1915
1915-05-29 Billy Van Heads Comedy Company
Announces that Billy B. Van will produce and star in a series of one- and two-reel comedies with Nellie and Rose Beaumont through the newly formed Equity Motion Picture Company, organized with Bob Russell, with production based at Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire.
1915-05-29 Billy Van Heads Company
Reports that Billy B. Van has organized the Equity Motion Picture Company to produce and star in a series of one- and two-reel comedies with Nellie and Rose Beaumont, with production planned at Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire and the company organized with Bob Russell.
1915-05-29 Incorporations
Briefly lists the Equity Motion Picture Company of New York, noting its focus on motion pictures and vaudeville and naming Billy B. Van, Charles M. Hudson, and Robert Russell as directors.
1915-07-15 Equity Motion Picture's Company's Star
Promotes Billy B. Van as the leading figure of the Equity Motion Picture Company’s productions, noting plans for one- and two-reel comedies and future feature films at its studio at Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire, with Bob Russell associated in the enterprise.
1915-08-28 Film Flams - Equity and The Janitor's Birthday
Briefly reports that Billy B. Van’s comedy The Janitor’s Birthday is attracting strong exhibitor interest, with an additional note on Van’s move from stage to motion pictures.
1915-09-04 Film Flams - Billy B. Van in Sunapee
A brief mention that the Equity Motion Picture Company plans additional comedy releases, and describes an event at Billy B. Van’s Lake Sunapee studio attended by visiting performers, including Ruth Chatterton.
1915-09-11 Film Flams - The Exploits of Emilene
Notes that Billy B. Van is associated with an upcoming production titled The Exploits of Emilene, mentioned in a humorous item.
1915-09-18 Film Flams - Equity Motion Picture Company
Briefly reports that the Equity Motion Picture Company plans to produce film adaptations of vaudeville material featuring Billy B. Van and the Beaumont sisters.
1915-10-09 Film Flams - The Janitor's Birthday
Mentions Billy B. Van’s performance in the comedy The Janitor’s Birthday at the Lake Sunapee studio, describing a scene that reportedly caused repeated retakes due to laughter on set.
1915-10-30 Equity Has Purchased the JW Gunby Studio
Reports that the Equity Motion Picture Company has acquired the J. W. Gunby studio in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, adding to its production operations based at Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire.
1915-11-06 Billy B. Van's Company Studio in Ridgefield Park, NJ
Reports that the Equity Motion Picture Company has acquired the J. W. Gunby studio at Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, and that its company of players from Lake Sunapee will begin work there.
1915-11-06 Film Flams - Equity Finishes Shooting in Sunapee
Briefly reports that the Equity Motion Picture Company completed a season of production at Lake Sunapee and relocated to New York, and mentions proposed film-related fundraising and exhibition efforts involving the University of Michigan and Dartmouth College.
1915-12-10 Leblang-Van Combination
Reports that Joseph Leblang’s Public Service Film Corporation has combined with Billy B. Van’s Equity Motion Picture Company to produce one- and two-reel comedies under a reorganized company, with operations based at Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire and Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.
1915-12-18 The Equity Motion Picture Co.
Billy B. Van’s Equity Motion Picture Company is said to have combined with the Public Service Film Company under a reorganized corporation, with plans to begin production at its Ridgefield Park, New Jersey studio.
1915-12-25 Gunby Bros Have Not Sold Studio
Reports that Gunby Brothers deny having sold their Ridgefield Park studio, stating instead that it has been leased to another company and that claims of its sale or use by other concerns are incorrect.