History of Film

Thomas Edison

Inventor and film entrepreneur

Kinetograph

1893 First camera to capture motion pictures

kinetoscope

1894 Coin operated view machine for single viewer; known as penny arcades; played 55 ft sections

Black Maria

Americas first movie studio in NJ; first production was Fred Ott’s Sneeze

Nickelodeons

place where people watch films w/ other people; step up from arcades

Luminere Brothers

Inventors of the cinematograph; revolutionize film industry

Cinematograph

2nd Camera and projector for films: captured moving images, developed film, lightweight, pics presented on screen; powered without electricity

Edison’s Trust

1908 marked monopolization of film; Name for edison’s attempt to monopolize “motion picture company”; led to establishment of studio system

The Studio system

Paramount,universal,MGM

Fred Ott’s Sneeze

1984 First film made up of sequence of pictures; considered crude

Edwin S. porter

Film pioneer; attributed to cross cutting/ parallel; worked for Edison Manufacturing Co prior

The jazz singer

1927 1st film with spoken dialogue; Warner brothers effort to make film more competitive; led to WB recognition

Don Juan

Great Depression

1932 half of major studios + theatres shutdown; actors unemployed

Legion of Decency

1934 Group of catholic bishops who developed production code/Hays code

Problems w/ sound

Difficult to amplifying and sync to motion pictures; integration dialogue also difficult

Problems in east and moving west

• overshadowed broadway

• Stars refused to degrade themselves

• Edison trust had many patents

  1910 move to west: far from Edison, more land/open space, good weather

Golden Era of film

1029-1960s more wholesome content reviewed by board

Films of golden era

Casablanca, citizen Kane, gone with the wind, singing in the rain, it’s a wonderful life, hunchback of notre dame