Bluebird Photoplays
American film production company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bluebird Photoplays (Bluebird Photoplays of New York, Inc. and Bluebird Photoplays of New England, Inc.[1]) was an American film production company that filmed at Universal Pictures studios in California and New Jersey,[2] and distributed its films via Universal Pictures during the silent film era. It had a $500,000 studio in New Jersey.[2]
"It was a subsidiary of Universal Pictures and employed Universal stars (and starlets) and used Universal’s facilities but the pictures were marketed independently from Carl Laemmle’s umbrella company."—Anke Brouwers[3]
Logo from BlueBird Magazine Ad | |
| Bluebird Photoplays | |
| Industry | Film |
| Predecessor | Independent Moving Pictures |
| Defunct | Branding ceased in the 1920s |
| Fate | Universal Branding abandoned |
| Successor | Universal |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 2 |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Owner | Universal Film Manufacturing Company |
| Parent | Universal Film Manufacturing Company |
Mary MacLaren, was one of its stars.[4] Louise Lovely, an actress from Australia, was one of its stars.[5] Bluebird was a prestige brand for Universal and had a core of actors and directors including Lovely who worked for it.[6][7] Ida May Park directed for Bluebird Photoplays. Elsie Jane Wilson produced and directed for Bluebird Photoplays.[8] Among those who worked for this short-lived subsidiary of Universal are Carmel Myers, Mae Murray, Rudolph Valentino, Tod Browning, Rex Ingram,[9] Robert Z. Leonard and Rupert Julian.[10]
Louis B. Mayer invested in the company.[1] M. H. Hoffman managed the company.[2]
Filmography
- Jeanne Doré, (1915)[11]
- Shoes (1916)
- Undine (1916)
- The Yaqui (1916)
- Mother o' Mine (1917)
- The Flashlight (1917)
- A Doll's House (1917)
- Flirting with Death (1917)
- Hell Morgan's Girl (1917)
- A Kentucky Cinderella (1917)
- Susan's Gentleman (1917)
- The Mysterious Mrs. M (1917)
- The Girl in the Checkered Coat (1917)
- Broadway Love (1918)
- The Winner Takes All (1918)
- My Unmarried Wife (1918)
- The Raggedy Queen (1918)[12]
- Wife He Bought (1918)
- Beans (1919)
- The Game's Up (1919)
Gallery
- Trade advertisements
- Ad for The Flashlight (1917)