University of Wyoming
The Cathrine Curtis Corporation (CCC) was founded in June 1919 by Cathrine Curtis, a pioneer woman film producer, as a motion picture production company. In 1920 CCC was approached by Watterson R. Rothacker, president of Rothacker Film Mfg. Company about producing a motion picture based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel "The Lost World" in conjunction with Associated First National Film Corporation and its general manager, John D. Williams.
CCC entered into agreement with Rothacker to produce the movie, based upon Rothacker's claim that he had exclusive rights to the book and to Willis O'Brien's dinosaur models. While viewing the movies "The Ghost of Slumber Mountain" and "Along the Moonbeam Trail" in which O'Brien claimed to have done the special effects, Curtis noticed that the rights to the special effects belonged to Herbert Dawley, O'Brien's former employer.
CCC sued Rothacker and Williams in 1922 for fraud, claiming that Rothacker had misrepresented his rights to the novel and to O'Brien's models; CCC also refused to continue production for fear of litigation brought on by Dawley. In the course of the suit, it was discovered that the models were stolen from Dawley by O'Brien and that Rothacker did not have the rights to the book.
Rothacker and Williams settled with CCC for a release of contract and other expenses involved in planning for the production of the movie. The film was released in 1925 by Associated First National Film Corporation by arrangement with Rothacker.
Collection contains materials relating to CCC and its production of "The Lost World" from 1920-1927. Included are legal agreements, synopses for "The Lost World"; an adaptation of "The Lost World" by Charles A. Logue from Doyle's book; a plan for production, including possible actors; publicity materials for "The Ghost of Slumber Mountain" and "Along the Moonbeam Trail"; legal materials relating to the lawsuits between CCC, John D. Williams, Watterson D. Rothacker and Willis O'Brien (1923-1924); correspondence (1920-1927); newspaper clippings on release of "The Lost World" in 1925; and press releases of Cathrine Curtis' marriage to Joseph S. O'Neil in 1924.
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There are no known other archival collections created by the Cathrine Curtis Corporation at the date of processing.
Finding aid available in repository.
This material was received from “From Out of the Past” in April 1981.
The collection was processed by Jamie J. Greene in July 2022.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
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