The following is an overview of the events of 1896 in film, including a list of films released and notable births. __TOC__

Events

Vitascope Hall Daily Picayune NOLA 31 July 1896

* January – In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, the

Vitascope Vitascope was an early film projector first demonstrated in 1895 by Charles Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat. They had made modifications to Jenkins' patented Phantoscope, which cast images via film and electric light onto a wall or screen. The ...

film projector A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying motion picture film by projecting it onto a screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras. Moder ...

is designed by

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 incl ...

and

Thomas Armat Thomas J. Armat (October 25, 1866 – September 30, 1948) was an American mechanic and inventor, a pioneer of film, cinema best known through the co-invention of the Edison Vitascope. Biography Armat studied at the Mechanics Institute in Richmond ...

. Armat begins working with

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 inventio ...

to manufacture it. * January 14 –

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 first ...

demonstrates his film projector, the ''Kineopticon'', the first in Britain, to the

Royal Photographic Society The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is one of the world's oldest photographic societies. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as the Photographic Society of London with ...

at the

Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it ...

in London. This is the first film show to an audience in the U.K. * February 20 – In London: **

Robert W. Paul Robert William Paul (3 October 1869 – 28 March 1943) was an English pioneer of film and scientific instrument maker. He made narrative films as early as April 1895. Those films were shown first in Edison Kinetoscope knockoffs. In 1896 he s ...

demonstrates his film projector, the ''Theatrograph'' (later known as the ''Animatograph''), at the

Alhambra Theatre The Alhambra was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was built originally as the Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts opening on 18 March 1854. It was closed after two yea ...

. ** The

Lumière Brothers Lumière is French for 'light'. Lumiere, Lumière or Lumieres may refer to: * Lumières, the philosophical movement in the Age of Enlightenment People *Auguste and Louis Lumière, French pioneers in film-making Film and TV * Institut Lumière, ...

first project their films in Britain, at the Empire Theatre of Varieties, Leicester Square. * April – Edison and Armat's

is used to project motion pictures in public screenings in New York City. * May 14 – Tsar

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Pola ...

is crowned in Moscow, the first

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

ever recorded in film. * July 11 – First films screened in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Luis Manuel Méndez Luis Manuel Méndez was a Venezuelan businessman and film presenter from the state of Zulia. Electric business Méndez worked as a representative for the American Telephone Company across the west of Venezuela, operating in Maracaibo, San Antoni ...

and

Manuel Trujillo Durán Manuel Trujillo Durán (8 January 1871 – 14 March 1933) was a Venezuelan photographer who pioneered film in Venezuela. Trujillo was most successful as a photographer, though he dabbled in other industries and is best remembered for his conne ...

at the Baralt Theatre in

Maracaibo ) , motto = "''Muy noble y leal''"(English: "Very noble and loyal") , anthem = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_alt = ...

. * July 26 – "Vitascope Hall" opens on

Canal Street, New Orleans Canal Street (french: rue du canal) is a major thoroughfare in the city of New Orleans. Forming the upriver boundary of the city's oldest neighborhood, the French Quarter or ''Vieux Carré'', it served historically as the dividing line between the ...

, the first business devoted exclusively to showing motion pictures at a fixed locatio

* September 28 – The

Pathé Frères Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest film equipme ...

film company is founded. * October 19 – "

Edisonia Hall Edisonia Hall was a generic name for exhibition halls that displayed the various inventions of Thomas Alva Edison's company. These included the phonograph, the Vitascope, the Kinetoscope and other such devices. The Edisonia Hall opened by Mitchel ...

" in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, the first building constructed specifically for showing motion pictures

* November 3 -

Marius Sestier Marius Ely Joseph Sestier (8 September 1861 – 8 November 1928) was a French cinematographer. Sestier was best known for his work in Australia, where he shot some of the country's first films. Born in Sauzet, Drôme, Sestier was a pharmacist by ...

films the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbou ...

, a major sporting event in Australia. * In France, magician and filmmaker

Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès (; ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French illusionist, actor, and film director. He led many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema. Méliès was well known for the use of ...

begins experimenting with the new motion picture technology, developing early special effect techniques, including

stop motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...

. Films that year included ''The Devil's Castle'', ''A Nightmare'', ''A Terrible Night''. *

William Selig William Nicholas Selig (March 14, 1864 – July 15, 1948) was a pioneer of the American motion picture industry. In 1896 he created one of the first film production companies, Selig Polyscope Company of Chicago. Selig produced a string of c ...

founds the

Selig Polyscope Company The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films starring Tom ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. * Demeny-Gaumont work on a 60 mm format, first known as ''Biographe'' (unperforated), then ''Chronophotographe'' (perforated). * Casimir Sivan and E. Dalphin create a 38 mm format.

Notable films released in 1896

Alexandre Promio

*'' Lion, London Zoological Gardens'' *'' Pelicans, London Zoological Gardens'' Alice_Guy

Alice Guy-Blaché

*'' The Cabbage Fairy'' *''Le chapeau de Tabarin'' *''Le clubmen'' *''Les concierges'' *''Les démolisseurs'' *''Chez le barbier''

Birt Acres

*'' The Boxing Kangaroo'' *'' Boxing Match; or, Glove Contest'' *'' Dancing Girls'' *'' Landing at Low Tide'' *''

Rough Sea at Dover ''Rough Sea at Dover'' (also known as ''Gale at Dover and Sea Waves at Dover'' ) is an 1895 British short black-and-white silent film, shot by Birt Acres. Acres shot the film in mid-1895, with a camera designed with and built by Robert W. Pau ...

'' directed with

*'' Yarmouth Fishing Boats Leaving Harbour'' Melies Arrival of a Train at Vincennes Station

Méliès, Le cauchemar (Star Film 82, 1896)

Gabriel Veyre

*'' Carga de rurales'', a

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

silent

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

. *''Un duelo a pistola en el bosque de Chapultepec'' (''Duel au pistolet'').

Georges Méliès

*'' Arrival of a Train at Vincennes Station'', currently presumed to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

*'' A Lightning Sketch'', a series of four French short silent films (lost) *'' A Nightmare'', it was advertised as a ''scène fantastique''. *'' A Serpentine Dance'', it was released by Méliès's company Star Film and is numbered 44 in its catalogues (lost) *'' A Terrible Night'', it is listed with the descriptive subtitle ''scène comique''. *'' Conjurer Making Ten Hats in Sixty Seconds'' (lost) *''

Conjuring Conjuration or Conjuring may refer to: __NOTOC__ Concepts * Conjuration (summoning), the evocation of spirits or other supernatural entities ** Conjuration, a school of magic in ''Dungeons & Dragons'' * Conjuration (illusion), the performance of s ...

'', the film was rediscovered in 2014 *'' Miss de Vère (English Jig)'' *'' The Haunted Castle'' (aka ''The House of the Devil'', aka ''The Devil's Castle'')Malthête, Jacques; Mannoni, Laurent (2008), L'oeuvre de Georges Méliès, Paris: Éditions de La Martinière, p. 337, *''

The Rag-Picker ''The Rag Picker'' (french: Le Chiffonnier), also released as ''A Good Joke'' (french: Une bonne farce), was an 1896 French silent film directed by Georges Méliès. It was released by Méliès's company Star Film and is numbered 9 in its catalogu ...

'' *'' The Rescue on the River'' *''

The Vanishing Lady ''The Vanishing Lady'' (french: Escamotage d'une dame chez Robert-Houdin, literally "Magical Disappearance of a Lady at the Théâtre Robert-Houdin") is an 1896 French short silent trick film directed by Georges Méliès. It features Méliès a ...

'' *''

Playing Cards A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a fi ...

'' *'' Post No Bills'' *'' Watering the Flowers'', most likely a

Louis Lumière

*''Arab Cortege, Geneva'' *'' Arrival Of A Train At La Ciotat'' *'' Bataille de boules de neige'' *'' Carmaux, Drawing Out The Coke'' *''Childish Quarrel'' *''Children Digging For Clams'' *''

Démolition d'un mur ''Démolition d'un mur'' (''Demolition of a wall'') is a 1895 French short black-and-white silent film directed and produced by Louis Lumière and starring his brother ''Auguste Lumière'', along with two other men. Production It was filmed by ...

'' *''Dragoons Crossing The Saone'' *''Loading A Boiler'' *''New York: Broadway At Union Square'' *''New York: Brooklyn Bridge'' *''Poultry-Yard'' *''Pompiers a Lyon'' *''Promenade Of Ostriches, Paris Botanical Gardens'' *''

Serpentine Dance The serpentine dance is a form of dance that was popular throughout the United States and Europe in the 1890s, becoming a staple of stage shows and early film. Background The Serpentine is an evolution of the skirt dance, a form of burlesque danc ...

M.H. Laddé

* '' Gestoorde hengelaar'' (lost) * '' Spelende kinderen'' (lost) * '' Zwemplaats voor Jongelingen te Amsterdam'' (lost)

Robert W. Paul

*'' Barnet Horse Fair'' *''

Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is in the City of London near the Inns of Court and Temple Chu ...

'' *'' Comic Costume Race'' *''

'' directed with

*''

The Twins' Tea Party ''The Twins' Tea Party'' is an 1896 in film, 1896 UK, British Short subject, short silent film, silent actuality film, produced and directed by Robert W. Paul, The film, "was one of the very first 'facials'," which according to Michael Brooke o ...

'' *'' Two A.M.; or, the Husband's Return'' produced by Robert W. Paul

William Heise

*''Feeding The Doves'' *'' The Kiss'', starring

May Irwin May Irwin (born Georgina May Campbell; June 27, 1862 – October 22, 1938) was an actress, singer and star of vaudeville. Originally from Canada, she and her sister Flo Irwin found theater work after their father died. She was known for her per ...

and John Rice. First kiss on film. May be considered the first romantic film.

William K.L. Dickson

*'' Dancing Darkies'', an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, silent

Others

*''

Le Coucher de la Mariée ''Le coucher de la mariée'' or ''Bedtime for the Bride'' or ''The Bridegroom's Dilemma'' is a French erotic short film considered to be one of the first erotic films made. The film was first screened in Paris in November 1896, within a year of t ...

'', a French erotic

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

considered to be one of the first

erotic films Sex in film, the presentation of aspects of sexuality in film, specially human sexuality, has been controversial since the development of the medium. Films which display or suggest sexual behavior have been criticized by religious groups or hav ...

(or " stag party films") made. The film was produced by

Eugène Pirou Louis Eugène Pirou (26 September 1841 – 30 September 1909) was a French photographer and filmmaker, known primarily for his portraits of celebrities and scenes from the Paris Commune. He was awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle ...

and

directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

by Albert Kirchner under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

"Léar". *'' Macintyre's X-Ray Film'', a documentary

radiography Radiography is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation to view the internal form of an object. Applications of radiography include medical radiography ("diagnostic" and "therapeut ...

film directed by Scottish medical doctor

John Macintyre John Macintyre or Mcintyre FRSE (2 October 1857 – 29 October 1928) was a Scottish doctor who set up the world's first radiology department at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, in Glasgow.McKinley at Home, Canton, Ohio'', is a silent film reenactment of

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

receiving the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nomination for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

in September 1896 produced by the

American Mutoscope and Biograph Company The Biograph Company, also known as the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1916. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition, ...

. *''A Morning Alarm'', produced by

Edison Studios Edison Studios was an American film production organization, owned by companies controlled by inventor and entrepreneur, Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films, as part of the Edison Manufacturing Company (1894–1911) and then Thom ...

. *''

A Sea Cave Near Lisbon ''A Sea Cave Near Lisbon'' is an 1896 British short silent actuality film, directed by Henry Short, featuring a view looking out to sea through the Boca do Inferno (Hell's Mouth) cave near Lisbon, with waves breaking in. The film was popular ...

'', a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

silent

actuality film The actuality film is a non-fiction film genre that, like the documentary film, uses footage of real events, places, and things. Unlike the documentaries, actuality films are not structured into a larger argument, picture of the phenomenon or coh ...

, directed by Henry Short. * ''Up the River'', directed by Unknown.

Births

Debut

Alice Guy Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

as a director in ''Les démolisseurs'' *

as an actress in '' The Kiss'' (1 April) *

John C. Rice John C. Rice (April 7, 1857, Sullivan County, New York – June 5, 1915, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American born Broadway stage actor and vaudevillian who is credited with performing the first onscreen kiss with May Irwin in 1896 for ...

as an actor in ''The Kiss'' (1 April) *

Cissy Fitzgerald Cissy Fitzgerald (born Mary Kate Kipping; 1 February 1873 – 10 May 1941) was an English-American vaudeville actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in numerous silent and sound films. Fitzgerald acted in a popular ''Gaiety Girl'' show begin ...

as an actress in 50 feet of actuality film of Fitzgerald by Edison; presumably elements from the 1894 play ''The Gaiety Girl'' *

Robert B. Mantell Robert Bruce Mantell (7 February 1854 – 27 June 1928) was a noted Shakespearean stage actor who made several silent films. His mother was Elizabeth Bruce Mantell who objected to her son becoming an actor so he used the name Robert Hudson earl ...

as an actor in ''Select Scenes from 'Monbars

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1896 In Film Film by year