Films of the World 1888 to 1900 (Including color tinted and experimental sound films)
Compiled by John Winner
The following list is an attempt to document films made duing the period of 1888 to 1900. I have tried to include all available information on each film that could be found. Images of films have been included when they could be found. Sources have been included at the end of the document. This is an ongoing project and this document is not 100 percent complete. Any new information can be sent to me at:
[email protected] [email protected]..
1888 [Accordion Player]
Director: Louis Aimé Augustin le Prince Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): probably 1888 Camera/Projector: LPCCP Type-1 MkII fps: 10 Runtime: 1.9 seconds Country: United Kingdom Main Actors: Adolphe Adolphe le Prince Genre: Notes: 20 frames exist. exist. Sequence Sequence of Adlophe le Prince playing a diatonic button accordian, accordian, on the steps of Joseph Whitley's home. Joseph Whitley was Adolphe's Adolphe's grandfather. [Le Prince Motion Picture No. 1]
Director: Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince Producer: Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince Cinematographer: Cinematographer: Louis Amié Augustin Le Prince Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): shot October 1888 Camera/Projector: fps: 10-12 Runtime: Country: United Kingdom Main Actors: Joseph Whitley Genre: Portrait Notes: Shot in the garden of Whitley's Whitley's home in Roundhay Roundhay,, Leeds, England. England. This is Le Prince's first motion picture. Survival staus unknown. [Man Walking Around Corner]
Director: Louis Aimé Augustin le Prince Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Writer: Date (production/release): 1888 Camera/Projector: LPCC Type-16 fps: Runtime: Country: United Kingdom
Notes: Only 16 frames frames exist [Roundhay Garden Scene]
Director: Louis Aimé Augustin le Prince Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: Louis Aimé Augustin le Prince Editor: Louis Aimé Augustin le Prince Distributor: Writer: Date (production/release): 14 October 1888 Camera/Projector: LPCCP Type-1 MkII fps: 12 Runtime: 2.11 seconds Country: United Kingdom Main Actors: Actors: Harriet Hartley, Hartley, Adolphe le Prince, Joseph Whitley, Whitley, Sara Whitley Notes: Shot at Oakwood Oakwood Grange, the home of Joseph Joseph and Sarah Whitley, Whitley, in Roundhay, Roundhay, Leeds, Yorkshire West Riding, United Kingdom. [Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge]
Director: Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): late October 1888 Camera/Projector: LPCCP Type-1 MkII fps: ~20 Runtime: 2.76 seconds Country: United Kingdom Genre: Actuality Notes: Film of traffic on on Leeds Bridge, Bridge, Leeds, Yorkshire West West Riding, United Kingdom. Kingdom. Shot from Hicks the Ironmongers. Incomplete print exists. Le Prince's second Motion Picture. 1889 [Leisurely Pedestrians, Open Topped Buses and Hansom Cabs with Trotting Horses]
Director: William Friese-Greene Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Writer: Date (production/release): January 1889 Camera/Projector: "chronophotographic" camera
fps: Runtime: [20 feet] Country: United Kingdom Notes: Shot at Apsley Gate, Hyde Hyde Park, London, London, United Kingdom. Shot Shot on celuloid film. No copies survive. 1890 [Monkeyshines no.1]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and Willian Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William K.L. Dickson and Willian Heise Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Writer: Copyright: none Date (production/release): 21-27 November 1890 (possibly June 1889) Camera/Projector: Experimental Experimental motion picture process shot on photosensitive paper paper sheet wrapped wrapped around a rotating rotating cylinder. cylinder. fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: John Ott or G. Sacco Albanese Genre: View Notes: Experimental Experimental motion picture process process shot on photosensitive photosensitive paper paper sheet wrapped around a rotating cylinder. Shot outside Building No. 4 of the Edison Laboratory. Laboratory. Prints exist in the Edison Historic Site film collection, and in the Library of Congress film archive. Musser control number 1. [Monkeyshines No.2]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and Willian Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William K.L. Dickson and Willian Heise Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Writer: Copright: none Date (production/release): shot 21-27 November 1890 (possibly June 1889) Camera/Projector: Experimental Experimental motion picture process shot on photosensitive paper paper sheet wrapped wrapped around a rotating rotating cylinder. cylinder. fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: John Ott or G. Sacco Albanese Genre: View Notes: Shot outside outside building 4 at the Edison Edison Laboratory in West West Orange, New New Jersey. Jersey. Print
exists in the Edison Historic Site film collection. Musser control number 2. [Monkeyshines No. 3]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and Willian Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): shot 21-27 November 1890 (possibly June 1889) Camera/Projector: Experimental motion picture process shot on photosensitive paper sheet wrapped around a rotating cylinder. fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: John Ott or G. Sacco Albanese Genre: View Notes: Shot outside outside building 4 at the Edison Edison Laboratory in West West Orange, New New Jersey. Jersey. Print exists in the Edison Historic Site film collection. [London's Traflgar Square]
Director: Wordsworth Wordsworth Donisthorpe and William Carr Crofts Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Writer: Date (production/release): 1890 Camera/Projector: "kinesigraph" camera on celuloid film fps: 10 Runtime: Country: United Kingdom Main Actors: Notes: Only 10 frames frames survive 1891 [Men Boxing]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Editor: Studio: Edison Manufacturing Company Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company
Distributor: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): ca. May – June 1891 Camera/Projector: experimental experimental horizontal feed camera with a round aperture and ¾ inch wide film with a single edge row of sproket perforations. fps: Runtime: 5 seconds (12 feet) Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Sports, Boxing Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive. [Dickson Greeting]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Heise Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison's Black Maria Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 20 May 1991 Camera/Projector: experimental experimental horizontal feed camera with a round aperture and ¾ inch wide film with a single edge row of sproket perforations. Fps: 30 Runtime: 3 seconds (part 1), 15 seconds (part 2) Country: Main Actors: William K.L. Dickson Genre: View Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. Played for viewers at National Federation of Women's Women's Clubs. One of the first public presentaions of a motion picture. Print exists exists in the Library of Congress Congress film archive. [Newark Athlete] (aka Club Swinger no. 1, or Indian Club Swinger)
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison's Black Maria Writer: Copyright: none Date (production/release): May or June 1891
Camera/Projector: experimental experimental horizontal feed camera with a round aperture and ¾ inch wide film with a single edge row of sproket perforations. Fps: Runtime: 12 seconds (in two fragments) Country: United States Main Actors: unknown Genre: Perfomance, Athletics Notes: Shot in the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building. Building. Entered in the National National Film Registry in 2010. Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive. [Duncan and Another, Shop]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison's Black Maria Writer: Date (production/release): 1891 Camera/Projector: fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: James Duncan Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. [Duncan or Devonald with Muslin Cloud]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Studio: Edison's Black Maria Writer: Date (production/release): 1891 Camera/Projector: fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: James Duncan, Fred C. Devonald Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. [Experimental Edison Film with James Duncan] (aka [Duncan Smoking])
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company
Studio: Edison's Black Maria Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1891 Camera/Projector: Experimantal Experimantal horizontal feed camera with a round aperture and ¾ inch wide film with a single edge row of sprocket perforations. fps: Runtime: Country: Main Actors: James Duncan Genre: View Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. Print exists. [Monkey and Another, Boxing]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Studio: Edison's Black Maria Writer: Date (production/release): 1891 Camera/Projector: fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. 1892 A Hand Shake
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1892 Camera/Projector: early version of Edison's Kinetoscope verticle-feed (approximatley 35mm) spherical motion picture format fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Genre: View
Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. Survival status unknown. [Man on Parallel Bars]
Director: William K.L. Dickson Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Studio: Writer: Date (production/release): 1892 Camera/Projector: fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. An experimental film, never released to the public. Pauvre Pierrot (Poor Pete)
Director: Charles-Émile Reynaud Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Studio: Writer: Date (production/release): released 28 October 1892 Camera/Projector: fps: Runtime: ~15 minutes Country: France Main Actors: Notes: Shown at the Théâtre Optique, Optique, part of the Pantomimes Pantomimes Lumineuses, Lumineuses, one of the first animated films. Un bon Bock (A Good Beer)
Director: Charles-Émile Reynaud Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Studio: Writer: Date (production/release): released 28 October 1892 Camera/Projector: fps: Runtime: ~15 minutes Country: France
Main Actors: Notes: Shown at the Théâtre Optique, Optique, part of the Pantomimes Pantomimes Lumineuses, Lumineuses, one of the first animated films. No print exists [Men Wrestling]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: possibly William K.L. Dickson or William Heise Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1892 Camera/Projector: shot on an early Edison Kinetoscope verticle-feed (approximatley 35mm) spherical motion picture format fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Sports, Wrestling Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. Survival status unknown Boxing
Director: William K.L. Dickson and William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1892 Camera/Projector: early version of Edison's Kinetograph vertical-feed spherical format fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Documentary, Sports, Boxing Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. Survival status unknown. Le Clown et ses chiens (A Clown and his Dogs)
Director: Charles-Émile Reynaud Producer: Cinematographer:
Editor: Distributor: Studio: Writer: Date (production/release): released 28 October 1892 Camera/Projector: fps: Runtime: ~15 minutes Country: France Main Actors: Notes: Shown at the Théâtre Optique, Optique, part of the Pantomimes Pantomimes Lumineuses, Lumineuses, one of the first animated films. [Men Fencing]
Director: William K.L. Dickson and Willaim Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1892 Camera/Projector: eraly version of Edison's Kinetoscope vertical-feed (approximatley 35mm) spherical motion picture format fps: Runtime: ~1 minute Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Perfomance Notes: Shot at the Edison Laboratory Laboratory Photographic Building Building in West West Orange, New Jersey. Jersey. An experimental film, never released to the public. Selected frames were published in the journal The Phonogram in 1892. Survival status unknown. 1893 Blacksmith Scene
Director: William K.L. Dickson Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Heise Editor: Distributor: Raff & Gammon Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison Black Maria Writer: Date (production/release): shot April 1893 / released 9 May 1893
Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: 48 Runtime: 34 seconds (50 feet) Country: United States Main Actors: Charles Kayser, John Ott and unknown Edison employee Notes: First shown shown at the Brooklyn Institute Institute on a Kinetoscope. Kinetoscope. Filmed entirely within the Black Maria Studio. Print exists in the Museum of Modern Art film archive. A surviving print was foound at the Henry Ford Museum. [Friese-Greene Stereoscopic Cinematography Experiment]
Director: William Friese-Greene Producer: William Friese-Greene Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Friese-Greene Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1893 Camera/Projector: spherical (approximatly) 100mm stereoscopic format, Friese-Greene experimantal stereoscopic process. fps: Runtime: Country: United Kingdom Main Actors: Genre: possibly Actuality Notes: Incomplete print exists 1894 Horse-shoeing
Director: Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Raff & Gammon Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: 48 Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Actuality Notes: Survival status status unknown
The Bar Room
Director: Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: Runtime: Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Notes: Used as part of the presentaion presentaion of Edison's Vitascope Vitascope motion picture picture projection system. Survival status unknown. [Amateur Gymnast, no. 1] ([Unsuccessful Somersault])
Director: William K.L. Dickson Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Heise Editor: Distributor: possibly Edison Manufacturing Company Production Compnay: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison Black Maria Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): shot before mid-March 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetograph camera / Kinetoscope machine fps: Runtime: (50 feet) Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Performance, Sports, Gymnastics Notes: Survival status status unknown. Musser Musser control number number 22. [Ameture Gymnast, no. 2] (aka [Successful Somersault])
Director: William K.L. Dickson Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Heise Editor: Distributor: possibly Edison Manufacturing Company Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison Black Maria Writer:
Copyright: Date (production/release): shot before mid-March 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: Runtime: (50 feet) Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Performance, Sports, Gymnastics Notes: Survival status status unknown. Musser Musser control number number 23 Annie Oakley
Director: William K.L. Dickson Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Heise Editor: Distributor: Raff & Gammon Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison Black Maria Writer: Copyright: none Date (production/release): shot 1 Novenber 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: 48 Runtime: (39 feet) Country: United States Main Actors: Annie Oakley, unknown assistant Genre: Perfomance Notes: Prints exist exist in the Library of Congress Congress film archive, in the Academy of Motion Motion Picture Arts and Sciences film archive, and in the Archives du film di Centre national de la cinématographie film archive. Shot ion the Edison Black Maria studio. Musser control number 86. Annabelle Butterfly Dance
Director: possibly William K.L. Dickson or William Heise Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: probably William Heise Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison Black Maria Writer: Copyright: none Date (production/release): shot 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: 48 Runtime:
Country: Main Actors: Annabelle Whitford Genre: Perfomance, Dance Notes: Shot in the Edison Black Maria Maria studio. Print exists Annabell Serpentine Dance (aka Annabelle Serpentine Dance, no. 1)
Director: William K.L. Dickson Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Heise Editor: Distributor: probably Edison Manufacturing Company Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): shot on or before 10 August 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: Runtime: (50 feet) Country: United States Main Actors: Annabelle Whitford Genre: Perfomance, Dance Notes: Shot in the Edison Black Maria Maria studio. Print exists in the Library of Congress Congress film archive. Musser control number 49. [Athlete with Wand]
Director: William K.L. Dickson Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Heise Editor: Distributor: Production Compnay: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Edison Black Maria Writer: Copyright: none Date (production/release): (production/release): shot ca. February 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: Runtime: (37 feet) Country: United States Main Actors: Genre: Perfomance, Athletics Notes: Shot in the Edison Black Maria Maria Studio. Print exists in the Library of Congress Congress film archive.
Autour d'une cabine (Around the Bathing Hut)
Director: Charles-Émile Reynaud Producer: Cinematographer: Editor: Distributor: Production Company: Studio: Writer: Copyright: Date (production/release): 1894 Camera/Projector: Praxinoscope spherical format fps: Runtime: Country: France Main Actors: Genre: possibly comedy Notes: Print exists Band Drill
Director: William K.L. Dickson Producer: Cinematographer: Cinematographer: William Heise Editor: Distributor: Raff & Gammon Production Company: Edison Manufacturing Company Studio: Writer: Copyright: none Date (production/release): shot Late November 1894 Camera/Projector: Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format fps: 48 Runtime: (36 feet) Country: United States Main Actors: Frank Baldwin [as Steele Ayers, band leader], Fred W. Boardman, William Cushing, Ad. Dorsch, E.P. E.P. Brown, J.F. J.F. Boardman, George Goddard, E.F. Balch, Paul Pfarr Genre: Perfomance Notes: From the musical musical play “A Milk White Flag” Flag” by Charles Hoyt. Hoyt. Prints exist in the International Museum of Photography and Film at George Eastman House, and in the Museum of Modern Art film archive.
