Norman Studios
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| Established | 1920 |
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| Location | Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
| Type | Film |
| Website | |
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Norman Film Studios
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Restored facility in Jacksonville
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| Location | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Coordinates | 30°20′02″N 81°35′37″W / 30.33379°N 81.59365°WCoordinates: 30°20′02″N 81°35′37″W / 30.33379°N 81.59365°W |
| NRHP Reference # | 14001084, 16000857 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 29, 2014 |
| Designated NHL | October 31, 2016 |
Norman Studios was an American film studio in Jacksonville, Florida. Founded by Richard Edward Norman, the studio produced silent films featuring all-African-American casts from 1920 to 1928. The only surviving studio from the period of early filmmaking in Jacksonville, its facilities are now the Norman Studios Silent Film Museum.
One of the most prominent studios creating films for black audiences in the silent era, Norman's films featured all-black casts with protagonists in positive roles. During its run it produced eight feature length films and numerous shorts; its only surviving film, The Flying Ace, has been restored by the Library of Congress. The studio transitioned to distribution and promotion after the rise of talking pictures made its technology obsolete, and eventually closed. In the 21st century, the studio's facilities were restored and re-purposed as a museum.
On October 31, 2016, the location was designated a National Historic Landmark.
During the early 20th century, the emerging film industry that was traditionally located in New York built a new home in Northeast Florida so they could continue filming during the winter. Jacksonville, home to over thirty silent film studios from 1908 – 1922, became known as the “Winter Film Capital of the World”. Eagle Film Studios, which would later become Norman Studios, was built in 1916. The five buildings composing the studio would go bankrupt in the following years.
Born in Middleburg, Florida in 1891, Richard Edward Norman started his career in the Midwest by making movies for white audiences in the 1910s. He filmed events or people acting out skits and screened these films at the local theatre, church, or school. His first silent film with an all black cast was The Green-Eyed Monster (1919), set in the railroad industry. This was an updated take on an earlier silent film called The Wrecker, a popular action/adventure film with an all-white cast. Norman moved to Jacksonville during the height of the film industry and bought the studio in 1920 at the age of 29. It may be that Norman occupied the studios before purchasing them The success of the film brought attention to the studio from other African-American actors hoping to star in later films.
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