Draft:Jacob Fabian

Jacob Fabian, movie magnate and pioneer of the motion picture industry From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jacob Fabian was a movie magnate known for pioneering the establishment of large motion picture theaters, starting in New Jersey. He was also Vice-President of Associated First National Pictures Producers, which evolved to First National Pictures, Inc. in 1924. He was an original franchise-holder of the organization as owner of the New Jersey First National Exchange.[1]

Mr. Fabian was born in Austria Feb. 25, 1865, and came to the United States alone at the age of 17. He was engaged in the clothing business until 1914 when he entered the motion picture field and built the 2,500-seat Regent Theater in Paterson, NJ. Later he built other theaters in Paterson and extended the chain to Newark, Elizabeth, Passaic, and other Northern New Jersey Cities.

See: Television and film in New Jersey

In a transaction said to involve $1,000,000, the magnate leased the Salaam Temple property in Newark and operated the Mosque Theater there.

In March 1926, Fabian and sons acquired a large block of stock in West Coast Theatres, Inc. [2]

By May 1926, a merger took place with the Stanley Company, headed by Jules E. Mastbaum, creating an unbroken chain of theaters from Massachusetts to Virginia called the Stanley Company of America. The Fabian chain became Stanley-Fabian under direction of the Stanley Company of America, for marketing purposes.[3]

Following the passing of Mastbaum in December 1926[4], Fabian orchestrated a $100 Million consolidation merger between First National Pictures, The Stanley Company of America, and West Coast Theatres, creating the largest theater holding company in the world. During this time, a block of theaters were sold to the Warner Brothers Pictures, who would later pioneer sound to film (talkies) with "The Jazz Singer" in late 1927.[5]

In July 1928, the Stanley Company elected a new Board of Directors, including Jacob Fabian and his son Simon H. Fabian.[6]

By September 1928, the cash from Warner Brothers Pictures' talkies success allowed a major merger combining the assets of Warner, Stanley, First National, and the Vitaphone Corporation. These assets included First National Studio, the production facility that eventually became Warner Bros. Studios Burbank in Burbank, California. As a result of Warner Brothers acquiring one of the major film studios in First National, Warner Brothers became one of the largest producing, distributing, and exhibiting companies in Hollywood.[7]

Although Jacob Fabian maintained a summer residence in Paterson, NJ, he had spent most of his time since 1929 in his home at Miami Beach, Fla. By February 1929, Jacob had resigned as Vice President of both The Stanley Company and First National Pictures. Jacob's son, Simon H. Fabian, took over his interests and operated a chain of theaters, including some in New York. Simon, Board of Directors at Warner Brothers, was also Vice President and General Manager of The Stanley Company of America.[8]

Jacob Fabian passed away in 1941 at Roosevelt Hospital, New York, age 76. Survivors were his widow, the former Miss Rose Glascheib; a daughter, Mrs. Eleanor Rosen; a son, Simon H. Fabian; and a sister, Mrs. Simon H. Glass.[9]

In 1953, Warner Brothers divested the theaters as a result of the Paramount antitrust decrees[10], with the entire portfolio being spun off into a new company created, called the Stanley Warner Corporation, headed by Simon H. Fabian. Fabian Enterprises bought the 24 percent stock interest of Jack, Harry, and Albert Warner.[11] Simon Fabian already operated a chain of theaters from New York to Virginia with son Edward Fabian and Louis R. Golding. [12]

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