{{Short description|American theater owner and executive (1865–1941)}} {{Use American English|date=October 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Jacob Fabian | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1865|2|25}} | birth_place = Austrian Empire | death_date = {{Death date and age|1941|4|24|1865|2|25}} | death_place = New York City, U.S. | occupation = {{hlist|Entertainment executive|theater owner|film exhibitor}} | years_active = 1914–1929 | organizations = {{plainlist| * Associated First National Pictures Producers (vice president) * First National Pictures (executive) * Stanley Company of America (director; vice president) }} | spouse = Rose Glascheib | children = 2 }}
'''Jacob Fabian''' (February 25, 1865 – April 24, 1941) was an American entertainment executive and theater owner based in New Jersey. He was a pioneer in the film industry and establishing large motion pictures theaters <ref>https://www.nytimes.com/1941/04/25/archives/jacob-fjbiai-6-theatre-operator-pioneer-in-buildingof-large-movie.html</ref>. He served as Vice President of Associated First National Pictures Producers, which became First National Pictures, Inc. in 1924. He was an original franchise holder of the organization and owned the New Jersey First National Exchange.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1941-04-25 |title=Obituary for Jacob Fabian (Aged 76) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-obituary-for-jacob-fabian-ag/64238213/ |access-date=2025-10-23 |work=The Record |pages=2}}</ref>
==Early life== Fabian was born in the Austrian Empire on February 25, 1865. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 17.<ref name=":0" />
== Career == Fabian worked in the clothing business until 1914. That year, he entered the motion picture industry and built the Regent Theater in Paterson, New Jersey. He later expanded his operations, building additional theaters in Paterson and extending his chain to Newark, Elizabeth, Passaic, and other cities in Northern New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-05 |title=The Birth and Early Development of the Motion Picture |url=https://lambertcastle.org/the-birth-and-early-development-of-the-motion-picture/ |access-date=2025-10-31 |website=Passaic County Historical Society |language=en-US}}</ref>
He leased the Salaam Temple property in Newark to operate the Mosque Theater. The transaction was reported to be worth $1 million.<ref name=":0" />
In March 1926, Fabian and his sons purchased stock in West Coast Theatres, Inc.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mar 08, 1926, page 15 - The Morning Call at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/552565740/?match=1&terms=%22fabian%22%20and%22west%20coast%20theatres%22 |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=www.newspapers.com |language=en}} </ref> By May 1926, his company merged with the Stanley Company, led by Jules E. Mastbaum. This merger formed the Stanley Company of America, a theater chain spanning from Massachusetts to Virginia. For marketing purposes, the Fabian chain was rebranded as Stanley-Fabian under the direction of the Stanley Company.<ref>https://www.newspapers.com/image/917756237/?match=1&terms=%22stanley%20theatre%20company%20acquires%20control%22 </ref>
After Mastbaum died in December 1926,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dec 08, 1926, page 1 - Press of Atlantic City at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/917808350/ |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}} </ref> a merger between First National Pictures, the Stanley Company of America, and West Coast Theatres created a large theater holding company in the world <ref>https://www.newspapers.com/image/490222123/?match=1&terms=%22stanley%22%20and%20%22%20largest%20theater%20holding%20company%22</ref>. During this period, a block of theaters was sold to Warner Brothers Pictures.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mar 04, 1927, page 1 - The News at Newspapers.com - Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/525378375/?match=1&terms=%22fabian's%20movie%20interests%20grow%22%20and%20%22first%20national%22%20and%20%22merger%22 |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=www.newspapers.com |language=en}} </ref>
In July 1928, the Stanley Company elected a new board of directors, which included Fabian and his son, Simon.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Stanley Company Elects Directors. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/07/17/91695550.html |access-date=2025-10-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> By September 1928, the assets of Warner, Stanley, First National, and the Vitaphone Corporation were combined. These assets included the First National Studio, which later became Warner Bros. Studios Burbank in Burbank, California. This acquisition made Warner Brothers one of the largest production and distribution companies in Hollywood.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1928-09-13 |title=WARNER BROS. BUY STANLEY THEATRES; $100,000,000 Merger Is Step to $250,000,000 Union of 4,000 Theatres. OTHER ALLIANCES SOUGHT Film Men Desire Keith-AlbeeOrpheum and Shubert Houses in National Chain. Rival of Fox Audible Films. WARNER BROS. BUY STANLEY THEATRES Their Theatres Are Widespread. Shares Active in Philadelphia. (Published 1928) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/09/13/archives/warner-bros-buy-stanley-theatres-100000000-merger-is-step-to.html |access-date=2025-10-23 |language=en}}</ref>
Fabian maintained a summer residence in Paterson, New Jersey, but lived primarily in Miami Beach, Florida, starting in 1929. By February of that year, he had resigned as Vice President of both the Stanley Company and First National Pictures. His son, Simon, took over his business interests and managed a chain of theaters, including locations in New York. Simon also served on the board of directors at Warner Brothers and as vice president and General Manager of the Stanley Company of America.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Feb 27, 1929, page 7 - The Morning Call at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/552688135/ |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Death and legacy== Fabian was married to Rose Glascheib, and they had three children, Abraham, Eleanor, and Simon. Fabian died on April 24, 1941, at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. He was 76 years old.<ref name=":0" />
In 1953, Warner Brothers divested its theater holdings following the Paramount antitrust decrees.<ref>{{Cite news |title=WARNER PLAN ASKS TWO NEW CONCERNS; Reorganization Proposes the End of Pictures, Inc., Division of Its Assets Necessary for Consent Decree |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1951/01/23/113174420.html |access-date=2025-10-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The theaters were spun off into a new company, the Stanley Warner Corporation, led by Simon H. Fabian. Fabian Enterprises purchased the 24 percent stock interest of Jack, Harry, and Albert Warner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dec 12, 1952, page 56 - Bridgeport Telegram at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1246327014/ |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> Simon Fabian operated the chain with his son Edward Fabian, brother-in-law Samuel Rosen, and Louis R. Golding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dec 12, 1952, page 56 - Bridgeport Telegram at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1246327014/ |access-date=2025-10-23 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabian, Jacob}} Category:1865 births Category:1941 deaths Category:People from Paterson, New Jersey Category:American film people