Thomas Harper Ince (
November 6, 1882 –
November 19, 1924) was an
American silent film actor,
director,
producer and
screenwriter. His brothers,
John and
Ralph Ince, were also actors and film directors.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Ince invented many mechanisms of professional movie production, like the usage of a detailed "shooting script", which also contained information on who was in the scene, and the "scene plot" which listed all interiors and exteriors, cost control plans and so on. He helped create a standardized and mechanized mode of production. He also was one of the first who had a separate screenwriter, director and cutter (instead of doing everything himself).
In 1910, Ince was director at IMP. In 1911, Ince went to work at the New York Motion Picture Company which merged with Universal in 1912. That same year, Ince directed "Studio Inceville" and the Bison 101 movies as projects for Bison Life Motion Pictures.
Working under General Manager Fred J. Balshofer at the California studio/ranch of Bison Motion Pictures division of the New York Motion Picture Company, Ince's movies were mainly early Westerns, which were successful because of their beautiful images and their rhythm. While working with the New York Motion Picture Company, Ince also formed his own company, Kay-Bee Productions[1] Ince wrote a number of screenplays including 1915's The Italian which has been preserved by the United States National Film Registry. Ince also notably boosted cowboy actor William S. Hart as the top western star of his time.[2]
