Amedee J. Van Beuren (born Amedee Vignot; July 10, 1879 – November 12, 1938) was the producer of
Frank Buck's first three films, as well as many cartoons and short films.
Early years
Van Beuren was born in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, the son of Alfred Vignot, who died in 1894, and Marietta Ferguson. Subsequently, Marietta married Alfred van Beuren on January 13, 1898, when Amadee was in his 9th year, and he took on his stepfather's surname. Alfred van Beuren was head of the van Beuren advertising company, which became a part of the General Outdoor Advertising Company. Amedee was educated at public and private schools and a business college. He worked in the livery business, groceries, and then as a salesman.
Van Beuren Productions
One of Amedee van Beuren's earliest and most successful projects was a series of cartoons produced by his
Van Beuren Studios
The Van Beuren Corporation was a New York City-based animation studio that produced theatrical cartoons as well as live-action short-subjects from the 1920s to 1936.
History
In 1920, the Keith-Albee organization formed Fables Pictures for the ...
,
Aesop's Film Fables
''Aesop's Fables'' (later renamed ''Aesop's Sound Fables'') is a series of animated short subjects, created by American cartoonist Paul Terry. Produced from 1921 to 1933, the series includes '' Closer than a Brother'' (1925), ''The Window Wash ...
. Later movies produced included the
Frank Buck features
Bring 'Em Back Alive (1932),
Wild Cargo (1934), and
Fang and Claw
''Fang and Claw'' is a 1935 jungle adventure documentary starring Frank Buck. Buck continues his demonstration of the ingenious methods by which he traps wild birds, mammals and reptiles in Johore
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a s ...
(1935). Van Beuren Studios also issued more than two hundred animated shorts. van Beuren was president of the Colorado Springs Theatre Corporation and the Kernab Corporation. He was a life member of the Society of The
Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.
Lowell's lawsuit against Beuren
A 1935 lawsuit by
Joan Lowell
Joan Lowell (born Helen Wagner; November 23, 1902 – November 7, 1967) was a movie actress of the silent film era from Berkeley, California. Lowell published a sensational autobiography, ''Cradle of the Deep'', in 1929, which turned out to ...
against Amedee van Beuren and van Beuren Studios demanded an accounting of the profits from the film ''Adventure Girl.'' Lowell wrote and starred in this filmed version of her book, ''Cradle of the Deep''. van Beuren promptly made a counter-claim for $300,000 damages alleged to have been sustained because of Lowell's inexpert performance in the picture. Lowell alleged that she had not received 15 per cent of the earnings guaranteed her. van Beuren replied that they lost $300,000 on the picture. In making the counter-claim for that sum van Beuren asserted that Lowell "carelessly, negligently, inefficiently, inexpertly, and improperly acted and performed in the motion picture produced as to seriously impair and damage the reputation, fame, and business capacity of the defendant."
Final years
In July 1938, Van Beuren had a stroke but gradually recovered, although he was confined to his home. He died of a heart attack, age 58, November 12, 1938, at his country estate, Dreamwold, in
Carmel, New York
Carmel (pronounced ) is a Town (New York), town in Putnam County, New York, Putnam County, New York (state), New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the town had a population of 33,576. The town may have been named after Mo ...
.
[THEATER GOSSIP. Evening Independent - Google News Archive - Feb 20, 1938]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:van Beuren, Amedee J.
1880 births
1938 deaths
American film producers
People from New York (state)