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The $25K Bet
While watching a horse race with some pals, Eadweard Muybridge bets $25K that at some point while running, a horse has all 4 feet off of the ground. He proves this theory by setting up a series of cameras along the track, taking photos of a horse as it galloped by. Not only does he prove his theory, but he also notices that when the photos are viewed quickly in a sequence, it created the illusion of motion. -
Kinetoscope Parlors
After Muybridge's experiment, the concept of motion picture production came to fruition. The earliest iteration of this in the public was the kinetoscope. It allowed people to view short sequences of moving images. Unfortunately, it was made so that only one person at a time could view it, and each individual was charged for the experience. -
Lumiere Bros.
In France, the two Lumiere brothers do what Thomas Edison was too cheap to do himself. They create a projector device that allows multiple people to view a film all at once. These features were normally only about a minute long. -
Vaudevilles
Vaudevilles were another popular form of theater at the time. Some of these theaters begin to showcase motion pictures to draw in more patrons. The films would play in between skits and acts as a kind of filler. -
Nickelodeons
This is an expansion of vaudevilles. Beginning at around the 1900s, these shows got their name due to the fact that viewers had to pay a nickel to see them. They included the usual vaudevilles acts, but the movie was the feature instead of the skits. -
The First Narrative Movie
Edwin Porter, an employee of Thomas Edison, makes "The Great Train Robbery", the first narrative film in the US. It introduced an actual plot, and incorporated new filming techniques. With 14 scenes and 12 minutes of run time, "The Great Train Robbery" was revolutionary for the film industry. It paved the way for many movies like it to come. -
Motion Pictures Patent Company
In an attempt to gain control over the booming movie industry, Thomas Edison and some followers create the Motion Pictures Patents Company. Other organizations try to copy the MPPC's success, but their efforts come at a great cost. The MCCP would ransack the studios of rival companies and threaten their employees. -
Business Booming
Nickelodeons began to receive 26 million people per week as films grew in popularity. Soon, big companies and wealthy people gained interest in making a large profit out of this new fad. This brought about the creation of many different businesses and corporations. -
Florence Lawrence in Public
A rising movie star, Florence Lawrence, is only known as the "Biograph Girl" due to the fact that she works under Biograph Studios. She soon switches over to Independent Moving Pictures Company. Carl Laemmle, the company's founder, pulls a PR stunt in which he spreads rumors of Lawrence's death. Later, he has her and another leading actor make a public appearance in St. Louis to show that she is alive and well. This reignites her popularity and practically increases it ten fold. -
The First Star of the 20th Century
Charlie Chaplin is a comic phenomenon known for his witty humor and his subtle, but thoughtful messages of society. He is the first superstar of his kind during this time. Even his wage proves this statement, with Chaplin going from making $150 a week, to $1M a year. -
The First Talkie
"The Jazz Singer", starring Al Jolson, releases as the first film to feature full length synchronized dialogue, singing, and instrumental. Although there were movies that had these things before, none of them possessed all of them in one film. This movie sets in motion the decline of silent films. -
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford, dubbed "America's Sweetheart" in her career, is just about as popular as Charlie Chaplin is during this time. She wins an Academy Award for her role in Coquette as Norma Besant. This makes her the second actress in film history to win such an award.
