The Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP) was a

motion picture studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...

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 with several other production companies to form Universal Film Manufacturing Company, later re-named

Universal Pictures Company 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 ...

with Laemmle as president.

History

The Independent Moving Pictures Company was founded in 1909 by Carl Laemmle, and was located at 573 11th Ave New York City, and with a studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The first movie produced by IMP was '' Hiawatha'' (

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...

) starring Gladys Hulette, a one-reel drama

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

based on the 1855 poem '' The Song of Hiawatha'' by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. At a time when leading screen players worked anonymously, IMP performers

Florence Lawrence Florence Lawrence (born Florence Annie Bridgwood; January 2, 1886 – December 28, 1938) was a Canadian-American stage performer and film actress. She is often referred to as the "first movie star", and was thought to be the first film actor to ...

, formerly known as "The Biograph Girl," and King Baggot became the first " movie stars" to be given billing and screen credits, a marquee as well as promotion in advertising, which contributed to the creation of the

star system A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars that orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large group of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a '' star cluster'' or '' galaxy'', although, broadly speak ...

. In the early 20th century, 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-bran ...

, or the Trust, was fought by the unlicensed

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...

s (dubbed "pirates" or "outlaws"), led by Laemmle. Others against the MPPC included

Harry E. Aitken Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

(Majestic Films), William Fox (founder of the Fox Film Corporation), and

Adolph Zukor Adolph Zukor (; hu, Zukor Adolf; January 7, 1873 – June 10, 1976) was a Hungarian-American film producer best known as one of the three founders of Paramount Pictures.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'' (June 16, 1976), p. 76. He produ ...

( Famous Players Film Company, a precursor to

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

). The flexible, stealthy and adventurous independents avoided coercive MPPC restrictions (the requirement to use only Trust film stock and projectors, for example) by using unlicensed equipment, obtaining their own film materials, and making movies on the sly. After many of the independents, including IMP, organized their distribution subsidiaries into the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company in mid-1910, with Laemmle as their president, the Trust issued an injunction against Laemmle for the camera being used, claiming that it was an infringement on their patents, but eventually lost. Before long, the independents began moving to Southern California, and opened up a West Coast movie-making industry. In 1910, IMP began production in Los Angeles, and had a studio in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

at Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street, which became known as "

Gower Gulch Gower Gulch is a nickname for the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. History Since the days of silent film, the surrounding area had contained several movie studios, including the Christie ...

" due to the actors dressed as cowboys and Indians waiting on that corner to be cast in Westerns. By May, 1912, the Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company began to collapse, its supporting production companies removing their distribution needs to other companies or under their own direction. On June 10, 1912, the assets of Independent Moving Pictures were transferred to the newly incorporated Universal Film Manufacturing Company, which undertook to distribute for several of the departing Sales Company producers in continued opposition to the Edison trust. IMP was corporately dissolved but its name continued to be used as a brand name for Laemmle's productions. In 1913, Jack Cohn was put in charge of production at IMP's studio at Tenth Avenue and 59th Street, and he and his brother,

Harry Cohn Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures Corporation. Life and career Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His father, Joseph Cohn, wa ...

, made their first film, ''

Traffic in Souls ''Traffic in Souls'' (also released as ''While New York Sleeps'') is a 1913 American silent crime drama film focusing on forced prostitution (white slavery) in the United States. Directed by George Loane Tucker and starring Jane Gail, Ethel G ...

''. In 1918 the Cohns and another IMP employee, Joe Brandt, left to form

Cohn-Brandt-Cohn (CBC) Film Sales Corporation Cohn-Brandt-Cohn (CBC) Film Sales Corporation (also known as CBC Film Sales or simply CBC) was an American film studio that was founded on June 19, 1918 by brothers Harry and Jack Cohn and their friend and co-worker at Independent Moving Pictures, ...

which later became Columbia Pictures.

Selected filmography

*'' The Broken Oath'' (1910) *''

You Saved My Life ''You Saved My Life'' is an Australian factual television series that screened on the Nine Network in 2009. It was hosted by 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown. ''You Saved My Life'' follows the stories of people who have been rescued in an emer ...

'' (1910) *'' Their First Misunderstanding'' (1911) *''

The Dream A dream is an experience during sleep. Dream, The Dream, Dreams, etc. may also refer to: Art Paintings * ''Le Rêve'' (Detaille), an 1888 painting by Édouard Detaille * ''Le Rêve'' (Picasso) (''The Dream'' in French), 1932 oil painting by ...

'' (1911) *''

Artful Kate ''Artful Kate'' is a one reel silent film produced and released by IMP, the Independent Moving Pictures Company. It was directed Thomas H. Ince and starred Mary Pickford and her husband Owen Moore, previously working for D.W. Griffith at Biograph. ...

'' (1911) *''

Pictureland ''Pictureland'' (1911) is a silent film starring Isabel Rea and King Baggot, released by Independent Moving Pictures (IMP), and possibly directed by Thomas H. Ince. The film was made on location in Cuba. Plot Americans arrive at their hotel in C ...

'' (1911) *''

Sweet Memories ''Sweet Memories'' (also known as ''Sweet Memories of Yesterday'' and ''Sweetheart Days'') is a 1911 Silent film, silent Short film, short romantic drama film, written and directed by Thomas H. Ince, released by the Independent Moving Pictures Co ...

'' (1911) *''

The Bridal Room ''The Bridal Room'' is a 1912 silent short film drama directed by William Robert Daly and some sources credit King Baggot both of whom have roles in the film. It was produced by Carl Laemmle of IMP, a forerunner of Universal Pictures. This film i ...

'' (1912) *''

A Millionaire for a Day ''A Millionaire for a Day'' is a 1912 American silent comedy short film starring John R. Cumpson. It was produced by the Independent Moving Pictures (IMP) Company of New York. The story is based on a real-life incident reported in newspapers acros ...

'' (1912) *''

Gold Is Not All ''Gold Is Not All'' is a 1913 Canadian short drama silent black and white film directed by Wilfred Lucas and produced by Carl Laemmle. Cast * King Baggot as Karl - the Composer * Jane Gail as The Girl * Bess Meredyth as The Slavey * William Cav ...

'' (1913) *''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting st ...

'' (1913) *''

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

'' (1913)

References

External links

Fort Lee Film CommissionIndependent Moving Pictures Company
at the Internet Movie Database
IMP Film Archive
at the Silent Film Channel {{Authority control 1909 establishments in New York City 1912 disestablishments in New York (state) American companies established in 1909 American companies disestablished in 1912 Mass media companies established in 1909 Mass media companies disestablished in 1912 1912 mergers and acquisitions Defunct companies based in New York City Mass media companies based in New York City