Nicholas Schenck
| Nicholas Schenck | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 14, 1881 Rybinsk, Russia |
| Died | March 4, 1969 (aged 87) Florida, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Film studio executive |
Nicholas M. Schenck (14 November 1881, Rybinsk, Russia – 4 March 1969, Florida) was an American film studio executive and businessman.
One of seven children, Schenck was born to a Jewish household in Rybinsk, a Volga River town in Tsarist Russia. He and his family, including his older brother Joseph M. 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 they had saved up enough money to buy out the drugstore's owner and begin casting about for other business ventures.
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 Palisades Amusement Park in Bergen County, New Jersey, directly across the river from Manhattan, in 1908. It remained in operation until 1971, although the brothers sold their own interest in 1934.
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 motion pictures. In 1919, Loew acquired a movie 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.
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