The Birth of an American Industry

Flashcards covering the major world events, technological advancements, and key figures in the American film industry between 1908 and 1920.

Tunguska Event

A huge explosion in Siberia in $1908$ that devastated $2,000+$ sq km, possibly caused by meteor/comet hits.

NAACP

An organization founded on February $12\text{th}$, $1909$ to combat racial injustice in America.

RMS Titanic

A ship that sank on its first trip in $1912$ after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic.

Armenian Genocide

An event beginning in $1915$ in the Ottoman Empire that resulted in over $1.5\text{ million}$ Armenians killed.

Spanish Flu

A pandemic emerging in $1918$ that infected $\frac{1}{3}$ of the global population.

Treaty of Versailles

The $1919$ treaty that ended World War I and imposed reparations on Germany.

League of Nations

An international organization formed during the Paris Peace Conference in $1919$.

19th Amendment

A $1920$ amendment to the US Constitution granting women the right to vote in the United States.

Treaty of Sèvres

A $1920$ treaty that dismantled the Ottoman Empire and established new Middle East states.

Synchronized sound

The introduction of sound in films, a technological advancement that revolutionized filmmaking between $1908-1920$.

D.W. Griffith

A Kentucky-born filmmaker who directed roughly $450$ short films between $1908-1913$ and refined cinematic grammar through speed, pacing, and cross-cutting.

The Adventures of Dollie

The first short film directed by D.W. Griffith in $1908$.

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

A sweeping epic portraying the creation of the KKK during Reconstruction; it had a budget of $\$110,000$ and made roughly $\$18\text{ Million}$ by $1921$.

Lois Weber

A child prodigy pianist turned social activist and filmmaker who became one of the highest-paid directors in the industry during the silent era.

The Merchant of Venice (1914)

One of the first feature films made by an American woman director, Lois Weber.

Where Are My Children? (1916)

A film directed by Lois Weber that centered around the topic of birth control.

Carl Laemmle

A German-American film producer and founder of Universal Pictures who fought Edison and the MPPC.

Film exchange

A system introduced by Carl Laemmle where exhibitors rent rather than buy films for exhibition.

Star system

An industry practice created when Carl Laemmle lured actress Florence Lawrence with the promise of name billing or credits.

Sherman Antitrust Act

A $1890$ U.S. law that banned businesses from colluding to form a monopoly; it was used to rule the MPPC a monopoly in $1915$.

Mack Sennett

A producer and director who founded Keystone Film Company and emphasized physical comedy and slapstick.

Keystone Kops

A wildly popular comedy troupe invented by Mack Sennett known for car crashes, pie fights, and lack of narrative subtlety.

Cecil B. DeMille

An energetic showman who pioneered the camera crane and established a film formula of sin, sex, and titillation followed by a moral code.

Oscar Micheaux

Considered the most prolific independent producer; he was a former novelist who made $20$ silent films on painfully low budgets.

The Homesteader

Oscar Micheaux's first feature film, released in $1919$ based on his second novel.

Within Our Gates (1920)

A film by Oscar Micheaux that served as a direct response to "The Birth of a Nation" and portrayed the reality of Black life.