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Ideal Film Company

Ideal Film Company
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Foundation date 1 january 1911

The Ideal Film Company (often known as Ideal Films or simply Ideal) was a British film production and distribution company that operated between 1911 and 1934.

The company, based in Soho, was started by the two Jewish brothers Harry Moses (1875-17 August 1951) and Simon (1877-26 June 1950) Rowson, born Rosenbaum. They were born in Manchester, where their father, an immigrant from Suwałki in Poland, worked as butcher.

After having begun as a pure distribution company in 1911, Ideal also began producing films in 1916. In 1917, the company acquired the first of the Elstree Studios in Borehamwood from the Neptune Film Company. During the silent era, the Ideal Film Company became one of the leading British production companies, benefiting from the post-First World War boom in films. However the company was badly hit by the Slump of 1924, and stopped its production, while the distribution arm continued. In 1927 the company was merged into the Gaumont British empire, where it continued to distribute under its own name until 1934.

During its 23 years, the company distributed almost 400 films and produced more than 80. Most of the films produced by the company are now considered lost, but a number still survive. Perhaps the company's best known film is The Life Story of David Lloyd George, a 1918 biopic of the British Prime Minister directed by Maurice Elvey.

Simon Rowson went on to become an advisor to the government on British film, and was the first president of the British Kinematograph Society (1931-1938). His son, Leslie Rowson, became a renowned British cinematographer.
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Filmography of Ideal Film Company (48 films)

Display filmography as list

Production

I Will Repay
I Will Repay (1924)
, 1h10
Directed by Henry Kolker
Origin United-kingdom
Themes Political films, French Revolution films
Actors Holmes Herbert, Pedro de Cordoba, Ivan Samson, A.B. Imeson, Georges Tréville

The film takes place in Paris, 1793: durung the Reign of Terror. Paul de Roulade (Pedro de Cordoba) is a hero to the Proletariat, who cry him 'Citizen de Roulade'. One evening he gets into an argument with the Vicomte de Marny over the virtues of a dancing girl; this leads to a fight (provoked by the viscount), forcing Paul to kill the nobleman. The viscount's sister Juliette de Marny (Flora le Breton) swears revenge: to achieve this, she infiltrates the de Roulade household and beguiles Paul into falling in love with her.
A Bill of Divorcement
A Bill of Divorcement (1922)

Directed by Denison Clift
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama
Themes Films based on plays
Actors Constance Binney, Fay Compton, Henry Victor, Henry Vibart, Martin Walker

A bill provides that after a certain length of time the wife of a man incurably insane is entitled to a divorce. Meg Fairfield secures a divorce from her husband Hilary, and is about to marry Gray Meredith when Hilary returns cured. Sydney, daughter of Hilary and Meg, is engaged to Kit Pumphrey, son of the parish rector who refuses to permit his son to marry Sydney when he learns her mother is divorced. How Sydney sacrifices everything that her mother may find happiness and remains with her father completes the story.— The Film Daily, (October 15, 1922)
Diana of the Crossways
Diana of the Crossways (1922)

Directed by Denison Clift
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama
Actors Fay Compton, Henry Victor, J. Fisher White, Harvey Braban

A sensuous woman trapped in a loveless relationship has an affair with a leading politician which threatens to bring down the government.