Quicknation    Thomas H. Ince

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Thomas H. Ince (November 6, 1882 – November 20, 1924) was an American silent film director, producer and screenwriter.

Born in Newport, Rhode Island, he invented many mechanisms of professional movie production, like the usage of a detailed "shooting ", which also contained information on when who was in the scene, and the "scene plot" which listed all interiors and exteriors, cost control plans and so on. He helped create a standardized and mechanized mode of production. He also was one of the first who had a separate writer, director and cutter (instead of doing everything himself).

Working under General Manager Fred J. Balshofer at the California studioranch of Bison Motion Pictures division of the New York Motion Picture Company, Ince's movies were mainly early Westerns, which were successful because of their beautiful images and their rhythm. Ince wrote a number of screenplays including 1915's which has been preserved by the United States National Film Registry.

In 1915, Thomas Ince partnered up with D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett to create the Triangle Motion Picture Company.

On November 19, 1924 the silent film producer and died, offically of a heart attack suffered while on a weekend boat trip with William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies and several other prominent Hollywood personalities. In the time since, several conflicting stories have circulated about Ince's death, often revolving around the claim that Hearst shot Ince in a fit of jealousy and used his power and influence to cover up a murder. A 2001 film,