Benjamin B. Hampton

Benjamin B. Hampton with author Kathleen Norris, her son, Harry Leon Wilson, and Charles Gilman Norris
Advertisement for The Dwelling Place of Light (1920), "A Benj. B. Hampton Production"

Benjamin Bowles Hampton (1875–1932) was an American film producer, writer, and director. He led a 1916 plan to conglomerate film companies via acquisition.[1] He was married to actress Claire Adams and was a partner in Zane Grey Pictures.[2] He wrote the History of the American Film Industry from Its Beginnings to 1931. He is credited with producing numerous films.

Hampton published a couple of stories in Hampton's Broadway Magazine.[3] He held copyrights on Hampton's Magazine and Hampton's Broadway Magazine.[4] He accepted Jack London's story Mauki after it was turned down by other publications and remained committed to publishing stories of social injustices even after other publications had moved on believing readership had lost interest in that type of anti-Capitalist tale.[5]

In his book on the history of the film industry to 1932, Hampton emphasized the industry's widespread mass market appeal in the U.S.[6]

Hampton wrote in his film history about the success of an early fight film in 1897 and the criticism of it and "Living Pictures" generally by William Randolph Hearst as Yellow Journalism.[7]

  1. ^ Afra, Kia (June 22, 2016). The Hollywood Trust: Trade Associations and the Rise of the Studio System. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442268296 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Scott, Kenneth William (April 14, 1979). Zane Grey, Born to the West: A Reference Guide. Cengage Gale. ISBN 9780816178759 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Biggers, Earl Derr (June 23, 2014). Earl Derr Biggers Tells Stories #1. Lulu Press, Inc. ISBN 9781312301917 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions". U.S. Government Printing Office. April 14, 1910 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (April 14, 1923). "Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Pamphlets, leaflets, contributions to newspapers or periodicals, etc.; lectures, sermons, addresses for oral delivery; dramatic compositions; maps; motion pictures. Part 1, group 2". U.S. Government Printing Office – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Starr, Kevin (October 20, 1986). Inventing the Dream: California Through the Progressive Era. OUP USA. ISBN 9780195042344 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Pizzitola, Louis (January 9, 2002). Hearst Over Hollywood: Power, Passion, and Propaganda in the Movies. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231507554 – via Google Books.