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The Century Film Corporation was a film production company founded by brothers Julius and Abe Stern.

It was claimed that the company produced fifty-two films each year for Universal.

Longacre distribution: July 1917 to March 1918
In July 1917, Century sold exclusive distributing rights for the United States and Canada to the Longacre Distributing Company. The company was to release twelve Century Comedies per year, with the Sterns promising ten films upfront. On July 27, the first three Century Comedies were presented at a trade show in the Broadway Theatre.

From September 1917 until Spring 1918, Century released seven films directed by John G. Blystone with Alice Howell in the leading role: Balloonatics (September), Automaniacs (October), Neptune's Naughty Daughter (November), Her Bareback Career (December), The Village Blacksmith (January), She Did Her Bit (March) and O' Baby (early Spring).

Universal distribution: March 1918 to
In March 1918, Universal Studios announced that it would be taking over the release of the Century Comedies.

They continued to release Blystone/Howell projects through Universal, with School Days, Her Unmarried Life, In Dutch, Choo Choo Love and Hey, Doctor! being released that year.

In August 1918, they released the Howell-led projects Bawled Out and Hoot Toot with James D. Davis as director. In September, they released Cupid vs. Art, which was directed by Bawled Out actor Vin Moore and starred Howell again. They released a further two Howell films in 1918, being Untamed Ladies (October) and The Cabbage Queen (December).

1919
In 1919, Century released the comedy A Pair of Deuces with Chai Hong in the leading role.

1921
In 1921, Century released Playmates, their first film staring Baby Peggy (later known as Diana Serra Cary) alongside Brownie the Wonder Dog. The previous year, at nineteen months old, Cary and her parents toured the Century studios and she was approached by director Fred Fishback to star in films for the company. Peggy and Brownie starred in eight other shorts together, including Brownie's Little Venus,

In 1921, they released the animal comedy Dog Doings starring Brownie the Wonder Dog. They also released A Bunch of Kisses with Brownie.

They released Stuffed Lions the same year.

They released Tough Luck in 1921.

They also released On Account.

They released Third Class Mail starring Baby Peggy.

They released Stealing Home.

1922
In 1922, they released The Touchdown starring Lee Moran.

They released One Horse Town starring Harry Sweet.

They released Little Miss Mischief starring Baby Peggy.

They released Short Weight starring Johnny Fox and Brownie the Wonder Dog.

They released Hello, Judge starring Lee Moran.

They released Ladies First starring Lee Moran.

1923
In 1923, they released Boyhood Days starring Buddy Messinger.

They released All Over Twist starring Buddy Messinger as well as Fred Spencer, Jack Henderson and Sadie Campbell.

They released Fare Enough.

In August 1923, Century announced their first film with the Century Follies Girls. With the working title of "Sea Girls", it was directed by Albert Herman.

In December 1923, they released Hansel and Gretel starring Baby Peggy.

1924
In 1924, the Century Follies Girls were fronted by Dorothy Dwan. In September 1924, Yvonne Howell (daughter of Alice Howell) joined the Century Follies Girls.

In December 1924, Century released Harem Follies, starring Bert Roach and the Century Follies Girls.

1925
In January 1925, Julius Stern announced that Century would be releasing fifty-four films through the year: ten each starring Wanda Wiley, Edna Marion, Eddie Gordon and Al Alt, and six starring Arthur Trimble as Buster Brown. They had purchased the rights to adapt the original Buster Brown comics from Richard F. Outcault in December 1922, with Brownie the Wonder Dog lined up to play the title character's dog Tige.

In March, Eddie Gordon, Wanda Wiley and Edna Marion signed long-term contracts with the company.

In 1925, Sigmund Neufeld worked as the production manager for Century.

Century studios
In 1908, the studio was built on a plot of land in between Sunset Boulevard, Gower Street and El Centro Avenue. The area, known as Gower Gulch, was the site of several low-budget studios which contributed to the group of Poverty Row film companies.

The address was 6100 Sunset Boulevard.

It was roughly 250 ft by 150 ft in size and had a frame construction.

The studio once housed the Universal Film Company.

In 1926, the land was owned by Marie Blondeau, who lived in a cottage at the studio's rear. It was leased by the Sterns.

The studio was also used as an event space by Julius Stern, with prominent Century stars appearing as performers. In 1925, Julius Stern hosted a Shriners convention there with Wanda Wiley performing for the guests.

1926 fire


At 3pm on August 15, 1926, a fire was discovered in the southwest corner (El Centro Avenue side) of the Century studio building. The majority of the studio was destroyed by the fire within an hour, with the exception of a small office block. Several explosions occurred due to the amount of chemicals, gunpowder and film rolls located within the site. The damages on the Century studio were reported to reach $400,000.

The fire spread beyond the Century lot, threatening other nearby studios: the Christie Film Company studio was set alight before being extinguished, the Chadwick Pictures studio was damaged and the Centaur Film Company was at risk of catching fire. Several homes nearby were destroyed or damaged, and the fire threatened the Southern California Telephone Company plant on Gower Street, but it was protected by its fireproof construction.

Representatives and cameramen of other companies were present at the fire, filming footage for their own productions. Cullen Landis, dressed in makeup and a firefighter's uniform, was burned while attempting to extinguish the Christie studio roof. Several others were hospitalised due to injuries from the fire, including four firefighters.

Legacy
Century Comedies were often criticised in the press,

In a 1983 article, former child actor True Boardman recounted a legend about the company and its low-budget films: "'The story is that during a sneak preview of one of their comedies the audience began to laugh at the ridiculous ineptness of the film, obviously at the wrong places. One of the Stern brothers was sitting directly behind a particularly loud offending guffawer. Having stood the insult to his creation long enough, he leaned forward, tapped the man on the shoulder, and said sternly, 'My friend, I'll have you know the Stern Brothers Comedies are not the be laughed at''."

The 1926 studio fire was responsible for destroying a portion of Century's back catalogue of films, including several starring Baby Peggy.

Sources to use
  (Peggy's scoop/Kid Reporter)  (book by Diana Cary)

Other films

 * Lonesome Hearts and Loose Lions (1919)
 * The Mischievous Monk (1919) dir Fred Fishback, Jimmy Adams, Esther Wood
 * A Lion in the House (1919) Century Lions
 * Daring Lions and Dizzy Lovers (1919) Century Lions
 * Weak Hearts and Wild Lions (1920) Century Lions
 * Naughty Lions and Wild Men (1920) Century Lions
 * Good Little Brownie (1920)
 * Loose Lions and Fast Lovers (1920)
 * A Lion's Alliance (1920) dir Fred Fishback
 * Lion's Jaws and Kitten's Paws (1920)
 * Bear Skinned Beauties (1920)
 * The Lyin' Tamer (1920)
 * Tin Crooks (1920)
 * Their First Tintype (1921)
 * Firebugs (1921)
 * His Fearful Finish (1921)
 * Fresh From the Farm (1921) Harry Sweet
 * Her Circus Man (1921)
 * Seeing is Believing (1921)
 * A Dollar's Worth (1921) Harry Sweet
 * The Smart Alec (1921) Harry Sweet
 * Third Class Mail (1921) Baby Montgomery
 * In Again (1921) Harry Sweet
 * Alfalfa Love (1921) Brownie
 * Hold Your Breath (1921)
 * Sea Shore Shapes (1921) Baby Peggy, Sea Shore Shapes
 * Tin Cans (1921)
 * Brownie's Baby Doll (1921)
 * A Muddy Bride (1921) Baby Peggy
 * The Dumb Bell (1921/2) Harry Sweet
 * Chums (1922)
 * Two Of A Kind (1922) Harry Sweet
 * You and Me (1922)
 * The Kicking Fool (1922)
 * The Cabby (1922) Maudie the Mule
 * Jinger Face (1922)
 * Tattle Tail (1922) Brownie
 * Peg O' The Movies (1923) Baby Peggy