American Mutoscope and Biograph Company

America’s first female aviator’s story finally told in Biograph’s ‘Harriet Quimby’ movie

2010-11-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

Harriet Quimby is not a household name, yet she was America’s first female pilot, the first woman to ever cross the English Channel in 1910, and paved the way for the future of aviation and was an inspiration for women everywhere.

Not only did Quimby accomplish aviation history, but she was a respected photo journalist, traveling all over the world to almost every foreign country, as well as being a stage actress and a screenwriter for Biograph Company in the early 1900’s. And she accomplished most of this before the age of 30.

DonnaMarie Recco stars as ’Harriet Quimby’ who has an uncanny resemblance to the late aviator. She has played opposite Robert DeNiro in "Analyze This;" and “Analyze That”, opposite Greg Kinnear and Willem DaFoe in "Auto Focus;" and with Gwyneth Paltrow in "View from the Top." She has also appeared as a guest star on acclaimed television shows such as The Sopranos, Law & Order, Judging Amy, Third Watch, and NYPD Blue to name a few. She recently starred in an independent film called "One Night" in her hometown of New York City, and most recently co-starring in the film “Finding Bliss” with Jamie Kennedy and Denise Richards.

‘Harriet Quimby’ is produced by Biograph Company, ironically the same company that Quimby was a screenwriter for back in 1910. Biograph Company, founded in 1895, is the oldest movie company in America, and has the unique history of filming the Pope for the first time at the Vatican, filming the launch of the Titanic, and producing the first movie in Hollywood, as well as the first movie in Los Angeles.

The film deals with Quimby’s life, her career and adventures. From being a photo journalist around the world, her days at Biograph Studios, to her making aviation history by being the first woman pilot, and being the first woman ever to fly across the English Channel.

Biograph’s CEO and producer of the film Thomas R. Bond II, is also the film’s producer and from a show business lineage as well, being son of the late actor Tommy Bond, who played "Butch" the bully in the original "Little Rascals", and “Jimmy Olsen” in the original “Superman”, and actress Polly Bond, who was also a former Miss California. Bond started out in radio at the age of 13 years old as the youngest broadcaster in the nation, and went onto television, and produced his first feature at 19 years old. Bond has been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years.

Bond states about the new film “We are very excited to tell the story of Harriet Quimby for the first time in this exciting historic film, and to have DonnaMarie Recco portraying her. We are proud this will finally tell the story of Miss Quimby, who’s historic accomplishments opened a new world of opportunity for women everywhere”.

Samantha Lockwood to portray screen legend Mary Pickford in Biograph's 'America's Sweetheart'

2010-09-21T01:19:00.000-07:00

Samantha Lockwood portrays Pickford in this docu-drama about Hollywood's first lady. Besides Samantha's incredible resemblance to the screen legend, Samantha comes from showbiz royalty herself, with actor parents. Father Gary Lockwood, who also stars with this daughter in the film portraying theatre magnet David Belasco, is widely known as a Sci-Fi icon as Dr. Frank Poole in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Star Trek" and well as many other films, and mother, actress/producer and businesswoman, Denise DuBarry. Samatha has recently been seen as Johnny Knoxville's girlfriend in the feature film "Lords of Dogtown" and as Dakota in "CSI: New York" and produced andstarred in the short film "That Guy" directed by Peter Winther and starring Peter Facinelli. Most recently Lockwood stars in her latest movie to date "Shoot The Hero" with Jason Mewes and Danny Trejo, which debuts October 1st on national Pay per View and On Demand and other outlets worldwide.

Recently added to the cast of The Pickford Project is actress Taryn Southern who will portray icon Dorothy Gish. Southern is currently appearing in the films, Pound of Flesh and Battle: Los Angeles. Playing Dorothy's sister Lillian will be Aimee Lynn Chadwick who starred in the horror classics, Return of the Living Dead parts 4 and 5 and, is an accomplished vocalist in her own right having opened for such acts as Mandy Moore and Vitamin C.

'America's Sweetheart' is produced by Biograph Company, ironically the company that Pickford first began her film career, back in 1909. Biograph, founded in 1895, is the oldest movie company in America, and revolutionized the motion picture industry. Biograph also has the unique history of filming the Pope for the first time at the Vatican, filming the launch of the Titanic, and producing the first movie in Hollywood, as well as the first movie in Los Angeles.

The film deals with Pickford's life, her personal and career struggles, and takes you back to a time when movies were born, from her discovery by mentor David Belasco, her days at Biograph Studios, marriage with movie hero Douglas Fairbanks, and formation of her company United Artists, with Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and famed director D. W. Griffith, to her life's end at her estate 'Pickfair". It is a unique film in the sense that everything portrayed in the film is accurate as can be, and inside information from silent movie legends such as Blanche Sweet and Lillian Gish is included as well.

Biograph's CEO Thomas R. Bond II is also the film's producer and from a show business lineage as well, being son of the late actor Tommy Bond, who played "Butch" the bully in the original "Little Rascals", and "Jimmy Olsen" in the original "Superman", and actress Polly Bond, who was also a former Miss California. Bond started out in radio at the age of 13 years old as the youngest broadcaster in the nation, and went onto television, and produced his first feature at 19 years old. Bond has been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years.

Bond states about the new film. "We are very excited to have Samantha on board as well as her father, screen icon Gary Lockwood, for this exciting historic film. We are proud of this will tell a true and accurate story of Miss Pickford, and to perpetuate the history of Hollywood and of early motion picture history."

2010-09-19T05:59:00.001-07:00

Biograph is now on Ping.fm

"Red Man's View" a new film for a New Year

2009-01-20T23:32:00.000-08:00

We want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and our prayers for a prosperous one ahead.In this special year of a new beginning, for our country, and for the people of a nation that has gone through so much. Because of this, Biograph Company has chosen to develop a film that is very special. The original film was made in 1909, and called "Red Man's View". Unlike many films of the day, this particular film showed the trials and discrimination of a people forced to move from their home, the Native American Indian. A remake of "Red Man's View" is now in development and gaining support and fans as it progresses. The story is The story of a tribe that is a branch of the Shoshone. For thousands of years they inhabited a peaceful and beautiful immense valley with huge trees and giant waterfalls. The tribe consists of a very old Chief, the leader of the Shoshone branch tribe, his son Silver Eagle, and his son's betrothed Minewanna, the most beautiful female of the entire tribe, along with a hundred or so others. Now in the mid 1800's during the (Native American) "Indian" relocation period, squatters and the Union government, bit by bit are taking away all of the tribal lands. This tribe is eventually displaced from their peaceful valley by US Union soldiers, and their native land taken from them. They move on to another area, but this time are displaced again by a group of unruly squatters, clearing the way for the white "Conquerors" and again forcing them to leave their home. But among the white men, there is a stranger that is not with the squatters, who appears as a vigilante, eventually helps protect the tribe from the brutality of the white "Conquerors". The film stars Michael Spears (Dances with Wolves, Into the West) as Silver Eagle, and Eddie Spears (Into the West), with more wonderful additions to the cast to follow. We at Biograph our very proud that of this film and its message. Please see our website at http://www.redmansview.com/, and you're invited to join the film's Official MySpace page at www.myspace.com/redmansview.

Thank you all and Happy New Year from Biograph Company!