THOMAS H. INCE
Name: Thomas H. Ince
Born: 6 November 1882 Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Died: 19 November 1924 Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Thomas Harper Ince (November 6, 1882 – November 19, 1924) was an American silent
film actor, director, producer and screenwriter. His brothers, John and Ralph
Ince, were also actors and film directors.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Ince invented many mechanisms of professional
movie production, like the usage of a detailed "shooting script", which also
contained information on who was in the scene, and the "scene plot" which listed
all interiors and exteriors, cost control plans and so on. He helped create a
standardized and mechanized mode of production. He also was one of the first who
had a separate writer, director and cutter (instead of doing everything himself).
In 1910, Ince was director at I.M.P. In 1911, Ince went to work at the New York
Motion Picture Company which merged with Universal in 1912. That same year, Ince
directed "Studio Inceville" and the Bison 101 movies as projects for Bison Life
Motion Pictures.
Working under General Manager Fred J. Balshofer at the California studio/ranch
of Bison Motion Pictures division of the New York Motion Picture Company, Ince's
movies were mainly early Westerns, which were successful because of their
beautiful images and their rhythm. While working with the New York Motion
Picture Company, Ince also formed his own company, Kay-Bee Productions Ince
wrote a number of screenplays including 1915's The Italian which has been
preserved by the United States National Film Registry. Ince also notably boosted
cowboy actor William S. Hart as the top western star of his time.
In 1915, Ince partnered with D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett to create the
Triangle Motion Picture Company in Culver City, California. In 1918, he sold out
to Griffith and Sennett and bought property from Harry Culver and formed the
Thomas H. Ince Studios, which were in business from 1919 to 1924. In 1925, Cecil
B. Demille acquired the land, renaming it the DeMille Studios. A street in
Culver City, intersecting the Culver Studios is called Ince Blvd., in his honor
and there is an Ince Theater planned to be constructed in a parking lot adjacent
to Ince Blvd. in the near future.
On November 19, 1924, the silent film producer and 'father of the Western' died,
officially of a heart attack suffered while on a weekend boat trip with William
Randolph Hearst aboard Hearst's lavish yacht, The Oneida, while attending a
cruise in honor of Ince's 42nd birthday. Other prominent guests in attendance
were actor Charlie Chaplin, newspaper columnist Louella Parsons, author Elinor
Glyn and film actresses Marion Davies, Aileen Pringle, Jacqueline Logan, Seena
Owen, Margaret Livingston and Julanne Johnston.
In the years since, several conflicting stories have circulated about Ince's
death, often revolving around the claim that Hearst shot Ince in a fit of
jealousy (or shot Ince accidentally while fighting with Chaplin over Davies) and
used his power and influence to cover up the killing.
A 2001 film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, The Cat's Meow, tells a tale based on
these rumors. Bogdanovich claims he heard the story of Ince's death from
director Orson Welles who in turn said he heard it from writer Herman J.
Mankiewicz. Ince is portrayed in the film by Cary Elwes, William Randolf Hearst
is portrayed by Edward Herrmann, Marion Davies is portrayed by Kirsten Dunst,
and Charlie Chaplin is portrayed by Eddie Izzard.
Patty Hearst co-authored a novel with Cordelia Frances Biddle titled Murder at
San Simeon (Scribner, 1996), based upon the death of Ince.
Name: Thomas H. Ince
Born: 6 November 1882 Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Died: 19 November 1924 Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Thomas Harper Ince (November 6, 1882 – November 19, 1924) was an American silent
film actor, director, producer and screenwriter. His brothers, John and Ralph
Ince, were also actors and film directors.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Ince invented many mechanisms of professional
movie production, like the usage of a detailed "shooting script", which also
contained information on who was in the scene, and the "scene plot" which listed
all interiors and exteriors, cost control plans and so on. He helped create a
standardized and mechanized mode of production. He also was one of the first who
had a separate writer, director and cutter (instead of doing everything himself).
In 1910, Ince was director at I.M.P. In 1911, Ince went to work at the New York
Motion Picture Company which merged with Universal in 1912. That same year, Ince
directed "Studio Inceville" and the Bison 101 movies as projects for Bison Life
Motion Pictures.
Working under General Manager Fred J. Balshofer at the California studio/ranch
of Bison Motion Pictures division of the New York Motion Picture Company, Ince's
movies were mainly early Westerns, which were successful because of their
beautiful images and their rhythm. While working with the New York Motion
Picture Company, Ince also formed his own company, Kay-Bee Productions Ince
wrote a number of screenplays including 1915's The Italian which has been
preserved by the United States National Film Registry. Ince also notably boosted
cowboy actor William S. Hart as the top western star of his time.
In 1915, Ince partnered with D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett to create the
Triangle Motion Picture Company in Culver City, California. In 1918, he sold out
to Griffith and Sennett and bought property from Harry Culver and formed the
Thomas H. Ince Studios, which were in business from 1919 to 1924. In 1925, Cecil
B. Demille acquired the land, renaming it the DeMille Studios. A street in
Culver City, intersecting the Culver Studios is called Ince Blvd., in his honor
and there is an Ince Theater planned to be constructed in a parking lot adjacent
to Ince Blvd. in the near future.
On November 19, 1924, the silent film producer and 'father of the Western' died,
officially of a heart attack suffered while on a weekend boat trip with William
Randolph Hearst aboard Hearst's lavish yacht, The Oneida, while attending a
cruise in honor of Ince's 42nd birthday. Other prominent guests in attendance
were actor Charlie Chaplin, newspaper columnist Louella Parsons, author Elinor
Glyn and film actresses Marion Davies, Aileen Pringle, Jacqueline Logan, Seena
Owen, Margaret Livingston and Julanne Johnston.
In the years since, several conflicting stories have circulated about Ince's
death, often revolving around the claim that Hearst shot Ince in a fit of
jealousy (or shot Ince accidentally while fighting with Chaplin over Davies) and
used his power and influence to cover up the killing.
A 2001 film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, The Cat's Meow, tells a tale based on
these rumors. Bogdanovich claims he heard the story of Ince's death from
director Orson Welles who in turn said he heard it from writer Herman J.
Mankiewicz. Ince is portrayed in the film by Cary Elwes, William Randolf Hearst
is portrayed by Edward Herrmann, Marion Davies is portrayed by Kirsten Dunst,
and Charlie Chaplin is portrayed by Eddie Izzard.
Patty Hearst co-authored a novel with Cordelia Frances Biddle titled Murder at
San Simeon (Scribner, 1996), based upon the death of Ince.