Post by Terry Harbin on Jun 3, 2005 5:51:05 GMT -5
Theodore Wharton, Master Director
Theodore Wharton, Pathe producer,
whose name is known wherever
people see good pictures, is like so
many men in the business, a
graduate of the “legitimate.”
He is a native of Milwaukee, but was
raised in Texas, where for nine years
he was treasurer of the
Dallas Opera House.
Feeling that life would be more
interesting on the stage than
“counting the house,” he joined
the Hopkins Grand Opera
Company as an actor in St. Louis
in 1895, and remained with that
organization for two seasons,
when he went with E. H. Sothern.
His next engagement was with
“The Sporting Duchess,” after
which he was transferred to
Charles Frohman’s Empire Theater
Company, which at that time was
famous for the number of stars
it developed.
In 1899 he joined Augustin Daley’s
famous stock company, and later
managed “The Great Ruby.” Then
he became assistant treasurer of
Hammersteins Victoria theater,
which position he held for five
years, leaving it to manage Hanlon
Brother’s “Superba.”
Wharton was first attracted to
motion pictures in 1907 when he
began writing scenarios, with
what success was proven by his
selling twenty-eight of his first
thirty scripts to the Edison Company.
Who then made him scenario editor
and studio supervisor.
When Pathe Freres established
their American studio, he went
with them and became their first
director. Since that time with the
exception of short intervals, he has
been associated with Pathe, first
as director and now with his brother,
Leopold, as producer for Pathe.
Through the “Exploits of Elaine”
the Wharton name has become
known in every hamlet in the land.
In Ithaca, where the Whartons
have a fine studio property,
Theodore Wharton is known as
“The Man who discovered Ithaca.”
Certainly through his pictures that
beautiful little city has received
the finest kind of publicity.
Motion Picture World
June 1915
Theodore Wharton, Pathe producer,
whose name is known wherever
people see good pictures, is like so
many men in the business, a
graduate of the “legitimate.”
He is a native of Milwaukee, but was
raised in Texas, where for nine years
he was treasurer of the
Dallas Opera House.
Feeling that life would be more
interesting on the stage than
“counting the house,” he joined
the Hopkins Grand Opera
Company as an actor in St. Louis
in 1895, and remained with that
organization for two seasons,
when he went with E. H. Sothern.
His next engagement was with
“The Sporting Duchess,” after
which he was transferred to
Charles Frohman’s Empire Theater
Company, which at that time was
famous for the number of stars
it developed.
In 1899 he joined Augustin Daley’s
famous stock company, and later
managed “The Great Ruby.” Then
he became assistant treasurer of
Hammersteins Victoria theater,
which position he held for five
years, leaving it to manage Hanlon
Brother’s “Superba.”
Wharton was first attracted to
motion pictures in 1907 when he
began writing scenarios, with
what success was proven by his
selling twenty-eight of his first
thirty scripts to the Edison Company.
Who then made him scenario editor
and studio supervisor.
When Pathe Freres established
their American studio, he went
with them and became their first
director. Since that time with the
exception of short intervals, he has
been associated with Pathe, first
as director and now with his brother,
Leopold, as producer for Pathe.
Through the “Exploits of Elaine”
the Wharton name has become
known in every hamlet in the land.
In Ithaca, where the Whartons
have a fine studio property,
Theodore Wharton is known as
“The Man who discovered Ithaca.”
Certainly through his pictures that
beautiful little city has received
the finest kind of publicity.
Motion Picture World
June 1915