historique

Cecil M. Hepworth fonde, en [1899] la société Hepworth & Company et dépose [1900] la marque "Hepwix Films". Ses premiers locaux sont situés à Walton-on-Thames.

Le premier catalogue est publié en novembre 1899. Au début du mois de janvier 1901, une page entière est achetée par la Hepworth & Co. qui précise sa politique commerciale au sujet du prix de ses films :

A Reply.
WE are sometimes asked why we have not reduced the prices of our cinematograph films in accordance with the tactics elsewhere adopted. Why do WE not separate the wheat from the chaff and sell the latter at a low price ? Our answer is that we have no need to cut prices. We are neither overstocked with slow-selling subjects, nor are we bound by contracts with manufacturers to burden our shelves with larger quantities of goods than we can dispose of at fair prices. It has always been our endeavour to separate the chaff from among our wheat, but it did not occur to us to catalogue it first, without explanation, on the chance that our customers might unwittingly purchase it at full price.
But our judgment is not infallible, and there are several films in our catalogue which have not proved popular. It has been suggested that we should list these in a separate class at a low price, with the double object of getting rid of our stock and of damaging our neighbours' trade. We might say that the negatives cost less and we would give our customers the benefit ; but who would believe us ? Our customers are not idiots, and must know that one street scene in Tangier must have cost as much to produce as the other, yet one was worthy of cataloguing and sells well, while the other is only fit for a series " B." The real reason is, of course, that the value of a film depends upon its quality and interest, and NOT upon the cost of the negative.
We are accordingly eliminating from our catalogue all those subjects which have proved themselves unpopular, or which, from their nature, have ceased to have interest—such films in fact as would have constituted our " series B," in other words, our "chaff "—our " daubs."
It is, in our opinion, better business policy to sell you one good film at a reasonable profit, than a dozen poor ones at practically none. For in the latter case YOU will not be satisfied, while WE shall have done a great deal of work for very little money, and shall run a considerable risk of losing your custom in the future.
Our earnest advice to you as a buyer—if we may presume to offer it—is that when you require cheap films —" cheap" in every sense— go to those makers who advertise them. You will in most cases get full value for your money, and if the pictures lack quality or interest you cannot blame anybody but yourself. On the other hand, when you want a really good film and are willing to pay a fair price for it, go to a firm who has sold you good films before, and who makes a reasonable profit on them, for such a firm can afford to spend money on negatives.
The making of valuable negatives requires a big revenue. We make a fair profit on every film we sell. Most of that profit goes into our negative account. Having that profit we can afford to keep the quality of our prints at the highest possible level, and run no risk whatever of starving our negative account.
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We do not tack on exorbitant charges when we produce a film which we think you want badly enough to pay through the nose for.
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Our price is uniform, and a fair one-
1/ a foot, less 30% discount.
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The " chaff " has been withdrawn from our catalogue.
We have no series " B "—we have no " daubs !"
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" You pay more for paintings by masters than you do for daubs." —Modern Poet.
HEPWORTH & Co., Cinematographers,
WALTON=ON=THAMES.
A full list of the numbers retained in the " Hepwix" catalogue will be gladly forwarded on application.
Telephone : " No. 16, Walton-on-Thames." Telegraphic Address : " Hepworth, Walton-on-Thames."

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The Showman, vol. II, nº 5, 5 janvier 1901, p. 3.

Dès cette époque, la Hepworth & Co a passé un accord avec le représentant de la maison Gaumont (Elgé) en Grande-Bretagne. Cette dernière devient son agent et profite par ailleurs de ses studios :

Besides these we have, through our connection with Hepworth, a complete factory and studio in England for the manufacture of films.”
“Oh, so you make films as well.”
“Yes, we make our own both abroad and at Walton-on-Thames. The produce of the former is known as the Elge collection, and, of course the latter are the well-known Hepwix films, for which we are the sole wholesale agents. We also carry a continually changing stock of Lumière films. Where we have the pull over other makers, though, is in the methods employed at Walton-on-Thames. Mr Hepworth has invented and patented a most ingenious arrangement by which the film is automatically developed-not upon a drum, as is usually the case-but in a long trough.”

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"A Chat With Mr. Bromhead", The Era, Londres, samedi 12 janvier 1901, p. 22.

En juillet 1901, les films Hepwix rentrent au répertoire du Comptoir Général de Cinématographie (Gaumont). Quelques mois plus tard, la compagnie décide de transférer ses locaux à Londres :

Notice of Removal.
Owing to the great increase in our business and to the necessity for quicker and more direct communication with our customers, we have found it necessary to remove our offices to London, where an extension of our recently-introduced rapid transit system will ensure even greater acceleration of delivery of goods between the workshops and the user. To ensure the promptest attention, all communications should be addressed as under, where the same personal care will be given to every detail as that which has in the past characterised our business.
A large Electric Showroom has been fitted up, where any film may be seen projected. Over 300 film subjects at present in stock for selection.
NOTE.—The price of the " Hepwix " Films is—and always has been—absolutely uniform, viz.,
1/- a foot, less 30%
This is the lowest price at which the best films can be produced, and it is the lowest at which they can be obtained.
N.B.-WE HAVE CEASED TO SUPPLY THE Warwick Trading Co WITH " HEPWIX" FILMS.
HEPWORTH & CO., CINEMATOGRAPHERS
17 Cecil Court, Charing Cross Road, LONDON, W.C.
Telegrams : " Heptoic," London.
Telephone: No. 2451, Gerrard.

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The Showman, vol. III, nº 57, 3 janvier 1902, p. 1.

Les derniers films produits sous ce nom datent de 1904.

Sources

HEPWORTH Cecil, Came the Dawn: Memories of a Film Pioneer, London, Phoenix House, 1951, 208 p.