The year 1908 in film involved some significant events.
Events
*July 3 - Malhabour Theater, the first film house in
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on the island of Panay. It is the capital city of ...
was opened to the public.
*July 14 –
D. W. Griffith
David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...
becomes a director at the
American Mutoscope and Biograph Company in New York City. Between 1908 and
1913, Griffith will direct nearly 500 films starting with the release of
The Adventures of Dollie.
*October 28 – The Russian Film Industry begins with the release of Russia's first fictional narrative film ''
Stenka Razin''.
*November 18 – Release in France of ''
The Assassination of the Duke of Guise
''The Assassination of the Duke of Guise'' (1908) (original French title: ''La Mort du duc de Guise''; often referred to as ''L'Assassinat du duc de Guise'') is a French historical film directed by Charles le Bargy and André Calmettes, adapted ...
'' (''La Mort du duc de Guise''), the first film with a
screenplay
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, ...
by an eminent man of letters, the playwright
Henri Lavedan; it is also directed by two men of the theatre,
Charles Le Bargy and
André Calmettes, features actors of the
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real ...
, and is accompanied by a score from
Saint-Saëns.
*December -
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These invent ...
forms the
Motion Picture Patents Company, with goals of controlling production and distribution, raising theater admission prices, cooperating with censorship bodies, and preventing film stock from getting into the hands of nonmember producers.
*Pathé invents the
newsreel
A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a cinema, newsreels were a source of current affairs, inform ...
that was shown in cinemas prior to a feature film.
Films released in 1908
*''
The Adventures of Dollie'', directed by
D. W. Griffith
David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...
*''
After Many Years''
*''
Antony and Cleopatra
''Antony and Cleopatra'' ( First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in arou ...
'', directed by
J. Stuart Blackton and
Charles Kent
*''
L'Arlésienne'', directed by
Albert Capellani
*''
The Assassination of the Duke of Guise
''The Assassination of the Duke of Guise'' (1908) (original French title: ''La Mort du duc de Guise''; often referred to as ''L'Assassinat du duc de Guise'') is a French historical film directed by Charles le Bargy and André Calmettes, adapted ...
''
* ''Beauty and the Beast'' (''La Belle et la Bette'') (French/ Pathe)
* ''Beauty of the Sleeping Woods'', directed by Segundo de Chomon (French/ Pathe), based on the story of ''Sleeping Beauty'' by
Charles Perrault
*''
Betrayed by a Handprint
''Betrayed by a Handprint'' is a 1908 American silent short crime film directed by D. W. Griffith. A print of the film exists.
Cast
* Florence Lawrence as Myrtle Vane
* Harry Solter as Mr. Wharton
* Linda Arvidson as The Maid / Party Guest
* ...
'', directed by D. W. Griffith
* ''The Bloodstone'', produced by Siegmund Lubin
* ''The Castle Ghosts'' (Italian film)
* ''The Cat's Revenge'' (French)
* ''Cave of the Spooks'', directed by Segundo de Chomon (French)
* ''A Christmas Carol'' (Essanay Film Co.)
* ''Cupid's Prank'', directed by
Edwin S. Porter
* ''The Devil'', directed by D. W. Griffith for Thomas Edison Co., starring Harry Solter, Claire McDowell and Mack Sennett
* ''The Devil and the Gambler'' (Vitagraph)
*''
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', produced by William N. Selig, reissued as ''A Modern Dr. Jekyll''; first film adaptation of the 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson novel
* ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', directed by Sidney Olcott for Kalem Films, starring Frank Oakes Rose, this was the 2nd ever film adaptation of the eponymous 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson novel
* ''The Doctor's Experiment'' (French)
*''The Dog And His Various Merits'', produced by
Pathé
* ''Don Juan Tenorio'', directed by Ricardo de Banos and Alberto Marro (made in Spain)
* ''Dream of an Opium Fiend'', directed by George Melies
*''Dreams of Toyland'', directed by
Arthur Melbourne-Cooper
*''A L'Ecu d'Or ou la bonne auberge'', a French film regarded as one of the
first pornographic films
*''Excursion To The Moon'', directed by
Segundo de Chomón
*''
The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays''
* ''The Fairy's Sword'', directed by Lewin Fitzhamon (British)
* ''A Faithless Friend'', directed by Lewin Fitzhamon (British)
*''
Fantasmagorie'', directed by
Émile Cohl (first fully animated film)
* ''Fantoche's Nightmare'' (aka The Puppet's Nightmare''), directed by Emile Cohl (French/ Gaumont)
*''Fire In A Burlesque Theatre''
* ''The Flower of Youth'' (French/ Pathe)
*''From Show Girl To Burlesque Queen''
* ''Fun with the Bridal Party'', directed by George Melies
* ''The Gambler and the Devil'', directed by J. Stuart Blackton for Vitagraph
* ''The Hanging Lamp'' (French/ Pathe) starring Max Linder
* ''The Haunted Castle'' (French/ Pathe)
*''The Haunted House'', directed by
Segundo de Chomón (French), aka ''The House of Ghosts''
* ''Incident from Don Quixote'', directed by George Melies (French)
* ''In the Bogie Man's Cave'', directed by George Melies (French)
*''In the Sultan's Power''
* ''Legend of a Ghost (La légende du fantôme)'', directed by
Segundo de Chomón – (
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
)
* ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'', produced by Kalem Co., first ever film adaptation of the 1820 short story by
Washington Irving
Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories " Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Lege ...
*''Long Distance Wireless Photography'', directed by
Georges Melies
* ''Lord Feathertop'', directed by Edwin S. Porter, adapted from the story by
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion.
He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...
*''
Macbeth
''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'', directed by
J. Stuart Blackton
*''
Magic Bricks
Magicbricks, a division of Times Internet Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (The Times Group) is a website that provides a common platform for property buyers & sellers to locate properties of interest in India, ...
'', directed by
Segundo de Chomón
* ''The Magic Mirror'', directed by Ferdinand Zecca (French/ Pathe)
* ''The Man and His Bottle'', directed by Lewin Fitzhamon (British)
* ''The Monkey Man''
*''Moscow Clad In Snow'', produced by
Pathé
* ''The New Lord of the Village'', directed by George Melies
* ''The Nursemaid's Dream'', directed by
Lewin Fitzhamon, starring Gertie Potter (British)
* ''Oriental Black Art'', directed by George Melies (French)
*''Over The Hill To The Poorhouse''
* ''Pharmaceutical Hallucinations'', directed by George Melies
*''The Physician Of The Castle''
* ''A Poor Knight and the Duke's Daughter'' (French)
* ''Prehistoric Man'', produced by Urban-Eclipse Prods.
* ''
La presa di Roma'', directed by
Filoteo Alberini; possibly the first Italian short film
* ''The Princess in the Vase'', directed by Wallace McCutcheon, starring D.W. Griffith
* ''The Professor's Secret'' (French/ Gaumont)
* ''The Red Barn Crime, or Maria Marten'', directed by William Haggar, starring Walter and Violet Haggar (British)
*''
The Reprieve: An Episode in the Life of Abraham Lincoln''
*''
Rescued from an Eagle's Nest
''Rescued from an Eagle's Nest'' is a 1908 American silent action-drama film produced by Edwin S. Porter for Edison Studios and directed by J. Searle Dawley. It features the first leading screen role of the legendary American filmmaker D. W. ...
'', directed by
J. Searle Dawley, starring
D. W. Griffith
David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...
* ''
La Revolution en Russie'', directed by
Ferdinand Zecca
*''
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...
'', directed by
J. Stuart Blackton
* ''The Runaway Horse (Le Cheval emballé)'', directed by
Louis J. Gasnier – (
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
)
* ''The Saloon Keeper's Nightmare'' (French/ Gaumont)
* ''Satan Finds Mischief'' (French/ Pathe)
* ''She'', directed by Edwin S. Porter for Thomas Edison Co., based on the H. Rider Haggard novel; starring Florence Auer and William V. Ranous
* ''Sherlock Holmes in the Great Murder Mystery'', produced by Crescent Films (made in Denmark); incorporates scenes from ''Murders in the Rue Morgue'' by Poe
* ''The Snowman'', directed by Wallace McCutcheon, starring Edward Dillon and Florence Auer
* ''The Spectre'' (aka ''The Specter'')(French/ Pathe)
* ''The Spirit'' (French/ Gaumont)
* ''Spiritualistic Seance'' (French/ Pathe)
* ''Spooks Do The Moving'' (French/ Pathe)
*''
Stenka Razin'' (Russian) historical drama
*''
The Taming of the Shrew
''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...
'', directed by
D. W. Griffith
David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...
*''The Tempest'', directed by
Percy Stow
*''
The Thieving Hand'', directed by
J. Stuart Blackton for Vitagraph, starring Paul Panzer
*''Tilly Bébé, die berühmte Löwenbändigerin'' (
Tilly Bébé
Mathilde Rupp (27 March 187911 April 1932), known by the stage name Tilly Bébé, was an Austrian circus performer. She was noted for her performances with large predators and is considered a pioneer in the performance aspects of lion taming. In ...
, the Famous Lion Tamer)
* ''Too Much Champagne'' (U.S./ Vitagraph); features scenes from Dante's ''Inferno''
* ''Toula's Dream'' (French/ Pathe)
* ''Trilby'' (Danish) directed by Viggo Larsen and A.R. Nielsen, starring Oda Alstrup and Viggo Larsen
*''Trouble Of A Grass Widower'', starring
Max Linder
*''Troubles Of A Manager Of A Burlesque Show''
* ''The Tyrant Feudal Lord'' (French/ Gaumont) loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's ''Masque of the Red Death''
*''Un dame vraiment bien'' (Feuillade)
*''
A Visit To The Seaside'', directed by
George Albert Smith
George Albert Smith Sr. (April 4, 1870 – April 4, 1951) was an American religious leader who served as the eighth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Early life
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territo ...
. First natural color movie in cinema.
* ''The Wages of Sin: an Italian Tragedy'' (Vitagraph) an American film
* ''Wave of Spooks'' (French/ Pathe)
* ''Wedding Feast and Ghosts'' (made in Italy)
*''Whaling Afloat And Ashore'', directed by
Robert W. Paul
* ''The Witch of Seville'' (made in Italy)
* ''The Witch's Donkey'' (French/ Pathe)
* ''The Wonderful Charm'', directed by George Melies (French)
[Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. . Page 27.]
Births
Deaths
* May 23 –
Peter F. Dailey
Peter Francis Dailey (January 5, 1868 – May 23, 1908) was an American burlesque comedian and singer who became popular during the era remembered as the Gay Nineties.
Early life
He was born in Manhattan, New York City, on January 5, 1868. He ...
, actor, singer (born 1868)
Film debuts
*
Hobart Bosworth
Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth (August 11, 1867 – December 30, 1943) was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer.
Early life
Bosworth was born on August 11, 1867, in Marietta, Ohio. His father was a sea captain in the Civil Wa ...
– The Count of Monte Cristo (short)
*
Sidney Drew – Cupid's Realm or A Game of Hearts (short)
*
Julia Swayne Gordon
Julia Swayne Gordon (born Sarah Victoria Smith; October 29, 1878 – May 28, 1933) was an American actress who appeared in at least 228 films between 1908 and 1933.
Early years
Gordon was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Louis and Anna Smith and wa ...
– Othello (short)
*
D.W. Griffith
David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the n ...
– actor/writer When Knighthood was in Flower (short); producer
Deceived Slumming Party (short); director
The Adventures of Dollie (short)
*
Marion Leonard – At the Crossroads of Life (short)
*
Owen Moore – The Guerilla (short)
*
Miriam Nesbitt – Saved by Love
*
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'.
Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in th ...
– Old Isaacs, the Pawnbroker (short)
*
Earle Williams – Barbara Fritchie: The Story of a Patriotic Woman (short)
*
Kathlyn Williams – On Thanksgiving Day (short)
External links
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1908 In Film
Film by year