History of Film

  • First use of film

    The first recorded use of film was used to record a trotting horse to determine whether it always had at least one hoof on the ground or not
  • First public display of film

    The first public display of film took place when Thomas Edison's kinetoscope was introduced to the public
  • The world's first film theater is built

    Thomas Edison builds the Black Maria, which is the first kinetoscope parlor, or movie theater
  • First Film Projector Invented

    Auguste and Louis Lumiere designed and built the Cinematographe, or the film projector
  • Nickelodeons

    Nickelodeons became the adopted name for these theaters since they could be viewed for a nickel
  • Formation of the MPPC

    Thomas Edison and other companies try to form a monopoly on the film industry
  • Preventing a Monopoly

    The courts disallow the attempted monopoly led by Edison
  • First U.S. Narrative Film

    Edwin Porter created the first U.S. narrative film called The Great Train Robbery. This was the first film to tell a story.
  • The Move to the West Coast

    The film industry began to move out west for several reasons. one was because the weather was more accommodating. Another was because they were further away from the MPPC
  • Popularity of Film

    Nickelodeon theaters were attracting 26 million viewers each week.
  • Charlie Chaplin

    Charlie Chaplin was the world's first superstar. He started out making just $150 a week and by 1917 he made nearly a million a year
  • Mary Pickford

    Also known as "Shirley Temple" and "America's Sweetheart", Pickford was another one of the first superstars of the 20th century