Maxwell Karger

Maxwell Karger (1879 – 1922) was an American film producer and director active during the silent film era, primarily in the 1910s and early 1920s.

Karger was born in 1879. Early in his career, he was a founder of Rolfe Photoplays in New York, a company involved in motion picture production. Subsequently, he worked mainly at the Metro Pictures studios, a notable production company in the silent film period. In addition to his roles behind the camera and in production, Karger served as a personal assistant to actor Rudolph Valentino.

His approach to filmmaking was similar to that of Thomas H. Ince, a producer known for streamlined studio systems. Karger’s production and directorial activities yielded several films, with his directorial works including "Hate" (1922), "Kisses" (1922), and "The Golden Gift" (1922). As a producer, his credits include the 1916 adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" and numerous silent films through 1921, such as "Outwitted" (1917), "The Adopted Son" (1917), and multiple titles in 1918, including "Social Hypocrites," "Pay Day," and "The Shell Game." He continued producing into 1919 and 1920 with titles like "Stronger Than Death" (1920), "The Willow Tree" (1920), and "Puppets of Fate" (1921).

Karger's life was cut short when he died in 1922 at the age of approximately 43 due to heart disease. His death occurred while he was traveling by train between New York and Fort Wayne, Indiana.

He was the father of Fred Karger (1916–1979), who became a voice coach at Columbia Pictures. Fred Karger was notably the fourth and final husband of actress Jane Wyman, following her marriage to Ronald Reagan.

References to Karger's work and career are available through film databases such as IMDb and allmovie, and he has entries in various film history resources.