User:MinorProphet/Elite Sales Agency

The Elite Sales Agency Company (Ltd.?), was a British film production company formed in 1912. It produced films under its own 'Elite' name, and distributed films produced by Duskes and Continental-Kunstfilm.

History
The company was incorporated on 3 October 1912 with a registered address at Gloucester Mansions, 1 Shaftesbury Avenue, Westminster (SW1). The directors were: Elite became the UK distributor for Continental-Kunstfilm, a German film production company based in Berlin. Among their releases was Das Marienwunder, directed by Mime Misu. The film was made in the wake of the massive popular success of a production by Max Reinhardt of Karl Vollmoeller's wordless play The Miracle at Olympia from Dec 1911-Feb 1912.
 * David Walter Beck
 * Joseph Clozenberg (later Joseph Clavering)
 * James Walter Perry

However, the legitimate film rights belonged to Joseph Menchen, who made the 'authorised' version of The Miracle between October and December 1912. In December 1912 Menchen took the Elite Sales Agency to court for copyright infringement, and obtained a temporary injunction to stop them from showing Continental's film with the title The Miracle. The judge decided he couldn't rule on the copyright issue, but suggested that Elite rename the film Sister Beatrice.

Get refs from Miracle article:
 * Menchen vs Elite Sales Agency, The Times report 18 December 1912
 * MPW 1913a page=146, Volume 15 no. 1. 4 Jan 1913
 * Stage Year Book pp 293-294
 * Stage Year Book pp 293-294

The next week Elite placed the following advertisement: SISTER BEATRIX. A FILM CHRISTENED IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE. This really fine film of some 4,000 feet is based on the well-known Christian Legend from whence sprung the magnificent production at Olympia last winter presented by Professor Reinhardt. Under the title of "Sister Beatrix" this picture play incorporates nearly everything of importance that appears in the ancient German legend, and may be looked upon as one of the most faithful to tradition that it is possible to produce. IT IS A WONDERFUL DRAMA, AND AS AN EPIC OF THE SOUL ITS MAGNITUDE OF CONCEPTION MAY BE COMPARED TO GOETHE'S "FAUST." Offers are invited from Showmen. Bookings can be made immediately. Address al communications to the Holders of Sole Rights for this picture for United Kingdom and Colonies to: The Shaftesbury Feature Film Co., Ltd., 55-59, SHAFTESBURY AVENUE, LONDON, W.  Phone. GERRARD 1621.

Menchen's film of The Miracle ran at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from December 1912 until the end of February 1913 (as long as Reinhardt's stage production at Olympia exactly a year before), and continued to do well outside London and in the USA, Australia and Germany.

The Elite Sales Agency ceased trading in October 1913, citing heavy losses. One of the directors, David Beck, formed the Shaftsbury Feature Film Co. and continued to distribute Continental-Kunstfilm productions.

Joseph Clozenberg's brothers
Joseph Clozenberg's younger brothers were:
 * Sir Albert Clozenberg (later Sir Albert Clavering), became Director of Propaganda at the Conservative party's Central Office in the 1930s.
 * Arthur Clozenberg, (later Arthur Clavering) was a director of Atlas Feature Film Co. and of Film Booking Offices, Ltd.,  Arthur became involved with Universal Studios in the US where he arrived on the SS Carmania on 7 April 1920.  Arthur Clozenberg was Guest of Honor at a dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria held 29 December 1920 by the Universal Film Mfg. Co.

Clozenberg Sails for Home Arthur Clozenberg, managing director of the Film Booking Offices, Ltd., of England, left for home Saturday on the SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria. He has been here for several weeks conferring with Carl Laemmle and other Universal officials.