Pat Powers

Early career

Powers was born in Waterford, Ireland. According to the Buffalo Courier-Express obituary dated August 1, 1948, his sister, Mary Ellen Powers, lived in Buffalo for her entire life.

Terry Ramsaye, a movie pioneer like Pat Powers, spoke affectionately of his friend: "His first job was as a blacksmith's helper. He was impressed by the amount of labor it involved and immediately gave evidence of executive ability by organizing a union to raise his own pay. He had a flair for politics, too, and presently acquired a less strenuous post with the police department." Ramsaye recalled how entrepreneurial Powers was, quoting Powers's philosophy: "I would rather make 10 dollars in a fast trade than to earn a thousand." Ramsaye concluded, "Pat Powers got what he came over [from Ireland] for -- action, success, and enough controversy to keep him interested."

Powers partnered with Joseph A. Schubert Sr. and sold phonographs from 1900 to 1907, when they formed the Buffalo Film Exchange, 13 Genesee St. which purchased films from producers and rented them to nickelodeons.

In 1910, Powers left Buffalo for New York City, where he founded the Powers Moving Picture Company, also frequently billed in advertisements and credited in his films as "Powers Picture Plays". Early examples of his studio's releases include The Woman Hater (1910) with Violet Heming, Pearl White, and Stuart Holmes; the comedy Lost in a Hotel (1911); the children's fantasy film An Old-Time Nightmare (1911); and the Western Red Star's Honor (1911).

In 1912, Powers's company merged with Carl Laemmle's Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP) film company and others to create what eventually would become Universal Pictures. He served as treasurer of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. Later, in 1916 and 1917, Powers introduced a cartoon series titled Fuller Pep, which was similar to Paul Terry's Farmer Al Falfa series. Nine cartoons were produced.