Scope and Content Note
The papers of Thomas Harper Ince (1882-1924) span the years 1913-1964, with the bulk of the material covering the period 1917-1936. They document Ince's professional work as a silent film producer and the business and legal dealings following his sudden death under controversial circumstances involving William Randolph Hearst in 1924. Born into a family of stage actors, Ince began work in motion pictures in 1910, moved quickly from acting to screenwriting and directing, and ultimately became one of the leading producers of the silent film era. He is credited with developing a standardized and efficient method of film production. The Ince Papers are arranged in two series: Production File and Business File.
The Production File , comprising the largest portion of the Ince Papers, relates to produced films as well as to stories that were potential projects but not filmed. The series is arranged according to the name of the author of the original story and then by title of the story or film. This organization documents the process of moving from story to silent film. As a producer, Ince used a continuity script which set out the film scene by scene, shot by shot, to maintain control over the work of directors and to plan budgets and other tasks. The files are of varying levels of completeness, but the types of items included are scenario records, synopses, continuity scripts, annotated shooting scripts, title sheets, original stories, production cost reports, assistant director's daily reports, memoranda, and draft publicity. The most extensive file is that for The Marriage Cheat, written by Frank Adams and C. Gardner Sullivan.
Ince's earliest films are not represented in the Production File. Most material dates from 1917 onward. Types of films include westerns, dramas, and melodramas. Actors and actresses featured include Enid Bennett, Dorothy Dalton, William S. Hart, Douglas MacLean, and Charles Ray. Directors include Fred Niblo and John Griffith Wray. Staff writers include Julien Josephson, Bradley King, and C. Gardner Sullivan.
The Business File contains corporate, financial, and legal material relating to the production and distribution of Ince's films as well as to the disposition of his estate. An assignments and rights section contains contracts and agreements relating to the purchase and sale of story rights and copyrights. Copies of copyright documents made in 1924 contain information on some of Ince's early films. Corporate record books for the Thos. H. Ince Corp. and Associated Producers contain minutes which outline Ince's filmmaking, distribution activities, and concerns for the period 1920-1924. Financial registers detail earnings and production costs. Tax files document Ince's income tax problems which were not resolved until well after his death, and additional files relate to the business and legal situation following Ince's sudden death. Auditor's reports detail the difficulty of unraveling and disposing of Ince's estate. Files on the liquidation of assets describe efforts to sell off story rights, dialogue rights, and the films themselves. Lists and inventories used during this process are a useful source for identifying Ince's productions.