-
Edison develops Kinetophonograph
William Kennedy Laurie Dickenson, who works under Edison, develops the Kinetophonograph. This invention allowed recorded sounds to be synchronized with a film projector. Was not released commercially -
First Film
Fred Ott's Sneeze was the earliest whole film on record. Located in the Library of Congress. Directed by William Kennedy Dickson -
Edison's Machines Debut
Edison's machines, the Kinetograph and Kinetoscope, debut at the Chicago World's Fair. The Kinetograph was the first motion picture camera. The Kinetoscope, also known as peephole viewer, was an individual viewing device that ran continuous film in order to make "moving pictures". -
Cinematographe
Lumiere Brothers deveoped the CInematographe. This was a portable, crank operated camera. It was used as both a camera and a projector -
First Movie Theatre
The first movie theatre was opened in Paris in 1894 and showed many of the Lumiere Brother's films. In contrast to Edison's kinetoscope, many people could view a film at the same time. -
First Showing
The public showing of a motion picture to a paying audience occured in 1896 in New York. This featured Edison's Vitascope. The film shown was called "The Waterer Watered" -
The Great Train Robbery
An employee of Edison, Edwin S. Porter shoots The Great Train Robbery. This is one of the first longer films of that time, being about 12 minutes long. This film included the famous sequence of a train advancing towards the audience. -
MPPC
The major American motion picture companies form the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) and start the Trust War. This is created a monopoly on filming equipment, studio space, actors, etc and made it hard for independance filming companies to survive. -
Charlie Chaplin
charlie Chaplin begins working for the Keystone Company. Charlie Chaplin was one of the first actors to become rich off of film. He was one of the greatest actors/ comedians in the silent film era. -
Mary Pickford
Dubbed America's Sweetheart, Mary Pickford was the first movie star to form and own a film company. She called her company the Mary Pickford Film Corporation. She produced her own movies that she starred in. -
Technicolor
The Technicolor Corporation is founded in the U.S. and begins experimenting with color film. This was widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952. It was used in major pictures such as Wizard of Oz, Joan of Arc, Singin' in the Rain, etc -
Sound Era Begins
The Sound Era begins when The Jazz Singer opens. This featured a synchrnized soundtrack on its musical numbers. This was the first feature-length motion oicture wuth synchronized dialogue sequences.
