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25K Horse Bet
While watching a horse race with some of his friends, Eadweard Muybridge bets $25K that while running a horse has all feet off of the ground. His friends accept the bet. He proves this theory by setting up a series of cameras along the track and takes photos of a horse . He also realizes that when the photos are viewed quickly, it created the illusion of motion. -
Kinetoscope Parlors
After Muybridge's experiment the concept of motion picture production came to life. The earliest sighting of this in the public was the kinetoscope. It allowed people to view short sequences of moving images but it was made so that only one person could view it at a time. Each individual was charged for the experience. -
Lumiere Bros
In France the Lumiere brothers create a projector device that allows multiple people to view a film at once. These features were normally only about a minute long. -
Vaudevilles
Vaudevilles were 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. -
Nickelodeon
Beginning at around the 1900s, these shows got their name because people 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 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
Thomas Edison and some followers create the Motion Pictures Patents Company. Other company try to copy the MPPC's success. The MCCP would threaten the company employees. -
Business Booming
Nickelodeons began to receive 26 million people a week as films became popular. 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
Florence Lawrence is known as the "Biograph Girl" because she works for Biograph Studios. She soon switches over to Independent Moving Pictures Company. Carl Laemmle the company's founder pulls a 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. -
The First star of the 20th century
Charlie Chaplin is a comic phenomenon known for his witty humor. 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, and $1M a year. -
The first talkie
"The Jazz Singer", starring Al Jolson releases as the first film to feature full length dialogue, singing, and instrumental. Although there were movies that had these things before, none of them possessed all of them in one film. -
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford dubbed America's Sweetheart in her career is just about as popular as Charlie Chaplin is. She wins an Academy Award for her role in Coquette as Norma Besant. This makes her the second actress in history to win the award
