The Thanhouser Studio and the Birth of American Cinema (2014)

Onehour documentary recounts the untold story of the remarkable rise and fall of the Thanhouser Studio one of Americans pioneering motion picture studios during the first decade of the twentieth century It traces the evolution of one familys career as it transitioned from producing live theater to establishing one of the most successful independent silent motion picture studios The Thanhouser Studio produced and released over 1000 silent motion pictures that were acclaimed by critics and seen by audiences around the world Set against a background of the industry playing out in New York Florida and California it is a compelling story of fame and fortune twisted by the vagaries of fate and ending on a bittersweet note