Motion Picture Producer. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he arrived in Hollywood around 1914 and ran a costume rental service before establishing himself as an independent producer in 1919. His output consisted of westerns, comedies, and action pics, with occasional forays into sexploitation, all made on shoestring budgets. During the 1920s Morris R. Schlank Productions had a reputation as one of the poorest of Poverty Row studios, where features were ground out in a matter of days and where the careers of former stars went to die. Ex-serial queen Helen Holmes, comedian Hank Mann, and Al Hoxie (the lesser-known brother of cowboy star Jack Hoxie) were among the fading or second-tier talent who worked there. Schlank peddled his product mainly to poor rural theatres that otherwise depended on reissues of forgotten old movies, a strategy that enabled him to continue making silent films long after the rest of the industry had converted to sound. When he was finally forced to choose between upgrading to talkies or going out of business, Schlank went on a rest cure to think about it. He died of a heart attack soon afterwards. His 53 films include "The Janitor" (1919), "The Stupid Prince" (1926), "Red Blood" (1926), "A Turkish Bath" (1927), "The Sheik of Mojave" (1928), "The Galloping Lover" (1929), and "Drifting Souls" (1932). Some of his Grade Z westerns survive and are somewhat enjoyable for their schlock value.
Motion Picture Producer. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he arrived in Hollywood around 1914 and ran a costume rental service before establishing himself as an independent producer in 1919. His output consisted of westerns, comedies, and action pics, with occasional forays into sexploitation, all made on shoestring budgets. During the 1920s Morris R. Schlank Productions had a reputation as one of the poorest of Poverty Row studios, where features were ground out in a matter of days and where the careers of former stars went to die. Ex-serial queen Helen Holmes, comedian Hank Mann, and Al Hoxie (the lesser-known brother of cowboy star Jack Hoxie) were among the fading or second-tier talent who worked there. Schlank peddled his product mainly to poor rural theatres that otherwise depended on reissues of forgotten old movies, a strategy that enabled him to continue making silent films long after the rest of the industry had converted to sound. When he was finally forced to choose between upgrading to talkies or going out of business, Schlank went on a rest cure to think about it. He died of a heart attack soon afterwards. His 53 films include "The Janitor" (1919), "The Stupid Prince" (1926), "Red Blood" (1926), "A Turkish Bath" (1927), "The Sheik of Mojave" (1928), "The Galloping Lover" (1929), and "Drifting Souls" (1932). Some of his Grade Z westerns survive and are somewhat enjoyable for their schlock value.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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