Amadee J. Van Beuren

Amedee ("Andy") Van Beuren was born Amedee Vignot in New York, the son of Alfred Vignot, who died in 1894, and Marietta Ferguson. Subsequently, Marietta married Alfred Van Beuren on January 13, 1898, when Amadee was 9 years old, and he took on his stepfather's surname. Alfred Van Beuren was head of the Van Beuren advertising company, which became a part of the General Outdoor Advertising Company. Amedee was educated at public and private schools and a business college. He worked in the livery business, groceries, and then as a salesman.

Andy Van Beuren established the Van Beuren Billposting Company as a means of outdoor promotions. He expanded his interest in outdoor advertising by operating a number of outdoor amusements, including skating rinks, tennis courts, open-air theaters, and outdoor restaurants.

Van Beuren was president of the Colorado Springs Theatre Corporation and the Kernab Corporation. He was a life member of the Society of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

As an adjunct to the Frank Buck successes, Van Beuren agreed to produce a film version of Joan Lowell's book "Cradle of the Deep", featuring Lowell as a daring adventurer. Lowell adapted her book for the screen, and the film was titled Adventure Girl (1934). It failed to achieve the same artistic and boxoffice success. In 1935 Lowell filed a lawsuit against Amedee Van Beuren and Van Beuren Studios, alleging that she had not received 15 per cent of the earnings guaranteed her, and demanding an accounting of the profits from Adventure Girl. Van Beuren replied that they lost $300,000 on the picture, and promptly made a counterclaim for $300,000 damages alleged to have been sustained because of Lowell's inexpert performance in the picture. Van Beuren asserted that Lowell "carelessly, negligently, inefficiently, inexpertly, and improperly acted and performed in the motion picture produced as to seriously impair and damage the reputation, fame, and business capacity of the defendant."