The Champion Film Company was an independent production company founded in 1909 by Mark M. Dintenfass. The studio was one of the film companies that merged to form

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

. Champion was the first film production company to establish itself in the area around

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, t ...

, when the town was the home of

America's first motion picture industry Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, t ...

It built its studio in the vicinity of Fort Lee, at the town line with Englewood Cliffs in Coytesville, then a relatively remote area, to make them look as little like a studio as possible. The building was demolished on 2013. In the Great Big West (1911)

Dintenfass tried avoid the investigators of

Thomas Alva Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...

, always looking for the "pirates" who escaped the rigid conditions posed by the

Motion Picture Patents Company The Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC, also known as the Edison Trust), founded in December 1908 and terminated seven years later in 1915 after conflicts within the industry, was a trust of all the major US film companies and local foreign-bra ...

(MPPC), the monopoly of the sector that it imposed, between the other, to use only the technical material (film cameras, film, etc.) that was to be provided exclusively by the trust. To circumvent the MPPC, the independents - including Dintenfass - distributed their films through the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company of

Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the most important o ...

. On April 30, 1912, Laemmle brought together Pat Powers of

Powers Motion Picture Company Patrick Anthony Powers (8 October 1870 – 30 July 1948) was an American businessman who was involved in the movie and animation industry of the 1910s, '20s, and '30s as a distributor and producer. His firm, Celebrity Productions, was the fi ...

, Mark Dintenfass of Champion Film Company, William Swanson of

Rex Motion Picture Company Rex Motion Picture Company was an early film production company in the United States. History After Edwin S. Porter's short-lived ''Defender Film Company'' failed, The Rex Motion Picture Company was established by Edwin S. Porter, Joseph Engel, a ...

, David Horsley of

Nestor Film Company The Nestor Film Company, originally known as the Nestor Motion Picture Company, was an American motion picture production company. It was founded in 1909 as the West Coast production unit of the Centaur Film Company located in Bayonne, New Jersey ...

, and Charles Baumann and Adam Kessel of the

New York Motion Picture Company The New York Motion Picture Company was a film production and distribution company from 1909 until 1914. It changed names to New York Picture Corporation in 1912. It released films through several different brand names, including 101 Bison, Kay ...

, to merge their companies with

Independent Moving Pictures The Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP) was a motion picture studio and production company founded in 1909 by Carl Laemmle. The company was based in New York City, with production facilities in Fort Lee, New Jersey. In 1912, IMP merged wit ...

and create Universal Film Manufacturing Company, with Laemmle assuming the role of president. Dintenfass later founded the

Vim Comedy Company The Vim Comedy Company was a short-lived movie studio in Jacksonville, Florida and New York City. Vim bought out Siegmund Lubin's Lubin Manufacturing Company Jacksonville, Florida facilities at 750 Riverside Avenue in 1915 after that company ...

(1915) In its four years of activity, Champion produced more than two hundred films. It specialized initially in westerns and historical reconstructions of military episodes of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

and

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. Later, he produced numerous drama films, documentaries and some movies related to famous people, such as the aviators Blanche Scott and

Robert G. Fowler Robert George Fowler (August 10, 1884 – June 15, 1966) was an early aviation pioneer and was the first person to make a west-to-east transcontinental flight in North America in stages. Biography He was born on August 10, 1884 in San Francisco ...

. Among those who appeared in Champion films were

John G. Adolfi John Gustav Adolfi (February 19, 1888 – May 11, 1933) was an American silent film director, actor, and screenwriter who was involved in more than 100 productions throughout his career. An early acting credit was in the recently restored 1912 f ...

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy''. His Broadway, performances included ''In the Long ...

Jeanie Macpherson Abbie Jean MacPherson (May 18, 1886 – August 26, 1946) was an American silent actress, writer, and director. MacPherson worked as a theater and film actress before becoming a screenwriter for Cecil B. DeMille. She was a pioneer for women in th ...

Filmography

*'' Abernathy Kids to the Rescue'', directed by

Travers Vale Travers Vale (31 January 1865 – 10 January 1927) was an English-born silent film director. He directed more than 70 films between 1910 and 1926. He was born in Liverpool and died in Hollywood, California from cancer. Travers Vale's actua ...

(1910) *'' A Romance of an Anvil'' (1910) *'' Cow-boy and the Squaw'' (1910) *''The Spitfire'' (1910) *'' The Hermit of the Rockies'' (1910) *''

A Cowboy's Pledge A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1910) *'' The Sheriff and his Son'' (1910) *'' Cowboy and the Easterner'' (1910) *''

His Indian Bride His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, in ...

'' (1910) *'' A Wild Goose Chase'' (1910) *''

The White Princess of the Tribe ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1910) *'' A Western Girl's Sacrifice'' (1910) *''

The Cowboys to the Rescue ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1910) *''

How the Tenderfoot Made Good How may refer to: * How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech * How, an interrogative word in English grammar Art and entertainment Literature * ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seidm ...

'' (1910) *''

Stolen by Indians Stolen may refer to: * ''Stolen'' (2009 Australian film), a 2009 Australian film * ''Stolen'' (2009 American film), a 2009 American film * ''Stolen: The Baby Kahu Story'' (2010 film), a film based on the real life kidnapping of baby Kahu Durie ...

'' (1910) *'' Doings at the Ranch'' (1910) *'' Caught by Cowboys'' (1910) *'' The Ranchman and the Miser'' (1910) *''

The Way of the West ''The Way of the West'' is a 1934 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey. Cast * Hal Taliaferro as Wally Gordon *Bobby Nelson as Bobby Parker * Myrla Bratton as "Fiery" Parker * Fred Parker as Dad Parker * William Desmond as ...

'' (1910) *'' Let Us Give Thanks'' (1910) *'' The Indian Land Grab'' (1910) *'' Hearts of the West'' (1910) *'' The Sheriff and the Detective'' (1910) *'' His Mother'' (1910) *'' The Golden Gates'' (1910) *'' Days of the Early West'' (1910) *'' Bill's Widow'' (1911) *'' The Will of a Western Maid'' (1911) *'' Why He Went West'' (1911) *'' Judged by Higher Power'' (1911) *'' At Double Trouble Ranch'' (1911) *'' Her Three Proposals'' (1911) *'' The Old Man and Jim'', directed by

Ulysses Davis Ulysses Davis (November 5, 1872 – October 1, 1924), was an American film director. He directed 86 films between 1911 and 1916, some at Champion Film Company. He is probably best remembered today for having directed ''The Kiss'', a 1914 fi ...

(1911) *'' A Western Girl's Choice'' (1911) *'' The Vindication of John'' (1911) *'' The Girl and the Oath'' (1911) *'' The Pay-Roll'' (1911) *'' The Bachelor's Old Maid'' (1911) *''

The Price He Paid ''The Price He Paid'' is a 1914 American silent melodrama film, directed by Lawrence McGill. It stars Philip Hahn, Gertrude Shipman, and Julia Hurley, and was released on December 7, 1914. The film is inspired by the Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem o ...

'' (1911) *'' Men of the West'' (1911) *'' With Stonewall Jackson'' (1911) *'' A Half-Breed's Courage'' (1911) *'' Gen. Meade's Fighting Days'' (1911) *'' She Wanted a Man with Brains'' (1911) *'' Clark's Capture of Kaskaskia'' (1911) *''

Out of the Dark Out of the Dark may refer to: Films * ''Out of the Dark'' (1989 film), a comedy/horror film starring Karen Witter * ''Out of the Dark'' (1995 film), a comedy/horror film by Jeffery Lau and starring Stephen Chow * '' Out in the Dark'', a 2012 Isra ...

'', directed by

(1911) *'' Col. E.D. Baker, 1st California'' (1911) *'' Making a Man of His Son'' (1911) *'' Gen. Marion, the Swamp Fox'' (1911) *'' Circle C's New Boss'' (1911) *'' With Sheridan at Murfreesboro'' (1911) *'' In the Great Big West'' (1911) *'' The Peril of Diaz'' (1911) *'' How He Redeemed Himself'' (1911) *'' Service Under Johnston and Lee'' (1911) *'' The Cost of Drink'' (1911) *'' Longstreet at Seven Pines'' (1911) *'' His Last Crooked Deal'' (1911) *''

Molly Pitcher Molly Pitcher is a nickname given to a woman said to have fought in the American Revolutionary War. She is most often identified as Mary Ludwig Hays, who fought in the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. Another possibility is Margaret Corbin, w ...

'', directed by

(1911) *'' For Her Sin'' (1911) *'' War and the Widow'' (1911) *'' The Boy Scouts to the Rescue'' (1911) *'' The Fighting Rev. Caldwell'', directed by

(1911) *'' A Cowboy and a Lord'' (1911) *'' From Wallace to Grant'' (1911) *'' Tony Would Be a Cowboy'' (1911) *'' A Southern Girl's Heroism'' (1911) *'' A Daring Deed'' (1911) *'' The Exchange'' (1911) *'' At the Trail's End'' (1911) *'' The Perils of a War Messenger'' (1911) *'' The Dubuque Regatta'' (1911) *'' Dewey'' (1911) *'' Chief Fire Eye's Game'' (1911) *'' The Three Calls'' (1911) *'' How the Girls Got Even'' (1911) *'' When North and South Met'' (1911) *'' The Confessional'' (1911) *'' A Daughter of Dixie'' (1911) *'' How Tony Became a Hero'' (1911) *'' Grant and Lincoln'' (1911) *'' When the Law Came'' (1911) *'' Charley's Buttle'' (1911) *'' The Red Devils'', directed by

Sidney Drew Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Drew were an American comedy team on stage and screen. The team initially consisted of Sidney Drew (August 28, 1863 – April 9, 1919) and his first wife Gladys Rankin (October 8, 1870 – January 9, 1914). After Gladys died in 19 ...

(1911) *'' Shenandoah'' (1911) *'' The Stolen Horse'' (1911) *'' The Black Horse Troop of Culver'' (1911) *'' The Cook of the Ranch'' (1911) *''

Barbara Frietchie ''Barbara Frietchie, The Frederick Girl'' is a play in four acts by Clyde Fitch and based on the heroine of John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Barbara Frietchie" (based on a real person: Barbara Fritchie). Fitch takes a good bit of artistic libert ...

'' (1911) *'' As Things Used to Be'' (1911) *'' The National Guard Encampment at Fort Riley'' (1911) *'' What the Indians Did'' (1911) *'' A Girl and a Spy'' (1911) *''

Circumstantial Evidence Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact—such as a fingerprint at the scene of a crime. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion directly—i.e., without need ...

'' (1911) *'' The Copperhead'', directed by

(1911) *'' Law or the Lady'' (1911) *'' The Cowboys' Pies'' (1911) *'' Folks of Old Virginia'' (1911) *'' The Moonshiner's Trail'' (1911) *'' The Redemption of a Coward'' (1911) *'' The Passing of Sal'' (1911) *'' National Guardsmen and Regulars at Fort Riley, Kansas'' (1911) *'' When the Sheriff Got His Man'' (1911) *'' The Mother Goose Series'' (1911) *'' The Two Browns'' (1911) *'' Field Day Sports at Ft. Riley, Kansas'' (1911) *''

Yankee Doodle "Yankee Doodle" is a traditional song and nursery rhyme, the early versions of which predate the Seven Years' War and American Revolution. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today. It is the state anthem of Connecticut. Its ...

'' (1911) *'' Our Navy'' (1911) *'' The Indian Fortune Teller'' (1911) *'' A Traitor on the Staff'' (1911) *'' The Saving of Dan'', directed by

(1911) *'' The Coward's Flute'', directed byUlysses Davis (1911) *'' By Decree of Fate'' (1911) *'' Bonnie of the Hills'' (1911) *'' The Doctor's Close Call'' (1911) *'' The Blood of the Poor'', directed by Ulysses Davis (1912) *'' The Kid of Roaring Camp'' (1912) *'' An Aviator's Success'' (1912) *'' Love That Never Fails'', directed by Ulysses Davis (1912) *'' Fathers and Sons'' (1912) *'' A Tale of the Snow'' (1912) *'' The Brute'', directed by Ulysses Davis (1912) *'' Her Brother's Partner'' (1912) *'' Cardinal Farley's Home Coming'' (1912) *'' How Jack Got Even with Bud'' (1912) *'' The Aviator and the Autoist Race for a Bride'' (1912) *'' A Divided Family'', directed by

(1912) *'' Robert G. Fowler, Trans-Continental Aviator'' (1912) *'' Mr. Piddle Rebels'' (1912) *''

For Her Father's Sake ''For Her Father's Sake'' is a 1921 British silent drama film directed by Alexander Butler and starring Owen Nares, Isobel Elsom and James Lindsay. It was based on the play ''The Perfect Lover'' by Alfred Sutro. Cast * Owen Nares as Walte ...

'', directed by Ulysses Davis (1912) *'' The Merchant Mayor of Indianapolis'', directed by Ulysses Davis (1912) *'' A Wife's Discovery'' (1912) *'' The Robbery at the Railroad Station'' (1912) *'' A Higher Power'' (1912) *'' Wrongly Accused'', directed by Ulysses Davis (1912) *''

The Manicurist ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1912) *'' Blind'' (1912) *'' The Fatal Glass'' (1912) *'' The Editor'' (1912) *''

For Home and Honor For or FOR may refer to: English language *For, a preposition *For, a complementizer *For, a grammatical conjunction Science and technology * Fornax, a constellation * for loop, a programming language statement * Frame of reference, in physics ...

'' (1912) *'' Ireland and Israel'' (1912) *'' A Night's Adventure'' (1912) *'' Thou Shalt Not (?)'' (1912) *'' Kid Canfield'', directed by

(1912) *'' The Divorce Cure'' (1912) *'' The Caricature of a Face'' (1912) *'' The Blue Mountain Buffaloes'' (1912) *'' Salvation Sue'' (1912) *'' Baby's Adventures'' (1912) *''

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

'' (1912) *'' A Gay Deceiver'' (1912) *'' Brothers'', directed by

Wallace Reid William Wallace Halleck Reid (April 15, 1891 – January 18, 1923) was an American actor in silent film, referred to as "the screen's most perfect lover". He also had a brief career as a racing driver. Early life Reid was born in St. Louis, M ...

(1912) *''

Winona Winona, Wynona or Wynonna may refer to: Places Canada * Winona, Ontario United States * Winona, Arizona * Winona, Indiana * Winona Lake, Indiana * Winona, Kansas * Winona, Michigan * Winona County, Minnesota ** Winona, Minnesota, the seat of ...

'' (1912) *'' The Horse Thieves of Bar X Ranch'' (1912) *'' An Italian Romance (1912 film)'' (1912) *'' Realization of a Child's Dream'' (1912) *''

Lucky Jim ''Lucky Jim'' is a novel by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1954 by Victor Gollancz. It was Amis's first novel and won the 1955 Somerset Maugham Award for fiction. The novel follows the exploits of the eponymous James (Jim) Dixon, a reluctan ...

'' (1912) *''

What Might Have Been "What Might Have Been" is a song recorded by American country music group Little Texas. It was released in May 1993 as the lead-off single from their second (and breakthrough) album, '' Big Time''. It was written by Julian Williams and the band ...

'' (1912) *'' The Duck Hunt (1912 film)'' (1912) *'' The Cashier's Ordeal'' (1912) *'' Mrs. Alden's Awakening'', directed by Jay Hunt (1912) *'' The Ranch Woman'' (1912) *'' The Heroes of the Blue and Gray'' (1912) *'' The Derelict'' (1912) *'' A Squaw Man'' (1912) *'' Camille'', directed by Jay Hunt (1912) *''A Western Child's Heroism'', directed by

Sidney M. Goldin Sidney M. Goldin, born Samuel Goldstein (March 25, 1878 – September 19, 1937) was an American silent film director as well as a prominent writer, actor and producer for Yiddish theater and Yiddish cinema during the early 20th century. During hi ...

(1912) *''

Sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

'' (1912) *'' Pat's Breeches'' (1912) *'' Little Old New York'' (1912) *'' The Gypsy Bride'', directed by Lawrence B. McGill (1912) *'' Foraging on the Enemy'' (1912) *'' The Call of the West'' (1912) *'' The Poisoners (1912 film)'' (1912) *'' What a Woman Will Do'' (1912) *'' For His Child'' (1912) *'' The Bum and the Bomb'' (1912) *''

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the U.S. state, state ...

'' (1912) *'' The Foundling'' (1912) *'' The Maid of the Rocks'' (1912) *'' The Trysting Tree'' (1912) *'' The Dummy Director'' (1912) *'' Rose of the Islands'' (1912) *'' Her Whole Duty'' (1912) *'' To Err Is Human'' (1912) *'' The Girl in the Gingham Gown'' (1912) *'' Thy Will Be Done'' (1912) *'' Sue'' (1912) *'' A Tramp's Strategy'' (1912) *'' A Protégé of Uncle Sam'' (1912) *'' Blue Ridge Folks'' (1912) *'' The Gateway to America'' (1912) *'' Billy Jones of New York'' (1912) *''

The Honeymooners ''The Honeymooners'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It fo ...

'' (1912) *'' Right Shall Prevail'' (1912) *'' The Chaperones (film)'' (1912) *'' The White Heron'' (1912) *'' The City Boarder'' (1912) *'' Art and Love'' (1913) *'' Sins of the Father'' (1913) *'' The Death Trail'' (1913) *'' The Marked Card'' (1913) *'' The Rich Mr. Rockamorgan'' (1913) *'' A Daughter of Virginia'' (1913) *'' Her Stepmother'' (1913) *'' The Duke and the Actor'' (1913) *'' The Bum's Halloween'' (1913) *'' Fond Heart Saves the Day'' (1913) *'' The Honeymoon Lodging'' (1913) *'' A Trim and a Shave'' (1913) *'' An Interrupted Suicide'' (1913) *'' A Knotty Knot'' (1913) *'' The Life-Savers of Chicamocomo'' (1913) *''

Shanghaied Shanghaied may refer to: * Shanghaiing, or forced conscription * ''Shanghaied'' (1915 film), a film starring Charlie Chaplin * ''Shanghaied'' (1927 film), a 1927 American silent film * ''Shanghaied'' (1934 film), an animated short film starring M ...

'' (1913) *'' Lena's Flirtation'' (1913) *'' When Strong Men Meet'' (1913) *'' Knotty, Knotty!'' (1913) *'' The Clown Hero'' (1913) *'' Life in Soudan'' (1913) *'' The Shark God'', directed by

John Griffith Wray John Griffith Wray (August 30, 1881 – July 15, 1929) was an American stage actor and director who later became a noted Hollywood silent film director. He worked on 19 films between 1913 and 1929 that included ''Anna Christie'' (1923) and ''Hum ...

(1913) *'' Hawaiian Love'' (1913), directed by

*'' The Leper (film)'' (1913)

Gallery

John G. Adolfi.jpg,

Irving Cummings Motion Picture Magazine may 1914.png,

Jeanie MacPherson - 1919 MPN.jpg,

Jeanie MacPherson Abbie Jean MacPherson (May 18, 1886 – August 26, 1946) was an American silent actress, writer, and director. MacPherson worked as a theater and film actress before becoming a screenwriter for Cecil B. DeMille. She was a pioneer for women in th ...

In the Great Big West (1911).jpg, '' In the Great Big West'' (1911) How He Redeemed Himself (1911).jpg, '' How He Redeemed Himself'' (1911)

References

External links

*{{Cite web, url=http://www.imdb.com/search/title, title=IMDb: With Champion Film Company, website=IMDb American companies established in 1909 Defunct companies based in New Jersey Defunct American film studios 1909 establishments in New Jersey Fort Lee, New Jersey