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| {{Short description|American film producer (1875–1941)}}
| | [[File:JStuartBlackton1912.jpg|thumb|J. Stuart Blackton]] |
| {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}
| | '''J. Stuart Blackton''' (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American filmmaker, pioneering [[animator]], and co-founder of the Vitagraph Company of America. Widely recognized as one of the fathers of animation, Blackton's innovative techniques and storytelling helped lay the groundwork for the development of animated films. |
| {{Infobox person
| |
| | name = James Stuart Blackton
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| | image = Image:JStuartBlackton1912.jpg
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| | caption = Blackton in 1912 | |
| | birth_name = James Stuart Blacktin | |
| | birth_date = {{Birth date|1875|1|5}}
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| | birth_place = [[Sheffield]], England
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| | death_date = {{Death date and age|1941|8|13|1875|1|5}}
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| | death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
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| | death_cause =
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| | other_names =
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| | known_for = [[Vitagraph Studios]]
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| | education =
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| | occupation =
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| | spouse = {{plainlist|
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| * Isabelle MacArthur (m. 1897; div. 1906)
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| * [[Paula Blackton|Paula Hilburn]] (m. 1908–1930; her death)
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| * Rachel Helen Stahl (m. 1931–1933; her death)
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| * [[Evangeline Russell]] (m. 1936)
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| }}
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| | partner =
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| | children = 4, including [[Marian Constance Blackton]]
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| | parents =
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| | relatives = [[Cornell Woolrich]] (son-in-law)
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| }}
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| '''James Stuart Blackton''' (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American film producer and director of the [[silent film|silent era]]. One of the pioneers of motion pictures, he founded [[Vitagraph Studios]] in 1897. He was one of the first filmmakers to use the techniques of [[stop-motion]] and drawn animation, is considered a father of [[American animation]], and was the first to bring many classic plays and books to the screen. Blackton was also the commodore of the Motorboat Club of America<ref name=VarietyObit/> and the [[Atlantic Yacht Club]].<ref name=obit/> | | == Early Life == |
| | Born '''James Stuart Blackton''' in Sheffield, England, Blackton immigrated to the United States with his family in 1885. The family settled in Brooklyn, New York, where Blackton showed an early interest in drawing and art. |
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| ==Biography==
| | Blackton pursued art professionally, initially working as a newspaper illustrator and cartoonist. His talent for quick sketches and storytelling through visuals would later become key to his contributions to the animation industry. |
| James Stuart Blackton was born on January 5, 1875, in [[Sheffield|Sheffield, Yorkshire, England]], to Henry Blacktin and Jessie Stuart. Henry Blacktin emigrated with his family to the United States in 1885 and changed the family name to Blackton.<ref name=obit/>
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| He worked as a reporter and illustrator for the ''[[New York Evening World]]'', and performed regularly on stage with conjuror [[Albert E. Smith (producer)|Albert Smith]].<ref name="Victorian Cinema">{{cite web|url=http://www.victorian-cinema.net/blackton|title=James Stuart Blackton|last=Gifford|first=Denis|website=Who's Who of Victorian Cinema|access-date=December 9, 2013}}</ref> In 1896, [[Thomas Edison]] publicly demonstrated the [[Vitascope]], one of the first film projectors, and Blackton was sent to interview Edison and provide drawings of how his films were made. Eager for good publicity, Edison took Blackton to his [[Edison's Black Maria|Black Maria]], the special cabin he used to do his filming, and created a film on the spot of Blackton doing a lightning portrait of Edison. The inventor did such a good job selling the art of moviemaking that he talked Blackton and partner Smith into buying a print of the new film, as well as prints of nine other films, plus a Vitascope to show them to paying audiences.
| | == Career Beginnings == |
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| [[File:Vitagraph founders.jpg|thumb|left|Vitagraph Studios founders William T. Rock, [[Albert E. Smith (producer)|Albert E. Smith]] and J. Stuart Blackton (1916)]]
| | === Vitagraph Studios === |
| The new act was a great success, despite the various things Blackton and Smith were doing between the Edison films. The next step was to start making films of their own. In this way the [[Vitagraph Studios|American Vitagraph Company]] was born.<ref name=obit/> | | In 1897, Blackton co-founded the '''Vitagraph Company of America''' with Albert E. Smith and Ronald A. Reader. The studio, initially focused on live-action short films, became one of the most successful and influential production companies of the silent film era. |
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| During this period, J. Stuart Blackton ran the Vitagraph studio, and produced, directed, and wrote its films. He even starred in some of his films, playing the [[comic strip]] character "[[Happy Hooligan]]" in a series of shorts. Since profits were constantly increasing, Blackton felt that he could try any idea that sprang to his head, and in a series of films Blackton developed the concepts of animation.
| | * '''Early Films''': Vitagraph produced films based on current events, literary adaptations, and comedies, helping to establish the foundation of American cinema. |
| | * By the 1910s, Vitagraph was a major player in the burgeoning film industry, rivaling studios like Edison and Biograph. |
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| ===Animated films=== | | == Contributions to Animation == |
| The first of his animation films is ''[[The Enchanted Drawing]]'', with a copyright date of 1900 but probably made at least a year earlier.<ref name=obit/> In this film, Blackton sketches a face, a bottle of wine and a glass, a [[top hat]], and a cigar. During the film he appears to remove the wine, glass, hat, and cigar as real objects, and the face appears to react. The "animation" here is of the stop-action variety, where the camera is stopped, a single change is made, and the camera is then started again. The process was first used by [[Georges Méliès]] and others.
| | Blackton’s contributions to [[animation]] came from his fascination with combining his skills as an illustrator with the emerging medium of film. |
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| The transition to stop-motion was apparently accidental, and occurred around 1905. According to Albert Smith, one day the crew was filming a complex series of stop-action effects on the roof while steam from the building's generator was billowing in the background. On playing the film back, Smith noticed the odd effect created by the steam puffs scooting across the screen and decided to reproduce it deliberately. A few films (some of which are lost) use this effect to represent [[invisible]] [[ghost]]s, or to have toys come to life. In 1906, Blackton directed ''[[Humorous Phases of Funny Faces]]'', which uses stop-motion as well as stick [[puppetry]] to produce a series of effects. After Blackton's hand draws two faces on a [[chalkboard]], they appear to come to life and engage in antics. Most of the film uses live action effects instead of animation, but nevertheless this film had a huge effect in stimulating the creation of animated films in America. In Europe, the same effect was had from ''[[The Haunted Hotel]]'' (1907), another Vitagraph short directed by Blackton. ''The Haunted Hotel'' was mostly live-action, about a tourist spending the night in an inn run by invisible spirits. Most of the effects are also live-action (wires and such), but one scene of a dinner making itself was done using stop-motion, and was presented in a tight close-up that allowed budding animators to study it for technique. | | === ''The Enchanted Drawing'' (1900) === |
| | Often cited as one of the earliest examples of animation, ''[[The Enchanted Drawing]]'' featured Blackton drawing a series of images (a face, a bottle of wine, a hat) that appeared to come to life as he interacted with them. |
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| Blackton made another animated film that has survived, 1907's ''Lightning Sketches'', but it has nothing to add to the art of animation. In 1908 he made the first American film version of ''[[Romeo and Juliet (1908 film)|Romeo and Juliet]]'', filmed in New York City's [[Central Park]] and ''[[The Thieving Hand]]'', filmed in [[Flatbush, Brooklyn]]. By 1909, Blackton was too absorbed in the business of running Vitagraph to have time for filmmaking. He came to regard his animation experiments in particular as being rather juvenile (they receive no mention in his unpublished autobiography).
| | * Though not animation in the modern sense, the film used trick photography to create the illusion of movement. |
| | * This work demonstrated the potential of animation and inspired other filmmakers to explore similar techniques. |
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| ===Dramatic films and later life=== | | === ''Humorous Phases of Funny Faces'' (1906) === |
| [[File:Marian-and-JS-Blackton-cropped.jpg|thumb|right|Blackton and daughter [[Marian Constance Blackton|Marian Blackton Trimble]] (1901–1993), author of a personal biography of her father that was edited by film historian [[Anthony Slide]]<ref name="Howard">{{cite web |url=https://wfpp.cdrs.columbia.edu/pioneer/ccp-marian-constance-blackton/ |title=Marian Constance Blackton |last1=Howard |first1=Cameron |date=September 27, 2013 |website=Women Film Pioneers Project |publisher=Center for Digital Research and Scholarship, [[Columbia University Libraries]] |access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref>]]
| | This short film is regarded as one of the first true animated works. |
| Stuart Blackton believed that the US should join the [[Allies (World War I)|Allies]] involved in [[World War I]] overseas and in 1915 produced ''[[The Battle Cry of Peace]]''. Former President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] was one of the film's staunchest supporters and convinced Gen. [[Leonard Wood]] to loan Blackton an entire regiment of marines to use as extras. Upon its release, the film generated a controversy rivaling that of ''[[The Birth of a Nation]]'' because it was considered as militaristic propaganda.
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| Blackton left Vitagraph to go independent in 1917, but returned in 1923 as junior partner to Albert Smith. In 1925, Smith sold the company to [[Warner Brothers]] for more than $1 million.<ref name=VarietyObit/> | | * Blackton used stop-motion and hand-drawn techniques to create moving images of characters drawn on a chalkboard. |
| | * The film featured characters performing actions like smiling, smoking, and playing, setting a precedent for character-driven animation. |
| | * Its success highlighted the entertainment value of animated content and encouraged further experimentation in the field. |
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| Blackton did quite well with his share until the [[Wall Street Crash 1929|Stock Market Crash of 1929]], which destroyed his savings and made him bankrupt in 1931.<ref name=VarietyObit>{{cite news|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Commodore Blackton, Who Went from Riches to Relief, Dies at 66|date=August 20, 1941|page=4|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety143-1941-08#page/n123/mode/1up}}</ref> He spent his last years on the road, showing his old films and lecturing about the days of silent movies. His daughter Violet Virginia Blackton (1910–1965) married writer [[Cornell Woolrich]] in 1930 but their marriage was annulled in 1933.
| | === Technique and Innovation === |
| | Blackton employed: |
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| He married actress [[Evangeline Russell]] in 1936.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stuart Blackton To Wed. One-Time Partner of Edison to Marry Evangeline Russell |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D00E0D71F3FEE3BBC4B53DFB667838D629EDE |quote=Commodore J. Stuart Blackton, one-time partner of the late Thomas A. Edison in the production of motion pictures, has made known his engagement to Mrs. Evangeline Russell de Rippeteau, film actress. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 3, 1936 |access-date=2014-12-06 }}</ref>
| | * '''Stop-Motion''': Sequentially photographing drawings or objects to simulate movement. |
| | * '''Hand-Drawn Animation''': Creating images frame by frame, a method that would later become the standard for the industry. |
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| Blackton died August 13, 1941, a few days after he suffered a fractured skull<ref name=VarietyObit/> after being hit by a motorist while crossing the street with his son.<ref name=obit>{{cite news |title=Blackton, Pioneer In Movies, Dies, 66. Ex-Commodore of Atlantic Yacht Club Here. Is Victim of Auto Accident. A Founder Of Vitagraph. Producer of 'Black Diamond Express' Thriller. Began as Marine Artist |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E00E6D9133FE13BBC4C52DFBE66838A659EDE |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |date=August 14, 1941 |access-date=2014-12-06 }}</ref><ref name="archive.org">{{cite web|url= http://ia801001.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/34/items/motionpicturedai50unse/motionpicturedai50unse_jp2.zip&file=motionpicturedai50unse_jp2/motionpicturedai50unse_0299.jp2&scale=2&rotate=0 |title=J. Stuart Blackton's Condition Is Critical |publisher=Motion Picture Daily |date=13 August 1941 |access-date=3 September 2014}}</ref> At the time of his death he was working for [[Hal Roach]] on experiments to improve color process backgrounds.<ref name="us.archive.org">{{cite web|url= http://ia801001.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/34/items/motionpicturedai50unse/motionpicturedai50unse_jp2.zip&file=motionpicturedai50unse_jp2/motionpicturedai50unse_0315.jp2&scale=2&rotate=0 |title=Blackton Services Tomorrow in L.A.|publisher=Motion Picture Daily |date=15 August 1941 |access-date=3 September 2014}}</ref> Blackton was cremated and interred at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Glendale, California]].<ref>[https://www.newsday.com/long-island/li-s-silent-film-genius-who-died-a-pauper-1.3124514 ''Newsday'']</ref>
| | These methods bridged the gap between static illustrations and dynamic motion pictures. |
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| ==Select filmography== | | == Later Career == |
| {{multiple image
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| <!-- Essential parameters -->
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| | align = right
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| | direction = vertical
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| | width = 220
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| <!-- Image 1 -->
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| | image1 = The Enchanted Drawing.ogv
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| | alt1 =
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| | caption1 = ''[[The Enchanted Drawing]]'' (1900)
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| <!-- Image 2 -->
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| | image2 =Humorous Phases of Funny Faces.ogg
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| | alt2 =
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| | caption2 = ''[[Humorous Phases of Funny Faces]]'' (1906)
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| <!-- Image 3 -->
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| | image3 =A Tale of Two Cities (1911).jpg
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| | alt3 =
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| | caption3 = ''[[A Tale of Two Cities (1911 film)|A Tale of Two Cities]]'' (1911)
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| <!-- Image 4 -->
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| | image4 =A House Divided (1919) - 1.jpg
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| | alt4 =
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| | caption4 = [[Herbert Rawlinson]], [[Lawrence Grossmith]], and [[Sylvia Breamer]] in ''A House Divided'' (1919)
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| }}
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| {| class="wikitable sortable"
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| |-
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| ! Year
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| ! Title
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| ! class="unsortable" | Notes
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| |-
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| | 1898
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Burglar on the Roof|nolink=1}}''
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| | Short film<ref name="The Big V">{{cite book |last=Slide |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Slide |date=1976 |title=The Big V: A History of the Vitagraph Company |location=Metuchen, N.J. |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810809673}}</ref>{{Rp|8}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/B/BurglarOnTheRoof1898.html |title=The Burglar on the Roof |website=Progressive Silent Film List |publisher=Silent Era |access-date=2016-08-03}}</ref>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1898
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| | ''Tearing Down the Spanish Flag''
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| | Short film<ref name="The Big V"/>{{Rp|8–9}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/T/TearingDownTheSpanishF1898.html |title=Tearing Down the Spanish Flag |website=Progressive Silent Film List |publisher=Silent Era |access-date=2016-08-03}}</ref>
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| |-
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| | 1898
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Humpty Dumpty Circus}}''
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| | Short film
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| |-
| |
| | 1900
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Enchanted Drawing}}''
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| | Short film
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| |-
| |
| | 1902
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Twentieth Century Tramp; or, Happy Hooligan and His Airship}}''
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| | Short film
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| |-
| |
| | 1905
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; or, Held for Ransom|Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; or, Held for Ransom}}''
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| | Short film<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/A/AdventuresOfSherlockHo1905.html |title=The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; or, Held for a Ransom |website=Progressive Silent Film List |publisher=Silent Era |access-date=2016-08-03}}</ref>
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| |-
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| | 1906
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| | ''[[Humorous Phases of Funny Faces]]''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1906
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Automobile Thieves}}''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1907
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| | ''{{sortname|A|Curious Dream}}''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1907
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Haunted Hotel}}''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| |1907
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| | ''Lightning Sketches''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1908
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Thieving Hand}}''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1908
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| | ''[[Macbeth (1908 film)|Macbeth]]''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1908
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| | ''[[Romeo and Juliet (1908 film)|Romeo and Juliet]]''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1908
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Airship, or 100 Years Hence}}''
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| | Short film<ref>Douglas Alver Menville, R. Reginald, Mary Wickizer Burgess ''Futurevisions: the new golden age of the science fiction film'' 1985 – Page 14 "Although previous filmmakers had used the near future as a backdrop for their stories (''The Airship, or 100 Years Hence'', was produced by J. Stuart Blackton in 1908), Lang's vision is the first serious attempt to predict a possible tomorrow."</ref>
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| |-
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| | 1908
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| | ''[[Antony and Cleopatra (1908 film)|Antony and Cleopatra]]''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1909
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| | ''[[The Bride of Lammermoor (1909 film)|The Bride of Lammermoor]]''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1909
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| | ''[[Oliver Twist (1909 film)|Oliver Twist]]''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1909
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| | ''[[Princess Nicotine; or, The Smoke Fairy]]''
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| | Short film
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| |-
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| | 1909
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| | ''[[Les Misérables (1909 film)|Les Misérables]]''
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| | <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/M/Miserables1909.html |title=Les Miserables |website=Progressive Silent Film List |publisher=Silent Era |access-date=2016-08-03}}</ref>
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| |-
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| | 1909
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| | ''[[Napoleon, the Man of Destiny]]''
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| |
| |
| |-
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| | 1909
| |
| | ''{{sortname|A|Midsummer Night's Dream|A Midsummer Night's Dream (1909 film)}}''
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| | Short film<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/M/MidsummerNightsDream1909.html |title=A Midsummer Night's Dream |website=Progressive Silent Film List |publisher=Silent Era |access-date=2016-08-03}}</ref>
| |
| |-
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| | 1909
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Life of Moses}}''
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| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1911
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| | [[Ivanhoe (1911 film)|Ivanhoe]]<ref>[[Vito Attolini]] ''"Immagini del Medievo nel cinema"'', Bari 1993</ref>
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| |-
| |
| | 1911
| |
| |''[[Lady Godiva (1911 film)|Lady Godiva]]''
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| |Short film
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| |-
| |
| | 1911
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| | ''{{sortname|A|Tale of Two Cities|A Tale of Two Cities (1911 film)}}''
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| | <ref name="BFI">{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f189138 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915185751/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f189138 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |title=J. Stuart Blackton |website=[[BFI Film & TV Database]] |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=2016-08-03}}</ref>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1912
| |
| | ''[[Richard III (1912 film)|Richard III]]''
| |
| | <ref name="BFI"/>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1912
| |
| | ''Cardinal Wolsey''
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| | <ref name="BFI"/>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1915
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Battle Cry of Peace}}''
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| | <ref name="The Big V"/>{{Rp|74}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/B/BattleCryOfPeace1915.html |title=The Battle Cry of Peace |website=Progressive Silent Film List |publisher=Silent Era |access-date=2016-08-03}}</ref>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1915
| |
| | ''[[Crooky]]''
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| | <ref name=AFI>{{cite web | url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/13931-THE-WHEELS-OF-JUSTICE?cxt=filmography | title=Crooky | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate= September 8, 2021}}</ref>
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| |-
| |
| | 1916
| |
| |''[[Whom the Gods Destroy (1916 film)|Whom the Gods Destroy]]''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1917
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Judgment House}}''
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| | <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/J/JudgementHouse1917.html |title=The Judgement House |website=Progressive Silent Film List |publisher=Silent Era |access-date=2016-08-03}}</ref>
| |
| |-
| |
| |1917
| |
| | ''[[Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation]]''
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| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1917
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Message of the Mouse}}''
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| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1918
| |
| | ''[[Life's Greatest Problem]]''
| |
| | <ref name="BFI"/>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1918
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|World for Sale}}''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1918
| |
| | ''[[Wild Youth (film)|Wild Youth]]''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1919
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Common Cause|The Common Cause (film)}}''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| |1920
| |
| | ''[[My Husband's Other Wife]]''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1920
| |
| | ''[[Passers By (1920 film)|Passers By]]''
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| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1920
| |
| | ''[[The Forbidden Valley]]''
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| |
| |
| |-
| |
| |1920
| |
| | ''[[Man and His Woman]]''
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| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1920
| |
| |''{{sortname|The|House of the Tolling Bell}}''
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| |<ref>Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 222.{{ISBN|978-1936168-68-2}}.</ref>
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| |-
| |
| | 1922
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Glorious Adventure|The Glorious Adventure (1922 film)}}''
| |
| | <ref name="BFI"/>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1922
| |
| |''{{sortname|A|Gipsy Cavalier}}''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1923
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Virgin Queen|The Virgin Queen (1923 film)}}''
| |
| | <ref name="BFI"/>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1923
| |
| | ''[[On the Banks of the Wabash (film)|On the Banks of the Wabash]]''
| |
| | <ref name="BFI"/>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1924
| |
| | ''[[Between Friends (1924 film)|Between Friends]]''
| |
| | <ref name="BFI"/>
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1924
| |
| | ''[[Let Not Man Put Asunder]]''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1924
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Beloved Brute}}''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| |1924
| |
| | ''[[Behold This Woman]]''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1924
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Clean Heart}}''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| |1925
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Happy Warrior|The Happy Warrior (1925 film)}}''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1925
| |
| |''{{sortname|The|Redeeming Sin|The Redeeming Sin (1925 film)}}''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
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| | 1925
| |
| |''[[Tides of Passion (1925 film)|Tides of Passion]]''
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| |
| |
| |-
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| | 1926
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| | ''[[Bride of the Storm]]''
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| | <ref name="BFI"/>
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| |-
| |
| | 1926
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| | ''[[Hell-Bent for Heaven]]''
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| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1926
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Gilded Highway}}''
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| |
| |
| |-
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| | 1926
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| | ''{{sortname|The|Passionate Quest}}''
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| |
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| |-
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| | 1927
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|American|The American (1927 film)}}''
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| | 1934
| |
| | ''{{sortname|The|Film Parade|nolink=1}}''
| |
| | <ref name="UCLA">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2009-03-18/film-parade-1933-vitagraph-treasures |title=The Film Parade (1933); Vitagraph Treasures |publisher=[[UCLA Film and Television Archive]] |access-date=2016-08-04}}</ref>
| |
| |}
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|
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| ==Archives== | | === Decline of Vitagraph === |
| Blackton's film ''The Film Parade'' was restored by the [[UCLA Film and Television Archive]] in 2009.<ref name="UCLA"/> The [[Academy Film Archive]] preserved Blackton's 1910 film ''A Modern Cinderella'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Preserved Projects|url=https://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=&filmmaker=blackton&category=All&collection=All|website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref>
| | By the 1910s, Vitagraph faced increasing competition from other studios. In 1925, the company was sold to Warner Bros., marking the end of Blackton’s involvement with the studio he had co-founded. |
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|
| ==References== | | === Financial Troubles === |
| {{reflist|30em}}
| | Despite his early success, Blackton struggled financially in later years. Poor investments and changing industry dynamics left him nearly destitute by the 1930s. |
|
| |
|
| ==Further reading== | | == Legacy == |
| | J. Stuart Blackton is celebrated for his pioneering role in the animation industry: |
|
| |
|
| * {{cite book | | * '''Father of American Animation''': His innovative films like ''[[Humorous Phases of Funny Faces]]'' demonstrated the potential of animation as a unique storytelling medium. |
| |last = Dewey
| | * '''Influence on Animation and Cinema''': Blackton’s work paved the way for animators like [[Winsor McCay]] and later, [[Walt Disney]], to expand and refine the art form. |
| |first = Donald
| | * '''Vitagraph's Impact''': As a co-founder of Vitagraph, Blackton helped shape early American cinema, producing films that showcased the potential of the medium. |
| |title = Buccaneer: James Stuart Blackton and the Birth of American Movies
| |
| |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tlttCwAAQBAJ
| |
| |year = 2016
| |
| |publisher = [[Rowman & Littlefield]]
| |
| |isbn = 978-1-4422-4259-3}}
| |
| * {{cite book | |
| |last = Trimble
| |
| |first = Marian Blackton
| |
| |title = J. Stuart Blackton: a personal biography by his daughter
| |
| |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gSAeAAAAMAAJ
| |
| |year = 1985
| |
| |publisher = [[Scarecrow Press]]
| |
| |isbn = 978-0-8108-1765-4}}
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|
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|
| == External links == | | == Recognition == |
| *{{commons category-inline}}
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| *{{wikisource author-inline}}
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| * [http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=&retailCheck=&Type=PN&CatID=DATABIN_PRODUCER&ID=74886&AN_ID=&searchedFor=J._Stuart_Blackton_ J. Stuart Blackton] at the ''[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]'', [[American Film Institute]]
| |
| * {{IMDb name|id=0085865|name=J. Stuart Blackton}}
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|
| |
|
| {{J. Stuart Blackton}}
| | * Blackton’s contributions to animation and early cinema have been celebrated posthumously by historians and film enthusiasts. |
| {{Authority control}}
| | * In 1998, ''Humorous Phases of Funny Faces'' was selected for preservation in the United States '''National Film Registry''' as a culturally significant work. |
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Blackton, Stuart, J.}}
| | == Death == |
| [[Category:1875 births]]
| | J. Stuart Blackton died on August 13, 1941, in Hollywood, California, after being struck by a car. His death marked the end of a life filled with creative innovation and lasting contributions to the evolution of animation and cinema. |
| [[Category:1941 deaths]]
| | |
| [[Category:19th-century American businesspeople]]
| | J. Stuart Blackton remains a towering figure in the history of animation, remembered for his inventive techniques and visionary approach to combining art and motion. His legacy continues to inspire animators and filmmakers worldwide. |
| [[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
| | [[Category:Animator]] |
| [[Category:20th-century American memoirists]]
| | [[Category:American filmmaker]] |
| [[Category:American cinema pioneers]]
| | [[Category:British filmmaker]] |
| [[Category:Film producers from Los Angeles]]
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| [[Category:American film production company founders]]
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| [[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)]]
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| [[Category:American film studio executives]]
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| [[Category:Road incident deaths in California]]
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| [[Category:Pedestrian road incident deaths]] | |
| [[Category:Film people from Sheffield]]
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| [[Category:American vaudeville performers]] | |
| [[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
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| [[Category:English emigrants to the United States]]
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| [[Category:British cinema pioneers]] | |
| [[Category:American people of English descent]]
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| [[Category:American animators]]
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