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How it started
Film started out with a bet. $25,000 was bet that when a horse runs all four of its legs are not on the ground. They tested this with a line of cameras and kept taking pictures. This proved that the horse legs were off the ground when running. -
FIRST MOVIE!!
The first movie made was "The Great Train Robbery." The film had 14 scenes and lasted for 12 minutes. -
MPPC
Thomas Edison got the idea that movies would be a huge moeymaker. He created a monoply, where he owns everything. He and a group of business men decided to create Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC). -
Violence
Independent films wanted to make movies too. It was a large risk however. People with MPPC would go over to their franchise and smash everything and break their actors and actresses legs to warn them not to do it again. -
Nickeloden
By 1910 nickeloden was attracting 26 million viewers a week. That number then doubled by 5 years later -
MPPC Problems
MPPC didn't want to name their actors. They were afraid that they would become superstars and eventually want more money. They did't want to spend money. -
New York Weather
Films were originally shot in the east cost such as New York. Eventually that changed for two reasons.
1st was that the weather in New York was foggy and since everything was filmed outside. The fog kept getting in the way. -
Actors money
West side saw things differently. They named thier actors in hopes of getting people to ike them to get more views. This worked and angered the MPPC. -
Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin made $150 a week with his big movies. He made more than one million that year. He used most of his films to send messages about good and evil in society -
Famous Stars
Two famous stars were Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. Mary was know as " Americas Sweetheart." They were the most famous during the silent era -
End of MPPC
MPPC came to an end when the federal cout said that they went to far with their monolopy. They had way to much patents and did many horrible things. The federal court closed down the MPPC in 1918 -
California
Movies were moved to California by indepent films because the weather was better and it was farther away from MPPC. IF the MPPC ever wanted to go to California to send a message all the independant films had to do was pack up everything and go to Mexico as a saftey spot.
