Age, Biography and Wiki

William Nicholas Selig was born on 14 March, 1864 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, is a producer,miscellaneous,director. Discover William Nicholas Selig's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 84 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation producer,miscellaneous,director
Age 84 years old
Zodiac Sign Pisces
Born 14 March, 1864
Birthday 14 March
Birthplace Chicago, Illinois, USA
Date of death 15 July, 1948
Died Place Los Angeles, California, USA
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 14 March. He is a member of famous Producer with the age 84 years old group.

William Nicholas Selig Height, Weight & Measurements

At 84 years old, William Nicholas Selig height not available right now. We will update William Nicholas Selig's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
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Who Is William Nicholas Selig's Wife?

His wife is Mary Holdeness Pinkham (7 September 1899 - 15 July 1948) ( his death)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Mary Holdeness Pinkham (7 September 1899 - 15 July 1948) ( his death)
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

William Nicholas Selig Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is William Nicholas Selig worth at the age of 84 years old? William Nicholas Selig’s income source is mostly from being a successful Producer. He is from United States. We have estimated William Nicholas Selig's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Producer

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Timeline

1864

Born into a large Bohemian-Polish family in Chicago on March 14, 1864, William N. Selig was one of the true pioneers of the motion picture industry. Though not widely remembered today, his Selig Polyscope Co. was responsible for many landmark events in early cinema.

1890

After working as an upholsterer, then a vaudeville magician in Chicago, Selig traveled to northern California in 1890 to run a fruit ranch in a small town called Chicago Park. The move was partially necessitated by health problems he was having at the time.

1893

By 1893 William had recovered enough to start an African-American minstrel company known as "Selig and Johnson's Colored Minstrels. " Performing in the San Francisco area, the most notable member of this troupe was Bert Williams, who would become the greatest African-American comedian of the vaudeville era.

1894

Upon seeing an Edison Kinetescope at the Dallas Fair in 1894, Selig decided to return home to Chicago where he began working on his own camera-projection system.

1896

In 1896 he founded one of the world's first motion picture studios. From very modest beginnings, his Selig Polyscope Co. quickly grew to be one of the major players during the pioneer era. With the help of a machinist named Andrew Schustek, Selig designed one of the earliest camera-projectors. Based largely on the Lumiere Cinematographe, his invention would share its name with his fledgling studio. The first decade of Selig Polyscope's operation was marked by legal turmoil, due largely to the efforts of Thomas A. Edison's lawyers.

1908

Among these were construction of the first permanent studio in Los Angeles in 1908-1909, production of the first cliff-hanger serial (The Adventures of Kathlyn (1913)) and the first film version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910).

1909

Finally, in 1909, Selig and several other studio heads formed an uneasy alliance with Edison.

1911

Around 1911 he began acquiring land for what would become the largest private zoo in the world. The Selig Zoo at Eastlake (now Lincoln) Park, in Los Angeles was a logical extension of his movie business. Over the years, William had accumulated a sizable collection of animals for his jungle movies. The 32-acre zoo allowed him to showcase his menagerie while leaving room for studios at the back of the grounds. Many famous animals resided at the zoo, including the original Leo the MGM lion. Once the zoo/studio was in operation, Selig no longer needed the first L. A. studio that director Francis Boggs had opened for him in Edendale (now Echo Park). An up-and-coming producer named William Fox decided to lease that site for his soon-to-be-famous company. Another giant of the industry benefited from Selig's initial investment in Los Angeles. Louis B.

1914

With the release of The Spoilers (1914) in 1914, Selig enjoyed his greatest success. At this point Selig Polyscope appeared to have a bright future, but things quickly changed. During this time the industry was evolving from producing the short films Selig specialized in to the modern feature-length productions. While William did make longer films like "The Spoilers," he felt shorts were the way of the future. The onset of World War I also hurt Selig Polyscope, given its extensive European operations. Finally, the dissolution of the Patents Company made the industry more competitive, dooming the pioneer studios.

1915

The resulting Motion Picture Patents Company and its distribution arm General Films would dominate the film industry until 1915. That year the independent companies won a major victory when the Supreme Court ruled the M. P. P. C. an illegal monopoly. "Colonel" Selig's ambitions were not strictly confined to cinema.

1920

Mayer moved into the studios at the zoo once Selig retired from major production around 1920. The Colonel had no desire to compete against these younger, more aggressive movie moguls. There were other factors which led William To leave the industry he helped found.

1930

Selig moved into independent production after closing his studios, working infrequently until the 1930s. The Colonel's glory days were past, though, and he faded into obscurity. The cost of operating a large zoo and the Great Depression had reduced Selig's fortune to nothing. He became a literary agent in his later years, selling off the story rights purchased years before for his films.