The following is an overview of the events of 1894 in film, including a list of films released and notable births.

Events

* January 7 **

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 ...

receives a

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...

for

motion picture film Film stock is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation. It is recorded on by a movie camera, developed, edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie projector. It is a strip or sheet of transparent ...

. ** Dickson and

William Heise William Heise (1847–1910) was a German-born American film cinematographer and director, active in the 1890s and credited for more than 175 short silent films. Heise filmed a "We All Smoke" skit promoting Admiral Cigarettes in 1897. Heise is be ...

film their colleague,

Fred Ott Frederick Paul Ott (1860; New Jersey – October 24, 1936; West Orange, New Jersey), skilled machinist, was a key employee of Thomas Edison's laboratories from the 1870s until Edison's death in 1931. His likeness appears in two of the earli ...

sneezing with the

Kinetograph The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, but it introduced the basic approach that woul ...

Edison's Black Maria The Black Maria ( ) was Thomas Edison's film production studio in West Orange, New Jersey. It was the world's first film studio. History In 1893, the world's first film production studio, the Black Maria, or the cinematographic Theater, wa ...

studio. *April 14 – The first commercial presentation of the

Kinetoscope The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, but it introduced the basic approach that woul ...

took place in the Holland Brothers' Kinetoscope Parlor at 1155 Broadway,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. *June 6 -

Charles Francis Jenkins Charles Francis Jenkins (August 22, 1867 – June 6, 1934) was an American engineer who was a pioneer of early cinema and one of the inventors of television, though he used mechanical rather than electronic technologies. His businesses in ...

projects a filmed motion picture before an audience in Richmond, Indiana. Earliest documented projection of a motion picture. *

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...

experiments with synchronizing audio with film; the Kinetophone is invented which loosely synchronizes a

image with a cylinder

phonograph A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

. *

viewing parlors begin to open in major cities. Each parlor contains several machines. *

Birt Acres Birt Acres (23 July 1854 – 27 December 1918) was an American and British photographer and film pioneer. Among his contributions to the early film industry are the first working 35 mm camera in Britain (Wales), and ''Birtac'', the firs ...

creates a 70 mm format, which he first uses to shoot the Henley Royal Regatta.

Notable films released in 1894

Birt Acres

*''Crows on Saffron Hill'' *''Haycart Crossing Hadley Green, Middlesex''

Charles-Émile Reynaud

*'' Autour d'une cabine'' *''Rêve au coin du feu''

Étienne-Jules Marey

*'' Falling Cat'' *''Chat en Chute Libre''

William K. L. Dickson

*''Alleni's Boxing Monkeys'' *''Amateur Gymnast, No. 2'' *'' Annabelle Butterfly Dance'', starring

Annabelle Moore Annabelle Moore (born Annabella Whitford, July 6, 1878 – November 29, 1961), also known as Peerless Annabelle, was an American dancer and actress who appeared in numerous early silent films. She was the original Gibson Girl in the 1907 Ziegfeld ...

*''Annabelle Sun Dance'', starring

*''

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western ...

'', starring

*''Armand D'Ary'', starring Armand D'Ary *''Athlete with Wand'' *''Babies in High Chairs'' *''Band Drill'' *''A Bar Room Scene'' *''

The Barbershop ''The Barbershop'' is an 1894 American short narrative film directed by William K.L. Dickson and William Heise William Heise (1847–1910) was a German-born American film cinematographer and director, active in the 1890s and credited for more ...

'' *''Bertoldi (Mouth Support)'', starring Ena Bertoldi *''Bertoldi (Table Contortion)'', starring Ena Bertoldi *''Boxing'', starring Jack McAuliffe *''

The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's) ''The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's)'', or simply ''Boxing Cats'', is an 1894 American short silent film directed by William K.L. Dickson and William Heise, and starring Henry Welton. It depicts a boxing match between two cats, each of which is ...

'' *''

Bucking Broncho ''Bucking Broncho'' is an 1894 black-and-white silent film from Edison Studios, produced by William K. L. Dickson with William Heise as cinematographer. Filmed on a single reel, using standard 35 mm gauge, it has a 32-second runtime. One of t ...

'', starring Lee Martin *''

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years ...

'' (lost), starring

William F. Cody William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years i ...

*''

Buffalo Dance The Buffalo Dance, or Bison Dance, is an annual dance festival of many North American Plains Natives, including the Mandan The Mandan are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains who have lived for centuries primarily in what is now Nor ...

'', starring ''Hair Coat'', ''Parts His Hair'' and ''Last Horse'' *''Caicedo (with Pole)'', starring Juan A. Caicedo *''Caicedo (with Spurs)'', starring Juan A. Caicedo *''

Carmencita Carmen Dauset Moreno, better known simply as Carmencita (1868 – 1910), was a Spanish-style dancer in American pre-vaudeville variety and music hall ballet. Biography Born in Almería, Andalusia, Spain, Carmencita took dancing lessons in Malag ...

'', starring

*''The Carnival Dance'', starring Madge Crossland, May Lucas and Lucy Murray *''Chinese Laundry Scene'', directed by William Heise and William K. L. Dickson and starring Phil Doreto and Robetta *'' Chinese Opium Den'' (lost) *''The Cock Fight'' *''Cock Fight, No. 2'' *'' Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph'', starring

James J. Corbett James John "Jim" Corbett (September 1, 1866 – February 18, 1933) was an American professional boxer and a World Heavyweight Champion, best known as the only man who ever defeated the great John L. Sullivan (hence the " man who beat the man" c ...

and

Peter Courtney Peter Michael Coleman Courtney (born June 18, 1943) is an American politician, lawyer, and professor who is currently a Democratic member of the Oregon State Senate, representing the 11th District (in Marion County and including parts of Salem ...

*''Cupid's Dance'', starring Florence Ewer, Lenora Ewer and Mildred Ewer *''Dance'', starring Rosa France,

Frank Lawton Frank Lawton Mokeley (30 September 1904 – 10 June 1969) was an English actor. His parents were stage players Daisy May Collier and Frank Lawton (I). His first major screen credit was ''Young Woodley'' (1930). In the mid-1930s, Lawton appe ...

and Etta Williamson *''Dance du Ventre'' *''

The Dickson Experimental Sound Film ''The Dickson Experimental Sound Film'' is a film made by William Dickson in late 1894 or early 1895. It is the first known film with live-recorded sound and appears to be the first motion picture made for the Kinetophone, the proto- sound-film sy ...

'' *''Dogs Fighting'' *''Edison Employee Picnic'' *''Fancy Club Swinger'', starring John R. Abell *''Finale of 1st Act, Hoyt's 'Milk White Flag *''Fire Rescue Scene'' *''Fred Ott Holding a Bird'', starring

*''

Fred Ott's Sneeze ''Fred Ott's Sneeze'' (also known as ''Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze'') is an 1894 short, black-and-white, silent film shot by William K.L. Dickson and featuring Fred Ott. It is the oldest surviving motion picture with a copyright. I ...

'', starring

*''French Dancers'' *'' Glenroy Bros., (no. 2)'' *''Hadj Cheriff'', starring Hadji Cheriff *''Highland Dance'' *''The Hornbacker-Murphy Fight'', starring Eugene Hornbacker and Murphy *''Human Pyramid'', starring Saleem Nassar *''Imperial Japanese Dance'', starring the Sarashe Sisters *''Lady Fencers (With Broadswords)'', starring Louise Blanchard and Helen Englehart *''Lady Fencers (With Foils)'' *''Lasso Exhibition'', starring Frank Hammitt and Lee Martin *'' Lasso Thrower'' (lost), starring Vicente Oropeza *'' Leonard-Cushing Fight'', starring Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard *'' Luis Martinetti, Contortionist'', starring Luis Martinetti *''Man of a Thousand Faces'', starring George Layman *''May Lucas'', starring May Lucas *''Men on Parallel Bars'' *'' Mexican Knife Duel'' (lost), starring Pedro Esquivel and Dionecio Gonzales *''Miss Lucy Murray'', starring Lucy Murray *''Mlle. Capitaine'', starring Alciede Capitaine *''Organ Grinder, No. 1'' *''Organ Grinder, No. 2'' *''Oriental Dance'', starring Rosa *''The Pickaninny Dance, from the 'Passing Show, starring Joe Rastus, Denny Tolliver and Walter Wilkins *''Rat Killing'' *''Rats and Terrier No. 2'' *''Rats and Terrier No. 3'' *''Rats and Weasel'' *''Ruth Dennis'', starring Ruth St. Denis *'' Sandow, starring

Eugen Sandow Eugen Sandow (born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, ; 2 April 1867 – 14 October 1925) was a German bodybuilder and showman from Prussia. Born in Königsberg, Sandow became interested in bodybuilding at the age of ten during a visit to Italy. After a ...

*''Sheik Hadji Tahar'', starring Sheik Hadji Tahar *'' Sioux Ghost Dance'' *''Summersault Dog'', starring Lucy the Dog and Ivan Tschernoff *''Sword Combat'', starring Najid and Saleem Nassar *''Topack and Steele'', starring

George W. Steele George Washington Steele (December 13, 1839July 12, 1922) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician who twice served as a Representative for Indiana, from 1881 to 1889 and again from 1895 to 1903. Steele was also the first governor of Ok ...

and George Topack *''Toyou Kichi'', starring Toyou Kichi *''Trained Bears'' *''Trapeze'' *''Unsuccessful Somersault'' *''Walton and Slavin'', starring

John Slavin John Slavin (born Carnoustie, Scotland) was a Scottish association football, football midfielder, half back who played professionally in Scotland and in both the American Soccer League (1921-1933), first and American Soccer League (1933-1983), s ...

and Charles F. Walton *''Whirlwind Gunspinning'', starring Hadj Lessik *''The Widder'', starring Isabelle Coe *''Wonderful Performing Dog'', starring Lucy the Dog and Ivan Tschernoff *''The Wrestling Dog'', starring Henry Welton *''Wrestling Match''

Films directed by other filmmakers

*'' Miss Jerry'', directed by

Alexander Black Alexander Black may refer to: * Alexander Black (athlete) (born 2000), Semi-professional Australian rules footballer * Alexander Black (actor) (born 1983), American film actor * Alexander Black (theologian) (1789–1864), theologian and Free Church ...

, starring by Blanche Bayliss,

William Courtenay William Courtenay ( 134231 July 1396) was Archbishop of Canterbury (1381–1396), having previously been Bishop of Hereford and Bishop of London. Early life and education Courtenay was a younger son of Hugh de Courtenay, 10th Earl of Devon ( ...

and

Chauncey Depew Chauncey Mitchell Depew (April 23, 1834April 5, 1928) was an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician. He is best remembered for his two terms as United States Senator from New York and for his work for Cornelius Vanderbilt, as ...

Births

Debut

* Annabelle Whitford (''Annabelle Sun Dance'') *

(''Miss Jerry'')

External links

1894
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

References

{{Reflist Film by year Articles containing video clips