Conquest Pictures was a film production unit launched in 1917 as part of Thomas A. Edison Inc. It produced films for young people and families including subjects from popular children's authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Richard Harding Davis, Ralph Henry Barbour, and Mary Shipman Andrews. Anna M. Callan was in charge of the division. Its films were distributed through the George Kleine System.[1] It closed in 1918 and its films were sold off as Edison exited the film production business.

Background

Conquest's first release was July 14, 1917.[2]

The Conquest Pictures plan included weekly releases of 7 reels of film including varying content such as a main 4-reel film, a 1-reel comedy, a 1-reel travel feature, and magazine style news reel. The films could also be ordered individually. The programs were intended to be promoted by involvement from women's clubs who advocated for wholesome fare and marketed to educators and families.[3]

In February 1918, an advertisement touting Conquest Pictures programs ran in the Boy Scouts of America publication Boys Life. The ad compared the film programs to the Every Boy's Library calling them the "Every Boy's Library of the Motion Picture World".[4]

Edison's movie division faced stiff competition and difficult times in the World War I era.[5] In 1918 the Lincoln and Parker Film Company of Worcester, Massachusetts acquired Edison film company assets and equipment as well as some of its film footage including Conquest's programs.[6]

Filmography

Conquest Program #2

Conquest Program #4

Conqiest Program #7

Conquest Program #9

Stop motion shorts

The Dinosaur and the Missing Link (1915)
R.F.D. 10,000 B.C. (1916)

Willis O'Brien created at least 3 stop motion shorts that were released as part of Conquest Pictures film packages:

Other

An advertisement seeking stories that were wholesome and not wishy washy described the type Conquest was looking for and gave as examples stories the film company had already used for its adaptations:

An advertisement for libraries with film equipment or that can show films through partnerships with cinemas notes other Conquest films as:

[10] (1917)[11]

References

  1. ^ "Social Service Review". The Bureau. March 23, 1918 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Child-welfare Magazine". Child Welfare Company. March 23, 1917 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Motography". March 23, 1917 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Inc, Boy Scouts of America (February 23, 1918). "Boys' Life". Boy Scouts of America, Inc. – via Google Books. ((cite web)): |last= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ "Decline of the Edison Company | History of Edison Motion Pictures | Articles and Essays | Inventing Entertainment: The Early Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings of the Edison Companies | Digital Collections | Library of Congress". Library of Congress.
  6. ^ "Motography". March 23, 1918 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Klepper, Robert K. (16 September 2015). Silent Films, 1877-1996: A Critical Guide to 646 Movies. McFarland. ISBN 9781476604848 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Gold and diamond mines of South Africa". Library of Congress.
  9. ^ "The Editor: The Journal of Information for Literary Workers". 26 March 2019 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "The American library annual 1911/12-1917/18: including list of American libraries of over 5000 volumes : libraries of Latin America : library schools and short courses : library and book-trade periodicals and organizations : book publication statistics, etc". Office of the Publishers' weekly. 26 March 2019 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ [1][dead link]