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Cecil Hepworth

January 07, 2023

Cecil Milton Hepworth (19 March 1874 – 9 February 1953) was a British film director, producer and screenwriter. He was among the founders of the British film industry and continued making films into the 1920s at his Hepworth Studios. In 1923 his company Hepworth Picture Plays went into receivership.

Cecil Hepworth
Born(1874-03-19)19 March 1874
Lambeth,[1] England
Died9 February 1953(1953-02-09) (aged 78)
Greenford, Middlesex, England
Occupation(s)Film director, film producer
Years active1896–1926

His works include Alice in Wonderland (1903), the first film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's children's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.[2]

History

 
1913 ad for Vivaphone
 
May Clark as Alice (left) and Norman Whitten (right) as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland (1903), the first film version of the story
 
 
A commemorative British Film Institute plaque at Cantelowes Road, NW1, where Hepworth lived as a child

Hepworth was born in Lambeth, in present-day South London. His father, Thomas Cradock Hepworth, was a famous magic lantern showman and author. Cecil Hepworth became involved in the early stages of British filmmaking, working for both Birt Acres and Charles Urban, and wrote the first British book on the subject in 1897. With his cousin Monty Wicks he set up the production company Hepworth and Co. (also known as "Hepwix" after the word mark in its trade logo), which was later renamed the Hepworth Manufacturing Company (officially: Hepworth Film Manufacturing Company), and then Hepworth Picture Plays. In 1899 they built a small film studio in Walton-on-Thames, Hepworth Studios. The company produced about three films a week, sometimes with Hepworth directing. He was associated with Percy Stow from 1901-1903 who specialized in trick films.[3]

His film Rescued by Rover (1905), co-directed with Lewin Fitzhamon and starring a collie in the title role, was a huge financial success. The film is now regarded as an important development in film grammar, with shots being effectively combined to emphasize the action. Hepworth was also one of the first to recognize the potential of film stars, both animal and human, with several recurring characters appearing in his films.

By 1910, Hepworth was also the inventor of Vivaphone, an early sound on disk system for adding sound to motion pictures. The device used phonograph records to record and play back the sound. Hepworth's vivaphone was distributed in Britain and also in the United States and Canada.[4][5]

The company continued making popular films into the 1920s, despite Hepworth's now unchanging and increasingly old-fashioned film style. Boosted by the international success of Alf's Button (1919), the company went public to fund a large studio development. He failed to raise the necessary capital and, also suffering the box office failure of Comin' Thro the Rye (1923), the company went into receivership the next year. All of the original film negatives in Hepworth's possession were melted down by the receiver in order to sell the silver, and his feature films have been considered lost for many decades. However, an original 35mm. print of his 1920 film Helen of Four Gates was located in a film archive in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2008.[6]

Selected filmography

Notes

  1. ^ Cecil Hepworth at Screenonline
  2. ^ Mills, Ted (31 March 2016). "The First Film Adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (1903)". Open Culture. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Stow, Percy (1876-1919)". British Film Institute. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  4. ^ . John Goodwin. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Hepworth Vivaphone". silentera.com. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Helen of Four Gates to get screening after 80-year hiatus" The Guardian, 31-05-2010. Retrieved 26-08-2010.

References

  • Came the Dawn, Cecil Hepworth. London: Phoenix House, 1951.
  • Raising the Flag: Constructing a National Cinema in Britain, Andrew Higson. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995, ISBN 0-19-812369-8. Chapter on Comin' Thro' The Rye: pp. 26–97.
 
Wikisource has original works by or about:
Cecil Hepworth

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cecil Hepworth.
  • Cecil Milton Hepworth at Victorian-cinema.net
  • Cecil Hepworth at IMDb

January 07, 2023
cecil, hepworth, cecil, milton, hepworth, march, 1874, february, 1953, british, film, director, producer, screenwriter, among, founders, british, film, industry, continued, making, films, into, 1920s, hepworth, studios, 1923, company, hepworth, picture, plays,. Cecil Milton Hepworth 19 March 1874 9 February 1953 was a British film director producer and screenwriter He was among the founders of the British film industry and continued making films into the 1920s at his Hepworth Studios In 1923 his company Hepworth Picture Plays went into receivership Cecil HepworthBorn 1874 03 19 19 March 1874Lambeth 1 EnglandDied9 February 1953 1953 02 09 aged 78 Greenford Middlesex EnglandOccupation s Film director film producerYears active1896 1926His works include Alice in Wonderland 1903 the first film adaptation of Lewis Carroll s children s book Alice s Adventures in Wonderland 2 Contents 1 History 2 Selected filmography 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksHistory Edit 1913 ad for Vivaphone May Clark as Alice left and Norman Whitten right as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland 1903 the first film version of the story A commemorative British Film Institute plaque at Cantelowes Road NW1 where Hepworth lived as a child Hepworth was born in Lambeth in present day South London His father Thomas Cradock Hepworth was a famous magic lantern showman and author Cecil Hepworth became involved in the early stages of British filmmaking working for both Birt Acres and Charles Urban and wrote the first British book on the subject in 1897 With his cousin Monty Wicks he set up the production company Hepworth and Co also known as Hepwix after the word mark in its trade logo which was later renamed the Hepworth Manufacturing Company officially Hepworth Film Manufacturing Company and then Hepworth Picture Plays In 1899 they built a small film studio in Walton on Thames Hepworth Studios The company produced about three films a week sometimes with Hepworth directing He was associated with Percy Stow from 1901 1903 who specialized in trick films 3 His film Rescued by Rover 1905 co directed with Lewin Fitzhamon and starring a collie in the title role was a huge financial success The film is now regarded as an important development in film grammar with shots being effectively combined to emphasize the action Hepworth was also one of the first to recognize the potential of film stars both animal and human with several recurring characters appearing in his films By 1910 Hepworth was also the inventor of Vivaphone an early sound on disk system for adding sound to motion pictures The device used phonograph records to record and play back the sound Hepworth s vivaphone was distributed in Britain and also in the United States and Canada 4 5 The company continued making popular films into the 1920s despite Hepworth s now unchanging and increasingly old fashioned film style Boosted by the international success of Alf s Button 1919 the company went public to fund a large studio development He failed to raise the necessary capital and also suffering the box office failure of Comin Thro the Rye 1923 the company went into receivership the next year All of the original film negatives in Hepworth s possession were melted down by the receiver in order to sell the silver and his feature films have been considered lost for many decades However an original 35mm print of his 1920 film Helen of Four Gates was located in a film archive in Montreal Quebec Canada in 2008 6 Selected filmography EditThe Egg Laying Man 1897 The Beggar s Deceit 1900 How It Feels to Be Run Over 1900 Explosion of a Motor Car 1900 Rough Sea 1900 Alice in Wonderland 1903 A Day in the Hayfields 1904 Rescued by Rover 1905 Baby s Toilet 1905 The Jewel Thieves Outwitted 1913 David Copperfield 1913 The Cloister and the Hearth 1913 Dr Trimball s Verdict 1913 The Baby on the Barge 1915 The Man Who Stayed at Home 1915 Annie Laurie 1916 Molly Bawn 1916 The Marriage of William Ashe 1916 The Cobweb 1917 The American Heiress 1917 City of Beautiful Nonsense producer 1919 The Refugee 1918 Broken in the Wars 1919 The Forest on the Hill 1919 Helen of Four Gates 1920 The Narrow Valley 1921 Tansy 1921 The Tinted Venus 1921 Wild Heather 1921 Comin Thro the Rye 1923 Strangling Threads 1923 Mist in the Valley 1923 Notes Edit Cecil Hepworth at Screenonline Mills Ted 31 March 2016 The First Film Adaptation of Alice in Wonderland 1903 Open Culture Retrieved 19 May 2017 Stow Percy 1876 1919 British Film Institute Retrieved 29 March 2014 Vivaphone John Goodwin Archived from the original on 21 August 2014 Retrieved 20 August 2014 Hepworth Vivaphone silentera com Retrieved 20 August 2014 Helen of Four Gates to get screening after 80 year hiatus The Guardian 31 05 2010 Retrieved 26 08 2010 References EditCame the Dawn Cecil Hepworth London Phoenix House 1951 Raising the Flag Constructing a National Cinema in Britain Andrew Higson Oxford Clarendon Press 1995 ISBN 0 19 812369 8 Chapter on Comin Thro The Rye pp 26 97 Wikisource has original works by or about Cecil HepworthExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cecil Hepworth Cecil Milton Hepworth at Victorian cinema net Cecil Hepworth at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cecil Hepworth amp oldid 1076629049, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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