Raver Film Corporation
- In stock
- Backordered, shipping soon
- Guaranteed authentic document
- Orders over $35 ship FREE to U. S. addresses
- Earn rewards points with every order
Regular price
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Regular price
Sale price
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Save
/
Product Details
| Company | Raver Film Corporation |
| Certificate Type | Common Stock |
| Date Issued | January 3, 1916 |
| Canceled | No |
| Printer | Not indicated |
| Signatures | Hand signed |
| Notable | NA |
|
Approximate Measurements |
10 3/4" (w) by 9" (h) |
| Product Images | Show the exact certificate you will receive |
| Guaranteed Authentic | Yes |
Historical Context
| The Raver Film Corporation was formed in 1915 for the purpose of producing in motion pictures the plays of Augustus Thomas and other successes. The Thomas collection numbered twenty-nine standard plays of nation wide popularity, and was conceded to be the most valuable list of picture material controlled by any producing organization. Harry R . Raver was president of the company and owned total control of the $800,000 of capital stock. Con T. Kennedy, owner of the Great Kennedy Shows, a twenty-six car western organization, was vice president. Well known showmen and theatrical men made up the list of shareholders, and no stock was sold to the public - only close personal friends of Mr. Raver were allowed to participate. Haver was ahead of his time, as he employed an early form of dynamic pricing for his features. Haver intended that each production would be exploited according to its importance, and strictly on merit. He believed that features were bound to vary in quality no matter how carefully produced, depending on the popularity of a star or the fame of a play, and that they should not be assembled under one class and sold or rented for a fixed price. He based his theory on his experience with Cabiria, which was presented at two dollars admission, top prices versus some of his other films playing at five and ten cents admission. Nearly a million dollars was taken in with Cabiria, while twenty or thirty thousand dollars was ths average on other productions. "A good production will sell at a profit," said Raver, "regardless of programs and combinations, as there is a growing demand for the distinctive, exclusive picture." In 1916, the company signed on to be the exclusive selling agent for the Ocean Film Corporation. This led to the company re-releasing the film Life Without Soul - which would be the company's most famous affiliation. This film is an adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The film was about a doctor who creates a soulless man. In the end, it turns out that a young man has dreamed the events of the film after falling asleep reading Shelley's novel. Raver reissued a re-tinted version of the film in 1916 with added scientific documentary footage detailing the reproduction methods of fish - yes, the reproductive methods of fish. The company developed a studio in Rockville Center, Long Island, New York to produce future productions, including The Witching Hour, Alabama, The Hoosier Doctor, As a Man Thinks, and Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots - all part of Augustus Thomas' catalog. But it was one of Thomas' works that eventually did Raver in. The company distributed a lavish production of The Other Girl. The movie, which faced distribution problems because a prize fight scene caused problems in states where boxing was banned, eventually did well at the box office. However, it could not cover the costs of the feature and Raver went bankrupt in 1916. |
Additional Information
Certificates carry no value on any of today's financial indexes and no transfer of ownership is implied. All items offered are collectible in nature only. So, you can frame them, but you can't cash them in!
All of our pieces are original - we do not sell reproductions. If you ever find out that one of our pieces is not authentic, you may return it for a full refund of the purchase price and any associated shipping charges.
