FILMS AND MORE

Silent films in the United States emerged in the latter stages of the Industrial Age, when  America was struggling through a period of economic depression lasting several years, from 1893 to 1897.  Although it was a trying time, the movies were welcomed by most social communities and were considered as a great  diversion from the political, financial, and hardships affecting the general public in the nation.

During the silent motion picture era, the movie cameramen were everywhere, capturing scenes of events, people and places. One of the earliest known films is a minute long footage of American President, William McKinley taking his second oath of office. This 1901 documentary, President McKinley Taking the Oath, produced by Edison Manufacturing Company, is considered to be a very significant part of film history and has been preserved in the National Film Registry.

Another early film shows the aftermath of a devastating hurricane which struck down upon the city of, Galveston, Texas in 1900. This documentary, Searching Ruins on Broadway, Galveston, For Dead Bodies, focuses on the groups of people who were relentlessly searching for corpses through the wreckage and rubble. Even by today’s standards, the footage has a strong effect and remind the viewers  the tragic results that can occur  when a natural disaster strikes.

The silent film era was not only about making entertaining movies, but, was also  a means for providing important stories, images, and  everyday life situations. Thankfully, due to the numerous film historians and preservationists who dedicate their skills and time to restore these films, we have the opportunity to get glimpses of some of the real events that occurred just over one hundred years ago, as well as, viewing and enjoying the incredible silent movies made by the numerous talented producers and directors from the golden years of  the silent film industry.  

TRIVIA


-The first airship, built by Zeppelin, was in 1898 and the first flight test occured just a few short years later, in 1901.


-Guglielmo Marconi developed a telegraphic apparatus in 1895, and  later sent the first wireless transatlantic radio signal from England to Newfoundland.

-The Wright Brother made the first controlled flight in an aeroplane in 1903.

-1895-The Lumiere brothers, showed the first commercial  presentation of films to  a paying public at the world’s first movie theatre, “Salon Indien” at the Grand Cafe in Paris, France.

-The first narrative western film with a storyline, The Great Train Robbery, was shown in 1903.

-The first American documentary film based on the true life murder of well know architect, Stanford White by  millionaire, Henry Kendall, was shown in 1907.

-The first feature length film shown in its’ entirety in the United States, was an Italian film, Dante’s Inferno, 1911. Original title is L’Inferno.

-The American Mutoscope and Biograph company produced  the first filming of the Pope at the Vatican, 1899, and was responsible for  one of the first full length feature films, Judith and Bethulia, and epic directed by D.W. Griffith, in 1914.

-Nickelodeons were the first movie theaters in the early 1900’s and usually charged a nickel to view a short reel film.

-Some of the biggest names, got their start as owners,
investors, and/or distributors in nickelodeons, these were, William Fox, Sam Goldwyn, Carl Laemmle, Jesse Lasky, Louis B Mayer, the Warner brothers, and , Adolph Zukor.

-Florence Lawrence, was the first American movie star, 1910, aka, the first Biograph Girl.

-The first American movie magazine, Motion Picture Story Magazine, released its first edition in February, 1911; however, it was the first movie fan magazine, Photoplay, 1912, that launched the notion of celebrities being more than actors, making many of them, famous.

- In 1915, Theda Bara, became the first vamp and sex symbol of the silent movies.