Silent Studio Directory - 124 - acquired controlling interest and broke Gaumont-British away from parent company; in1924, Gainsborough Studios was built to produce the “B” films for Gaumont; in 1927 merged with Ideal Film Co.; in 1941, Rank Organization bought out Gaumont British, including Lime Grove Studios and Gainsborough Studios. Gaumont Company, Ltd - US - 1912-1915 - distribution branch of the French film company with studios in Flushing, New York; Gaumont started production in the U.S. in 1913 with Herbert Blache, (husband of Alice Guy Blache) as V. P. and U. S. rep; company became known as American Gaumont and distributed through Exclusive Supply Corp. (of which Blache was president); in 1915, started releasing one reel comedies under Empress trade name and in October 1915, moved distribution to Mutual Film Corp.; Gaumont had production studios in Flushing, New York and Jacksonville, Florida; released films under the trade names of Rialto Star Features and Casino Star Comedies; in 1918, moved to states rights distribution. Gaumont Film Co. - FR - 1897- current - Gaumont Film Co. was founded by Leon Gaumont and is the first and oldest continuously operating film company in the world; began producing short films in 1897 to promote camera- projector; Leon Gaumont's secretary, Alice Guy Blache, created the first stories on film and became the industry’s first female director; Guy became Head of Production for Gaumont from 1897 to 1907; Alice Guy Blache and her husband Herbert came to the U.S. to open the American Gaumont [see Gaumont Company; Exclusive Supply Corp.; Solax Film Corp.; Blache Films]; from 1905 to 1914, its Cite Elge studios at La Villete, France, were the largest in the world; Gaumont (along with Pathe) dominated the motion-picture industry in Europe until the outbreak of World War I in 1914; Gaumont established offices and studios in numerous countries and is still in operation.