John R. Freuler

John Rudolph Freuler (November 17, 1872 – 1958) was an American businessman in the film industry who owned theaters, film exchanges, and film studios.[1][2][3] He signed Charlie Chaplin to a lucrative contract at Mutual Film. Later in his career he owned Monach Films studio. The Chicago History Museum has a collection of his papers.[4]

Freuler was born in Monroe, Wisconsin and schooled in Milwaukee. His father had immigrated from Switzerland. Freuler studied at Spencerian Business College.[5]

Early in his career he worked in the real estate business. He opened a theater in 1905. After he sold it he opened a film exchange.[5][6] In 1910, Freuler formed a partnership with Chicago film distributor Samuel S. Hutchinson, establishing the American Film Manufacturing Company.[7] In 1912 he helped organize Mutual Film Corporation.[5]

Freuler and Harry Aitken, who worked together on film projects, had both grown up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[8]

He was photographed with Charlie Chaplin and his brother Sydney Chaplin signing the Mutual Film contract. In the 1930s he established film production company Freuler Film Associates. The company produced westerns starring Tony Tyler.[9]

Freuler Associates set up a Monarch Melodramas division to release action films.[10]

He married Augusta J. Golz and had two daughters.

Filmography
  • Beyond the Rio Grande (1930), presenter[11]

Freuler Film Associates

Monarch Film Corporation melodramas

References
  1. "The Magazine of Business". A. W. Shaw Company Division of the McGraw Hill Publishing Company. May 1, 1918 – via Google Books.
  2. "Motography". May 1, 1918 – via Google Books.
  3. "FREULER, John R." www.thanhouser.org.
  4. "John R. Freuler papers". chsmedia.org.
  5. Bruce, William George (May 1, 1922). "History of Milwaukee, City and County". S. J. Clarke Publishing Company – via Google Books.
  6. Ramsaye, Terry (November 12, 2012). A Million and One Nights: A History of the Motion Picture. Routledge. ISBN 9781136247378 – via Google Books.
  7. "Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List". Silentera.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  8. Widen, Larry; Anderson, Judi (August 24, 2007). Silver Screens: A Pictorial History of Milwaukee's Movie Theaters. Wisconsin Historical Society. ISBN 9780870203688 – via Google Books.
  9. Pitts, Michael R. (July 25, 2005). Poverty Row Studios, 1929-1940: An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies, with a Filmography for Each. McFarland. ISBN 9780786423194 – via Google Books.
  10. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/550b/b6a39c281782748743bec410d3b3d839c52e.pdf page 174
  11. "John R. Freuler". BFI.
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