George Kleine

Who was George Kleine?

George Kleine was an American film producer and pioneer. He founded Kalem Company, an American film studio in New York City in 1907 with Samuel Long, and Frank J. Marion. The company was named for their initials, K, L, and M.

His father Charles was a New York optician who sold optical devices and stereopticons. George joined the family firm and in 1893 moved to Chicago and 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.

In 1903, he started distributing Biograph films as well as European films and was one of the first to start renting films out to theatres. He became involved in patent disputes with Edison in 1908, causing members of the industry to establish the Motion Picture Patents Company. He retired in 1928.