Nicholas M. Schenck, born in Rybinsk, Russia on November 14, 1881 - died March 4, 1969 in Florida, was a motion-picture mogul and impresario. Rybinsk (Ры́бинск) is a city in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, at the confluence of the Volga and Sheksna. ... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... State nickname: Sunshine State Official languages English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville (largest metropolitan area is Miami) Governor Jeb Bush (R) Senators Bill Nelson (D) Mel Martinez (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 22nd 170,451 km² 17. ...

One of seven children, Schenck was born in Rybinsk, a Volga River village in Tsarist Russia. He and his family, including his older brother Joseph Schenck, emigrated to the United States in 1893, whereupon they settled in a tenement on New York's Lower East Side. Subsequently they relocated to Harlem, the population of which at that time consisted primarily of Jewish and Italian immigrants. Upon their arrival in the United States, Joe and Nick, as they came to be known, worked as a team hawking newspapers and subsequently in a drugstore. Within two years' time, they had saved up enough money to buy out the drugstore's owner and begin casting about for other business ventures. Rybinsk (Ры́бинск) is a city in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, at the confluence of the Volga and Sheksna. ... Volga in Yaroslavl (autumn morning) Length 3,690 km Elevation of the source 225 m Average discharge 8,000 m³/s Area watershed 1. ... Joseph M. Schenck, born December 25, 1878 - died October 22, 1961, was a pioneer executive who played a key role in the development of the United States film industry. ... Categories: Manhattan neighborhoods | Stub ... Harlem is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, long known as a major African American cultural and business center. ...

One summer day, the Schencks took a trolley ride to Fort George, in uptown Manhattan, and noticed that thousands of people were milling around idly waiting for the return trains. The brothers rented a beer concession and also provided some vaudeville entertainment. It was at this time that the Schencks made the acquaintance of Marcus Loew, a theater operator. Loew, having noted the brothers' success, advanced them capital, permitting them to establish a large amusement park at Fort George, New Jersey in 1908. Called Palisades Amusement Park, it remained in operation until the early 1970s, although the brothers sold their interest in it in 1934. Marcus Loew Marcus Loew (May 7, 1870–September 5, 1927) was an American business magnate and a pioneer of the motion picture industry who formed Loews Theatres and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM. Born into a poor Jewish family in New York City, circumstances dictated he go to work at a... Fort George is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812. ... State nickname: The Garden State Official languages None defined Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (D) Acting, Outgoing Jon Corzine (D) (Governor-Elect) Senators Jon Corzine (D) (Outgoing) Frank Lautenberg (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 47th 22,608 km² 14. ... Palisades Amusement Park was an amusement park located in New Jersey, USA, in the New York City area. ...

Subsequently, Nicholas Schenck and his brother worked with Loew in the theater business. Between approximately 1907 and 1919, they reinvested in real estate for nickelodeons, vaudeville and eventually moving pictures. In 1919, Loew acquired a motion picture studio. At this time, Nicholas Schenck was spending more time with Loew's, Inc., so it was Joseph who relocated to Hollywood, eventually becoming president of United Artists Corporation. Loew, however, died in 1927, at which time Nicholas Schenck took charge. A short time later, both silent pictures and the Roaring Twenties drew to a close. The United Artists Corporation (aka United Artists Pictures and United Artists Films) was formed on February 5, 1919 by four Hollywood greats: Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D. W. Griffith. ... The Roaring Twenties refers to the North American historical period of the 1920s, which has been described as one of the most colorful decades in American history. ...

By 1932, Schenck was running an entertainment empire that consisted of a thriving theater circuit and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer--a production combination of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures (founded by Samuel Goldwyn) and the Louis B. Mayer Company. The conglomerate, which Nicholas Schenck continued to manage closely from New York, employed 12,000 people. Schenck, by demanding a tight production schedule, created tension with Mayer and the famed Irving Thalberg, who was production chief until his death in 1935. Nonetheless, thanks to Schenck's stringent management, MGM was successful, becoming the only film company that continued to pay its investors dividends during the Great Depression. Louis B. Mayer (July 4, 1885–October 29, 1957) was an American film producer. ... Irving Grant Thalberg (May 30, 1899–September 14, 1936) was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. ... The Great Depression was a massive global economic recession (or depression) that ran from 1929 to approximately 1939. ...

Under Schenck's leadership, the studio produced a great quantity of films, and the studio system allowed it to retain a wide array of talent under its roof: Lon Chaney, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland, the Jeannette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy team and countless others. Schenck's adroit business sense made him a wealthy man. In 1927, he and Joseph were reported to be worth about $20 million (approximately 500 million in today's money, possibly more), with a combined yearly income of at least a million. By some estimates, Nicholas Schenck was the eighth richest individual in the United States during the 1930s. The studio system is a name given to the means of film production popular in Hollywood from the end of the silent era in 1927 to 1948. ... There were two famous American actors named Lon Chaney, both known for their work in horror movies. ... Joan Crawford, photographed by Yousuf Karsh, 1948 Joan Crawford (March 23, 1905 – May 10, 1977) was an Academy Award winning American actress. ... Harlow early in her career Jean Harlow (March 3, 1911 - June 7, 1937), was an US film actress who became known as the original blonde bombshell, predating Marilyn Monroe as a blonde sex symbol. ... Clark Gable from the cover of Clark Gable: Biography, Filmography, Bibliography by Chrystopher J. Spicer Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 —November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, and the biggest box-office star of the early sound film era. ... Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American film actor who appeared in 74 films from 1930 to 1967. ... Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an iconic star of American film, television and stage, widely recognized for her sharp wit, New England gentility and fierce independence. ... Judy Garland, circa 1943. ... Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (born June 29, 1901; died March 6, 1967) was an American singer and film actor. ... // Events and trends The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the global depression. ...

Although Schenck's power and prestige were at their peak after World War II, times were changing, as television loomed on the horizon. Like many in the motion picture industry, Schenck, however, adamantly refused to get involved with the new medium. In the 1950s, Louis B. Mayer had a falling out with Schenck. By the middle of the decade, share prices were sagging and stockholders were growing restive. On December 14, 1955, Arthur M. Loew, the son of Marcus Loew, succeeded Nicholas Schenck as the company's president, although Schenck remained Chairman of the Board. The following year, when Arthur Loew resigned for health reasons, Schenck defied the other directors in the efforts to secure a new president. When Joseph R. Vogel became president, Schenck was named honorary chairman, but retired altogether later that same year.

Nicholas Schenck divided his last years between his estates at Sand Point, Long Island, and Miami Beach. The former, which had purchased in 1942, consisted of a 20 acre (81,000 m²) property with a main house of 30 rooms, luxuriously appointed. It included a private movie theater and a 200-foot dock. Schenck's first marriage ended in divorce. He was survived by his second wife, Pansy Wilcox. The Schencks had three daughters. The four counties of Long Island. ... Miami Beach is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ...