George Kleine (1864 – June 8, 1931) was an American
film producer and
distributor and cinema pioneer.
Biography
Klein's father, Charles, was a New York
optician who sold optical devices and
stereopticons.[1] Klein joined the family firm, moving to Chicago in 1893 where he set up the Kleine Optical Company. In 1896, the company started selling film-making equipment, and in 1899, the company obtained an exclusive arrangement with
Thomas Edison to sell his film and equipment in the
Chicago area.[1]
In 1903, Kleine started distributing
Biograph films as well as European films and was a pioneer in renting films to theatres. He became involved in patent disputes with
Thomas Edison in 1908, causing members of the industry to establish the
Motion Picture Patents Company. He founded
Kalem Company, an
Americanfilm studio in
New York City in 1907 with Samuel Long,[2] and
Frank J. Marion. The company was named for their initials, K, L, and M. Kleine. Klein was involved in the company for only a short period of time; however, it was a profitable investment for him, as his partners were soon successful enough to buy out his shares at a considerable premium.