A YEAR OF TRANSITION ............................................................................................................... 38 1917: THANHOUSER OPERATIONS WIND DOWN ................................................................................... 39 1917: THANHOUSER EXITS THE INDUSTRY............................................................................................ 40 EDWIN AND GERTRUDE’S RETIREMENT ........................................................... 41 1916: BAYVILLE, LONG ISLAND ............................................................................................................. 41 1924: AROUND THE WORLD ................................................................................................................... 42 1925: SANDS POINT, LONG ISLAND ........................................................................................................ 43 1925: THANHOUSER NEGATIVES DESTROYED....................................................................................... 43 1927/1928: AROUND THE WORLD, AGAIN ............................................................................................. 43 1930: AN INTERVIEW WITH EDWIN THANHOUSER................................................................................ 43 1938: NEW ROCHELLE 250TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION ................................................................ 44 1941: EDWIN THANHOUSER-ART COLLECTOR ..................................................................................... 44 1945: ONE FIFTH AVENUE...................................................................................................................... 45 1947: EDWIN THANHOUSER INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT HAMILTON BALL.......................................... 45 1949: IN BUENOS AIRES.......................................................................................................................... 45 1951: GERTRUDE’S DEATH....................................................................................................................