Projectograph was a
Hungarian film distribution company
A film distributor is responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company may be the same with, or different from, the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film.
The distributor may set the r ...
established in 1908 by
Mór Ungerleider Mór Ungerleider (January 18, 1872 in Mezőlaborc – April 20, 1955 in Budapest) was a Hungarian cafe owner and showman, and was the first person to show cinema in Hungary.
The first film was shot in Hungary in 1896 by Arnold Sziklay. Ungerl ...
and
József Neumann. They had originally been
cafe
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...
owners before switching into the more lucrative business of film screening and distribution. During the first few years of the company's existence during the
Silent era
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...
Projectograph came to dominate the Hungarian market. While they distributed some Hungarian films made by leading companies such as
Corvin Film The Corvin Film Studio (in its original official name: Corvin Filmgyár és Filmkereskedelmi Rt.) established in 1916, was the largest film production company in Hungary, while the third-largest film company in Europe in the era of silent film. Thei ...
, they mostly dealt with the distribution of foreign films.
[Cunningham p.9] Their principal rival was the French
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French people, French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest ...
company which was a leading distribution outfit in
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
. The company's founders both diversified into
film production
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...
, founding separate companies.
References
Bibliography
* Cunningham, John. ''Hungarian Cinema: From Coffee House to Multiplex''. Wallflower Press, 2004.
Entertainment companies of Hungary
Film distributors
Film organisations in Hungary
Distribution companies of Hungary
Entertainment companies established in 1908
1908 establishments in Hungary
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