Editing First National Pictures (section)

== Early history ==
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The First National Exhibitors' Circuit was founded in 1917 by the merger of 26 of the biggest [[First run (filmmaking)|first-run]] cinema chains in the United States. It eventually controlled over 600 cinemas, more than 200 of them first-run houses (as opposed to the less lucrative second-run or neighbourhood theatres to which films moved when their initial box office receipts dwindled).

First National was the brainchild of [[Thomas L. Tally]], who was reacting to the overwhelming influence of [[Paramount Pictures]], which dominated the market. In 1912, he thought that a conglomerate of theatres throughout the nation could buy or produce and distribute its own films. In 1917 Tally and [[James Dixon Williams|J. D. Williams]] formed First National Exhibitors' Circuit.<ref>{{cite web |title=Collection Guide for First National Pictures |url=https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c80r9qx9/ |website=Online Archive of California |access-date=26 October 2022}}</ref>

The first film released through First National was the 1916 British film ''[[The Mother of Dartmoor]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-15 |title=European Film Star Postcards: Photo by First National Pictures |url=https://filmstarpostcards.blogspot.com/2018/12/photo-by-first-national-pictures.html |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=European Film Star Postcards}}</ref> Between 1917 and 1918, the company made contracts with [[Mary Pickford]] and [[Charlie Chaplin]], the first million-dollar deals in the history of film.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zukor |first=Adolph |title=The Public Is Never Wrong |publisher=Cassell and Co. Ltd London. |year=1954 |location=London |pages=139}}</ref>

Chaplin's contract allowed him to produce his films without a set release schedule. However, the production of the feature film ''[[The Kid (1921 film)|The Kid]]'' ran so long that the company started to complain.

To address their concerns, Chaplin invited the exhibitors to the studio, and they were so impressed by the project and charmed by the players, especially co-star [[Jackie Coogan]], that they agreed to be patient. That patience was ultimately rewarded when ''The Kid'' became a major critical and box office success.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Kevin Brownlow, David Gill |year=1983 |title=Unknown Chaplin: The Great Director |medium=Television production |publisher=Thames Television}}</ref>

First National's distribution of films by independent producers is credited with launching careers including that of [[Louis B. Mayer]].<ref name="NYT Obit Williams">{{cite news |title=J. D. Williams, Film Pioneer, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1934/08/29/archives/j-d-williams-57-film-pioneer-dies-sponsor-of-charlie-chaplin.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 29, 1934|access-date=2015-12-28 }}</ref>

First National Exhibitors' Circuit was reincorporated in 1919 as Associated First National Pictures, Inc., and its subsidiary, Associated First National Theatres, Inc., with 5,000 independent theater owners as members.<ref>"New Incorporations", ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 18, 1919, p.&nbsp;25.</ref><ref>"Picture Plays and People", ''The New York Times'', February 1, 1920, p.&nbsp;XX4.</ref>

Associated First National Pictures expanded from only distributing films to producing them in 1924 and changed its corporate name to First National Pictures, Inc.<ref>"New Incorporations", ''The New York Times'', May 6, 1924, p.&nbsp;36.</ref> It built its {{convert|62|acre|ha|adj=on}} studio lot in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]] in 1926.<ref>"First National Properties", ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', May 21, 1926, p.&nbsp;16.</ref> The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America and the Independent Producers' Association declared war in 1925 on what they termed a common enemy&mdash;the "film [[trust (19th century)|trust]]" of [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], Paramount, and First National, which they claimed dominated the industry not only by producing and distributing motion pictures but also by entering into exhibition as well.<ref>"Theatre Owners Open War on Hays", ''The New York Times'', May 12, 1925, p.&nbsp;14.</ref>