The Forgotten Hollywood on the Palisades: A Complete History of Ideal Film Studios
The Forgotten Hollywood on the Palisades
A Complete History of Ideal Film Studios
Nestled atop the cliffs of North Bergen, New Jersey, just east of Bull's Ferry Road and overlooking the Manhattan skyline, once stood a cinematic dream carved from glass, steel, and ambition: Ideal Film Laboratories and Studios. From its inception in 1915 to its fiery demise in 1953, the story of Ideal Studios is one of bold beginnings, legendary visitors, cinematic firsts, dramatic collapses, and an enduring mystery cloaked in smoke.
The Forgotten Hollywood on the Palisades
A Complete History of Ideal Film Studios
Nestled atop the cliffs of North Bergen, New Jersey, just east of Bull's Ferry Road and overlooking the Manhattan skyline, once stood a cinematic dream carved from glass, steel, and ambition: Ideal Film Laboratories and Studios. From its inception in 1915 to its fiery demise in 1953, the story of Ideal Studios is one of bold beginnings, legendary visitors, cinematic firsts, dramatic collapses, and an enduring mystery cloaked in smoke.
Act I: The Dream Takes Shape (1915–1916)
It began with a land deal. On July 28, 1915, Anna and Fred Treis sold two adjacent parcels on the eastern edge of Bull's Ferry Road to a new venture, The Ideal Film Laboratories and Studios. The site was perched on the brink of the Palisades, promising natural backdrops and stunning views of the Hudson River.
By early January 1916, local papers reported on a studio of unprecedented scale and fireproof construction. With 14 lots secured, founders Albert Teitel (a chemist) and Francis Doublier (a former Lumière engineer) commissioned three massive glass and steel studios and a two-tier laboratory. The space boasted enough floor space for 12 directors to shoot simultaneously.
A notice from April 1916 detailed a $21,000 construction contract awarded to William E. Anderson. By summer, the enormous barn-like structure was near completion. Glass walls bathed the stages in natural light, a necessity for silent-era cinematography.
It began with a land deal. On July 28, 1915, Anna and Fred Treis sold two adjacent parcels on the eastern edge of Bull's Ferry Road to a new venture, The Ideal Film Laboratories and Studios. The site was perched on the brink of the Palisades, promising natural backdrops and stunning views of the Hudson River.
By early January 1916, local papers reported on a studio of unprecedented scale and fireproof construction. With 14 lots secured, founders Albert Teitel (a chemist) and Francis Doublier (a former Lumière engineer) commissioned three massive glass and steel studios and a two-tier laboratory. The space boasted enough floor space for 12 directors to shoot simultaneously.
A notice from April 1916 detailed a $21,000 construction contract awarded to William E. Anderson. By summer, the enormous barn-like structure was near completion. Glass walls bathed the stages in natural light, a necessity for silent-era cinematography.
Act II: The Brenon Era and Star Power (1916–1919)
Then came Herbert Brenon.
Herbert Brenon, film director, July 8, 1916.
A visionary director, Brenon had already made his name with Neptune's Daughter and The Clemenceau Case. In October 1917, he bought the Ideal complex outright for a reported $250,000, including two and a half acres of cliffside property. He brought with him a whirlwind of creative energy, and headlines.
Brenon and Alla Nazimova with a camera in his studio, 9 August 1916
Herbert Brenon, three-quarters length, seated, right profile, looking at NazimovaWar Brides, starring Alla Nazimova, was one of the first major features filmed at Ideal. The production was lauded for its artistry, but its ambition led to chaos. On October 5, 1916, a young boy was severely injured by a smoke bomb used during a battle scene. Brenon was arrested, only to be bailed out by Cliffside Park's mayor. A few weeks later, Brenon's cameraman was charged with speeding through Union Hill during a shoot.
Advertisement in Moving Picture World, May 1918 for the film The Fall of the Romanoffs (1917) with Edward Connelly and Ketty Galanta.
The Fall of the Romanoffs (1917) upped the ante, featuring the real-life mystic Iliodor, Sergei Trufanov, a defrocked monk and Rasputin rival. Local journalists noted his unmistakable appearance at the studio, complete with flowing robes and Orthodox iconography. Along with an actual Russian monk, Brenon had an exact replica of a Russian town constructed for authenticity purposes..
Edward Connelly, Nance O'Neil, The Fall of the Romanoffs, 1918
Edward Connelly in The Fall of the Romanoffs (1917)Ideal wasn’t just glitz and scandal. In 1917, the company faced lawsuits from unpaid contractors and was accused by the township of creating a dangerous water runoff system. By 1919, tensions peaked when 200 unpaid extras rioted on the set of The Stronger Passion after being denied Roman military costumes and instead offered loincloths as their costumes, threatening to destroy the studio’s massive glass wall.
Then came Herbert Brenon.
A visionary director, Brenon had already made his name with Neptune's Daughter and The Clemenceau Case. In October 1917, he bought the Ideal complex outright for a reported $250,000, including two and a half acres of cliffside property. He brought with him a whirlwind of creative energy, and headlines.
War Brides, starring Alla Nazimova, was one of the first major features filmed at Ideal. The production was lauded for its artistry, but its ambition led to chaos. On October 5, 1916, a young boy was severely injured by a smoke bomb used during a battle scene. Brenon was arrested, only to be bailed out by Cliffside Park's mayor. A few weeks later, Brenon's cameraman was charged with speeding through Union Hill during a shoot.
The Fall of the Romanoffs (1917) upped the ante, featuring the real-life mystic Iliodor, Sergei Trufanov, a defrocked monk and Rasputin rival. Local journalists noted his unmistakable appearance at the studio, complete with flowing robes and Orthodox iconography. Along with an actual Russian monk, Brenon had an exact replica of a Russian town constructed for authenticity purposes..
Edward Connelly in The Fall of the Romanoffs (1917)
Ideal wasn’t just glitz and scandal. In 1917, the company faced lawsuits from unpaid contractors and was accused by the township of creating a dangerous water runoff system. By 1919, tensions peaked when 200 unpaid extras rioted on the set of The Stronger Passion after being denied Roman military costumes and instead offered loincloths as their costumes, threatening to destroy the studio’s massive glass wall.
Act III: Cliffhangers and Carnival Atmosphere (1919–1929)
Through it all, Ideal persisted. Rumors swirled that Pearl White, star of The Perils of Pauline, had filmed her legendary cliffhangers on the very Palisades that framed the studio. An eyewitness account from the 1930s later confirmed that locals watched actors in WWI uniforms film scenes in North Hudson County Park meant to resemble the French countryside right outside the studio gates.
In 1919, the studio staged Thou Shalt Not Kill!, a propagandistic anti-Bolshevik film so realistic that North Bergen police raided the set thinking it was a real subversive meeting. The same year, during a shoot for Queen of the Zulus, a freak windstorm destroyed the set and nearly the production.
In 1926, tragedy struck when 12-year-old Wilbur Schow fell to his death from the cliffs behind the studio.
Through it all, Ideal persisted. Rumors swirled that Pearl White, star of The Perils of Pauline, had filmed her legendary cliffhangers on the very Palisades that framed the studio. An eyewitness account from the 1930s later confirmed that locals watched actors in WWI uniforms film scenes in North Hudson County Park meant to resemble the French countryside right outside the studio gates.
In 1919, the studio staged Thou Shalt Not Kill!, a propagandistic anti-Bolshevik film so realistic that North Bergen police raided the set thinking it was a real subversive meeting. The same year, during a shoot for Queen of the Zulus, a freak windstorm destroyed the set and nearly the production.
In 1926, tragedy struck when 12-year-old Wilbur Schow fell to his death from the cliffs behind the studio.
Act IV: Sound Arrives and RCA Steps In (1930–1934)
As talkies revolutionized film, Ideal rebranded itself as Ideal Sound Studios and became the only sound-equipped lot in Hudson County. It hosted productions for RCA Photophone, attracting national attention.
Most notably, W.C. Fields filmed here, one of the first RCA sound shorts. The studio also turned to educational and military films, churning out short subjects and features like Her Price (1932), starring Norma Talmadge, James Hall, and Tom Moore.
Women on set in present day Hudson County Park
In 1932, local papers noted the studio's rising fortunes, reporting six pictures in simultaneous production. Ideal now included a miniature stage, fake ship decks, full recording rooms, and even a "jungle set."
As talkies revolutionized film, Ideal rebranded itself as Ideal Sound Studios and became the only sound-equipped lot in Hudson County. It hosted productions for RCA Photophone, attracting national attention.
Most notably, W.C. Fields filmed here, one of the first RCA sound shorts. The studio also turned to educational and military films, churning out short subjects and features like Her Price (1932), starring Norma Talmadge, James Hall, and Tom Moore.
In 1932, local papers noted the studio's rising fortunes, reporting six pictures in simultaneous production. Ideal now included a miniature stage, fake ship decks, full recording rooms, and even a "jungle set."
Act V: Black Cinema and Wartime Transformation (1935–1945)
Oscar Micheaux on set
The mid-1930s saw Oscar Micheaux, the pioneering African American director, rent the studio for several of his independent productions, it is believed he worked on Veiled Aristocrats there. Actors like Oscar Polk (The Green Pastures) filmed at Ideal, making it one of the few East Coast studios accessible to Black filmmakers.
Portrait of Oscar Polk by Carl Van Vechten, Jan. 24, 1937
During WWII, the government repurposed Ideal for military training films. In 1942, it became a testing site for the world’s most powerful air raid siren. Organist Emil Velazco played the siren from inside one of the former recording rooms, its sound heard from Manhattan to Hackensack.
Air Raid Siren days before testing
The mid-1930s saw Oscar Micheaux, the pioneering African American director, rent the studio for several of his independent productions, it is believed he worked on Veiled Aristocrats there. Actors like Oscar Polk (The Green Pastures) filmed at Ideal, making it one of the few East Coast studios accessible to Black filmmakers.
During WWII, the government repurposed Ideal for military training films. In 1942, it became a testing site for the world’s most powerful air raid siren. Organist Emil Velazco played the siren from inside one of the former recording rooms, its sound heard from Manhattan to Hackensack.
Act VI: Decline, Fire, and Ashes (1946–1953)
From the Jersey Journal, September 9, 1953
After the war, the studio faded into semi-abandonment. Still, remnants of its past glimmered. In 1953, newspapers casually referred to it as "the old Mary Pickford studio." On September 9, 1953, flames tore through the decaying structure. A night watchman spotted four boys fleeing as the fire erupted.
The blaze:
Required 70+ firefighters
Sent embers flying across the river
Caused glass to rain down the Palisades
Destroyed piers and barges along the Hudson
By morning, Ideal Studios was reduced to rubble.
After the war, the studio faded into semi-abandonment. Still, remnants of its past glimmered. In 1953, newspapers casually referred to it as "the old Mary Pickford studio." On September 9, 1953, flames tore through the decaying structure. A night watchman spotted four boys fleeing as the fire erupted.
The blaze:
Required 70+ firefighters
Sent embers flying across the river
Caused glass to rain down the Palisades
Destroyed piers and barges along the Hudson
By morning, Ideal Studios was reduced to rubble.
Epilogue: Rediscovering a Lost Landmark
Ideal Film Studios may have vanished from the cliffside, but its legacy lives on. From its glass-walled optimism to its sound-era resurgence, from Brenon’s scandals to Oscar Micheaux’s quiet breakthroughs, Ideal was a forgotten Hollywood on the Palisades.
This studio wasn’t just a building. It was a crossroads of silent-era ambition, early sound innovation, racial progress, and cinematic experimentation. Thanks to the rediscovery of articles, advertisements, and oral histories, its story can finally be told, with every reel, riot, and rivet remembered.
Works Cited
Newspapers & Periodicals:
The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, NJ).
“Conveyances.” July 28, 1915.
“Succeeding in the Movies,” by Juanita Hansen. January 5, 1916.
“Movie Studio to Go Up in North Bergen.” April 26, 1916.
“Refuses to Block Movie Firm Sale.” December 12, 1917.
“Conveyances.” January 5, 1918.
“Old Pickford Studio on Palisades Burns.” September 9, 1953.
“Fire Razes Old Silent Movie Studio.” September 9, 1953.
“Sound Studio for Hudson Heights.” August 15, 1930.
“Fire Destroys Studio.” September 13, 1953.
“Rescued by Film Men.” June 9, 1919.
“Movie House Blown Down by Wind.” June 9, 1919.
“Boy Actors in Riot Film Fool Police.” October 17, 1919.
“Film Set Riots Prompt Arrests.” October 25, 1919.
“Producer Plans New Comedy.” January 17, 1920.
“Studio to Make War Films.” January 29, 1920.
“Film Production Shifts to Talkies.” August 20, 1930.
“Giant Air Raid Siren Tested.” March 6, 1942.
“Colonial Productions Use Studio.” October 21, 1941.
“Movie Studio Part of WWII Civil Defense.” March 9, 1942.
Jersey Observer (Jersey City, NJ).
“Studio Notes.” January 10, 1916.
“Building Notes.” April 13–14, 1916.
“Film Equipment Arrives at North Bergen Studio.” April 25–26, 1916.
“Plans for Ideal Studio Dance.” July 8, 1916.
“Herbert Brenon Purchases Ideal.” October 26, 1917.
“Local Studio Presents Spectacular Film.” March 3, 1917.
“Township Will No Longer Be a Dumping Ground.” January 19, 1917.
The Palisadian (Hudson Heights, NJ).
“Hudson Heights and Fairview Town Notes.” April 1, 1916.
“Second Attempt to Rob Film Co. Thwarted.” June 3, 1916.
“Hudson Heights Notes.” June 17, 1916.
Perth Amboy Evening News (Perth Amboy, NJ).
“Mask and Faces.” June 15, 1918.
“Film Drama Scheduled for Ideal.” June 20–21, 1917.
“Filming of Revolutionary Drama Underway.” January 8, 1918.
The Record (Hackensack, NJ).
“Film Shoot Near Cliff Turns Violent.” October 18, 1916.
“Fire Ravages Old Movie Studio.” September 9, 1953.
“Talkies Bring Life to North Bergen Studio.” December 13, 1921.
The News (Paterson, NJ).
“Studio Fire Baffles Firemen.” September 9, 1953.
“Studio in North Bergen Resumes Production.” August 6, 1931.
“New Picture Company Launches Sound Division.” July 7, 1932.
The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ).
“Studio Destroyed by Fire.” September 13, 1953.
“Silent Movie Studio Gutted.” September 9, 1953.
The Millville Daily (Millville, NJ).
“Movie Producer Plans Revolutionary War Epic.” April 13, 1932.
The Central New Jersey Home News (New Brunswick, NJ).
“Famed Producer Moves Operations to NJ.” April 13, 1932.
The News of Cumberland County (Bridgeton, NJ).
“Movie Studio Site Burns Down.” November 12, 1953.
The Bayonne Times (Bayonne, NJ).
“Plans Set for New Film Series.” January 17, 1920.
The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ).
“North Bergen Film Studio Expands.” August 7, 1931.
Public Testimony / Memoir:
Kruglinski, Michael G. Shadyside 1921–1941.
Self-published community history. Description of studio above Palisades and anecdote about cliffhangers and discarded film. Accessed July 2025.
Filmography Referenced in Articles:
War Brides (1916) – Directed by Herbert Brenon.
The Fall of the Romanoffs (1917) – Featuring Iliodor, filmed at Ideal.
The Golf Specialist (1930) – Starring W.C. Fields, one of the first RCA talkies produced at Ideal.
Thou Shalt Not Kill (1919) – Produced by Independent Motion Picture Co., scene caused riot confusion.
The Queen of the Zu Zus (1919) – Set destroyed by windstorm.
Perils of Pauline (serial, 1914–1917) – Cliff scenes reportedly filmed at Ideal.
Multiple Oscar Micheaux films, including Lying Lips (1939) and The Betrayal (1948), linked to later studio years.
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