Numa Pictures Corporation
was formed by the Weiss Brothers solely for the production of the
Edgar Rice Burroughs film , "The
Revenge of Tarzan" in 1920. Numa also had some took the credit
for the production of another Burroughs film, The
Adventures of Tarzan. This was presented as an early serial in
15 chapters in 1921.
Numa's sister company the Great
Western Producing Company was actually responsible for the serial.
The owners of the corporation were
the Weiss Brothers, Adolph, Max, and Louis, who had entered the film
business in 1917 as exhibitors. They had raised the necessary capital
to form the company from their ownership in the Welsbach Lamp and
Fixture Store in New York City. From there, they became involved in
phonograph sales, then in the ownership of a theatre, which grew into
a chain.
The Weiss Brothers claim to fame were
the Artclass films, as Weiss Brothers Artclass Productions from 1922
to 1926, Weiss Brothers Clarion Photoplays from 1924 to 1926, and
Stage and Screen Productions from 1933 to 1936.
Artclass Pictures remained in existence
until 1932.
Some of the films produced by the
Weiss Brothers included "Unmasked" starring Robert Warwick,
"Night Life" in Reno starring Virginia Valli, "Convicted"
starring Aileen Pringle, "Cavalier of the West" starring
Harry Carey, "Cross-Examination" starring H. B. Warner,
"Before Morning" starring Leo Carrillo, "The Black
Coin" starring Dave O'Brien, and "The Clutching Hand"
starring Jack Mulhall.
Their main office was located at 729
Seventh Avenue in New York City, but their production side was based
in Hollywood.
