The following is an overview of the events of 1899 in film, including a list of films released and notable births.

Events

*September **'' King John'', a silent compilation of three short scenes from a forthcoming stage production by

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progr ...

with film direction by

William Kennedy Dickson William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (3 August 1860 – 28 September 1935) was a British inventor who devised an early motion picture camera under the employment of Thomas Edison. Early life William Kennedy Dickson was born on 3 August 1860 in ...

and Walter Pfeffer Dando, is filmed in London, the first known film based on a

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

play. **

Mitchell and Kenyon The Mitchell & Kenyon film company was a pioneer of early commercial motion pictures based in Blackburn in Lancashire, England, at the start of the 20th century. They were originally best known for minor contributions to early fictional narrative ...

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north-n ...

in the north of England release three fiction films under the 'Norden' brand which attract national attention – ''The Tramp's Surprise'', ''The Tramps and the Artist'' and ''

Kidnapping by Indians ''Kidnapping by Indians'' is a 1899 British silent short Western film, made by the Mitchell and Kenyon film company, shot in Blackburn, England. It is believed to be the first dramatic film in the Western genre, pre-dating Edwin S. Porter's ...

'', the latter being the first

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

. *November – The oldest surviving Japanese film, '' Momijigari'', is shot by Tsunekichi Shibata in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

as a record of

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance- drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is though ...

actors

Onoe Kikugorō V was a Japanese Kabuki actor, one of the three most famous and celebrated of the Meiji period,"Onoe family" (尾上家, ''Onoe-ke'')Kabuki Encyclopedia(歌舞伎事典, ''kabuki jiten''). Japan Arts Council, 2001–2003. Accessed 30 May 2009. alon ...

and

Ichikawa Danjūrō IX was one of the most successful and famous Kabuki actors of the Meiji period (1868–1912). Ninth in the line of actors to hold the name Ichikawa Danjūrō, he is depicted in countless ''ukiyo-e'' actor prints (''yakusha-e''), and is widely c ...

performing a scene from the play '' Momijigari''. *T. C. Hepworth invents Biokam, a 17.5 mm format which also is the first format to have a center perforation. * John Alfred Prestwich invents a 13 mm amateur format.

Films released in 1899

* ''Beauty and the Beast'', produced for Pathe (French) * '' The Biter Bit'', produced by Bamforth & Co Ltd * ''Cagliostro's Mirror'', directed by George Melies * ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

(Cendrillon)'', directed by Georges Méliès * ''Cleopatra'', directed by George Melies, later re-released as ''Cleopatra's Tomb'' * ''Cripple Creek Bar-Room Scene'', produced by Edison Studios * ''The Demon Barber'', produced by American Mutoscope * ''

The Devil in a Convent ''The Devil in a Convent'' (French: ''Le Diable au couvent''), released in the UK as ''"The Sign of the Cross", or the Devil in a Convent'', is an 1899 French short silent film directed by Georges Méliès. Themes According to some film critic ...

'', directed by Georges Méliès, later re-released as ''The Sign of the Cross'' * '' The Dreyfus Affair'', a series of docudramas directed by Georges Méliès * ''The Haunted House'', directed by Siegmund Lubin * '' How Would You Like to Be the Ice Man?'' * ''The Jeffries- Sharkey Fight'', a documentary that is in all likelihood

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

; running over two hours, this is one of the oldest feature films * ''

'' * '' King John'' * ''

The Kiss in the Tunnel ''The Kiss in the Tunnel'', also known as ''A Kiss in the Tunnel'', is a 1899 in film, 1899 film UK, British Short subject, short silent film, silent comedy film, produced and directed by George Albert Smith (inventor), George Albert Smith, sh ...

'', directed by

George Albert Smith George Albert Smith Sr. (April 4, 1870 – April 4, 1951) was an American religious leader who served as the eighth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Early life Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territor ...

; has been cited as cinema's first example of narrative editing * '' Major Wilson's Last Stand'' * ''A Midnight Episode'', directed by George Melies, aka ''A Good Bed'' * ''The Miser's Doom'' (British), directed by Walter R. Booth * '' A Mysterious Portrait'', directed by Georges Méliès * ''Pillar of Fire'' (aka ''The Column of Fire''), directed by George Melies, adapting a scene from the novel "She" by H. Rider HaggardWorkman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. . * ''Raising Spirits'', directed by George Melies

Births

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1899 In Film Film by year