Mutual Film

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Mutual Film Corporation was an early American motion picture conglomerate best remembered today as the producers of some of Charlie Chaplin's greatest comedies.

It originated with the Western Film Exchange founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July of 1906 by Wisconsin natives John R. Freuler (1872-1958), Harry E. Aitken (1877-1956) and Roy Aitken (1882-1976).

In 1910, Freuler would also form a partnership with Chicago film distributor S.S Hutchinson known as the American Film Manufacturing Company[1] In March of 1912, the company acquired Thanhouser Studios, naming Charles J. Hite-who was S.S. Hutchinson's partner in Chicago who acquired some studio stock and helped the studio make this Thanhouser purchase[2]- as their president, and the company would be renamed as the Mutual Film Corporation[3]; Hite would also die in 1914. As 1912 progressed, the company had included more auxiliary units into it's fold such as Keystone Studios Comedies and the Majestic Studios, which would later become the Reliance-Majestic Studios through Harry Aitken's partnership with DW Griffith, and the New York Motion Picture Company[4]. In 1915, the workers of the Keystone Studios, Kay Bee Studios(which was a subsidiary of the New York Motion Picture Company) and Reliance-Majestic Studio would leave Mutual, along with the Aitken brothers, to form the Triangle Film Corporation. Now as complete owners of the former Reliance-Majestic Studio, by 1917 the conglomerate operated as the distributor for four subsidiary studios in California, three of which were in the Los Angeles area and the other in Santa Barbara. They were Signal Film Corporation, Vogue Films, Inc., Lone Star Film Company and American Film Company. Vogue Films, Inc. operated a studio at Santa Monica Boulevard and Gower street in Los Angeles producing two-reel comedy films exclusively.

In 1915, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Mutual Film Corporation v. Industrial Commission of Ohio that motion pictures were a form of business, not an art form, and therefore not covered by the First Amendment.[5]

Shortly after this decision, cities began to pass ordinances banning the public exhibition of "immoral" films, concerning the major studios that state or federal regulations would soon follow. This ruling remained in effect until Joseph Burstyn, Inc v. Wilson in 1952 which declared that film was a legitimate artistic medium with free speech protections.

Charlie Chaplin had become the highest paid entertainer in the world, when he signed a contract with the Mutual Film Corporation in 1916 for a salary of $670,000. Mutual built Chaplin his very own studio and allowed him total freedom to make twelve two-reel films during this fruitful twelve-month period. Chaplin subsequently recognised this period of film-making as the most inventive and liberating of his career.

During 1916 and 1917, the Lone Star Film Company had Charlie Chaplin working at their studio at 1025 Lillian Way, in Hollywood. Charlie Chaplin moved on and by 1919 Mutual Film Corporation ceased production. Like many other companies established at this time, MFC was eventually absorbed by larger corporations, in this case Film Booking Offices of America and later RKO.

After a 53 year absence, MFC distributed one film: Tears of Happiness in 1972.

There is a newer organisation, Mutual Film Company which has links to the older Mutual Film Corporation. It uses the original corporate film logo.