Al Christie

Al Christie (1881-1951) was a Canadian-born film director, producer, and screenwriter. He began working for the Nestor Film Company in 1909. Nestor was based in New Jersey, but in 1911 Christie moved to California to open a studio for Nestor on the west coast. This was the first movie studio in Hollywood. Al Christie founded Christie Film Company with his brother Charles Christie in 1916. The company was best known for producing Christie Comedies. Many of these productions were two-reel shorts, but the company also produced full-length features. Christie Film Company ceased production in 1933. One of the Christie Comedies produced by Al Christie was a silent film titled The Nervous Wreck (1926). It starred Harrison Ford, Phyllis Haver, Chester Conklin, and Mack Swain. The film depicts a hypochondriac who ventures to Arizona looking for a cure for his imaginary ills, with comic results.