Sidney Olcott

Sidney Olcott (September 20, 1873 - December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. Born John Sidney Alcott in Toronto, Ontario, he became one of the first great directors of the motion picture business. With a desire to be an actor, a young Sidney Olcott went to New York City where he worked in the theater until 1904 when he performed as a film actor with the Biograph Studios. Within a short time he was di... more

Sidney Olcott (September 20, 1873 - December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. Born John Sidney Alcott in Toronto, Ontario, he became one of the first great directors of the motion picture business. With a desire to be an actor, a young Sidney Olcott went to New York City where he worked in the theater until 1904 when he performed as a film actor with the Biograph Studios. Within a short time he was directing films and became a general manager at Biograph. In 1907, Frank Marion and Samuel Long, with financial backing from George Kleine, formed a new motion picture company called the Kalem Company and were able to lure the increasingly successful Sidney Olcott away from Biograph. Olcott was offered the sum of ten dollars per picture and under the terms of his contract, Olcott was required to direct a minimum of one, one-reel picture of about a thousand feet every week. After making a number of very successful films for the Kalem studio,... less