King-Bee Films
King-Bee Films Corporation was a film production company in the U.S. that released two-reel short film comedies during the silent film era. The company's stars included Billy West, a Charlie Chaplin imitator. Louis Burstein was the company's president and general manager. He established it in 1917 after the breakup of Vim Comedy Company{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mwL3lR0fFrgC&q=king-bee+films&pg=PA60|title=Almost Hollywood: The Forgotten Story of Jacksonville, Florida|first=Blair|last=Miller|date=April 10, 2013|publisher=Hamilton Books|isbn=9780761859963|via=Google Books}} to produce comedies starring West. Oliver Hardy and Ethelyn Gibson also acted for the company. It operated a studio in Jacksonville, Florida,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnzsAgAAQBAJ&q=king-bee+films&pg=PA111|title=The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry|first=Anthony|last=Slide|date=February 25, 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135925543|via=Google Books}} then Bayonne, New Jersey and finally at 1329 Gordon Street in Hollywood, California. Its offices were in New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.silentera.com/PSFL/companies/K/kingBeeFilmsCorp.html|title=Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List|website=www.silentera.com}}
History
King-Bee had offices in New York and Hollywood, California. The company's production sites included Jacksonville, Florida.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1993-10-31-9310130660-story.html|title=OLLIE'S DAYS IN THE SUN|first=STUART|last=McIVER|website=Sun-Sentinel.com}} Arvid E. Gillstrom directed for King-Bee. Members of the company on their way to Hollywood were entertained in Chicago by members of the Standard Films Corporation.{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3hJAQAAMAAJ&q=ethel+gibson+king-bee&pg=PA1067 |title = Motography|year = 1917}}
King Bee's Billy West comedies were in such demand it wanted him to work on two at a time.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lWtDAQAAMAAJ&q=louis+burstein+king+bee&pg=RA25-PT1|title=Dramatic Mirror of the Stage and Motion Pictures|date=November 24, 1917|publisher=Dramatic Mirror Company|via=Google Books}}
Filmography
- The Hero 1917 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/H/Hero1917.html |website=www.silentera.com |accessdate=13 June 2020}}
- The Villain 1917 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, Feb 7, 1918, p. 16 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-feb-07-1918-p-16/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=7 February 1918}}
- The Slave 1917 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, Feb 21, 1918, p. 15 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-feb-21-1918-p-15/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=21 February 1918}}
- The Pest 1917 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, Mar 21, 1918, p. 15 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-mar-21-1918-p-15/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=21 March 1918}}
- The Millionaire 1917 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, Sep 19, 1918, p. 8 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-sep-19-1918-p-8/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=19 September 1918}}
- Dough Nuts 1917 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Piqua Daily Press Newspaper Archives, Aug 29, 1917, p. 6 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/piqua-daily-press-aug-29-1917-p-6/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=29 August 1917}}
- The Candy Kid 1917 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, Jan 10, 1918, p. 15 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-jan-10-1918-p-15/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=10 January 1918}}
- Back Stage a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, Dec 20, 1917, p. 8 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-dec-20-1917-p-8/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=20 December 1917}}
- The Pest (1917), extant{{cite web |title=Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List |url=http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/P/Pest1917-2.html |website=www.silentera.com |accessdate=13 June 2020}}
- The Orderly 1918 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, May 2, 1918, p. 8 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-may-02-1918-p-8/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=2 May 1918}}
- The Stranger 1918 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, Mar 7, 1918, p. 15 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-mar-07-1918-p-15/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=7 March 1918}}
- The Messenger 1918 a Billy West comedies film{{cite web |title=Mckinney Daily Courier Gazette Archives, May 30, 1918, p. 8 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/mckinney-daily-courier-gazette-may-30-1918-p-8/ |website=NewspaperArchive.com |accessdate=13 June 2020 |language=en |date=30 May 1918}}
- His Day Out (1918), extant
File:The Villain.jpg
File:'The Millionaire'.jpg
File:Billy West - Dec 1917 Variety.jpg