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Mary Pickford was "America"s Sweetheart". Charlie Chapman was a comic genius. Charlie was the first 20th century superstar. He started by making $150 a week to becoming a millionaire by 1917.
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Since most films were shot outside and New York weather was not good they moved to California for better picture quality. They were further away from the MPPA control.
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The MPPC did not want their actors names known because they did not want them making money. The Independent studios in California wanted the actors known. This way people would go see their favorite actors and spend money.
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In 1910 Nickelodeon Theaters were attracting 26 million viewers each week. The popularity attracted the attention of people looking to make big profits.
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Motion Picture Patents Company led by Thomas Edison was formed. They wanted to control everything in the motion picture industry. The MPPC did establish film standards.
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In 1903 Edwin Porter created the first US narrative film called The Great Train Robbery. It was 12 minutes long and had 14 scenes. It would be described as an epic.
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The theaters would include 30 second short movies. There would be skits with comedy and song and dance routines with live actors. By adding the short films they thought they could bring in more people.
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The name came from the nickel it would cost to watch the shows. This would include a couple of Vaudeville acts and a film that would sometimes have live piano as background music for the movie.
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Kinetoscope Parlor device is moving images. Creating the illusion of motion from a series of still images. You put one eye up and crank it up. Only for an audience for one.
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Thomas Edison was the inventor of peephole kinetoscope. He sold the devices to the parlors. He was making money by charging only one person instead using his new invention the projector.
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Cinematographe was created by the Lumiere brothers.It was short films at the movie theaters that were 30 to 60 seconds long. People were afraid of the train coming at the screen and hurt themselves because of it.
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It started with a $25,000 bet. The bet was that all four legs were off the ground when a horse was galloping. Took several pictures in a row to see the horse’s feet off the ground. It was like a flip book.
