10 Facts About Kalem

Kalem Company was an early American film studio founded in New York City in 1907.

Kalem Company was founded by George Kleine, Samuel Long, and Frank J Marion.

Kalem immediately joined other studios in the Motion Picture Patents Company that held a monopoly on production and distribution.

Kalem began operations from a small office in a loft building at 131 West 24th Street in New York City.

Kalem had no indoor studios, so most of its films were shot on location.

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Under the direction of Sidney Olcott, Kalem made a number of significant films, including the first adaptation of Ben Hur and the following year, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Later on, the outbreak of World War I prevented Olcott, who had resigned from Kalem and shot films for himself, from following through with his plans to build a permanent studio in Beaufort, County Kerry.

Kalem was one of the first studios to regularly film year-round by setting up facilities in Florida during the winter.

Kalem operated in these Southern California locations until October 1913 when they took over the Essanay Studios property at 1425 Fleming Street in the east Hollywood.

In November 1914, Kalem released the first of 119 episodes of the serial The Hazards of Helen, releasing a new segment every Saturday until February 1917.