The following is an overview of the events of 1894 in film, including a list of films released and notable births.

Events

* January 7 **

William Kennedy Dickson William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (3 August 1860 – 28 September 1935) was a British- American inventor who devised an early motion picture camera under the employment of Thomas Edison. Early life William Kennedy Dickson was born on 3 Augu ...

receives a

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

for

motion picture film Film stock is an analog device, analog medium that is used for recording film, motion pictures or animation. It is recorded on by a movie camera, film developing, developed, film editing, edited, and projected onto a screen using a movie proj ...

. ** Dickson and

William Heise William Heise (c. 1847 – February 14, 1910) was a German-born American film cinematographer and director, active in the 1890s and credited for more than 175 short silent films. Heise filmed a "We All Smoke" skit promoting Admiral Cigarettes in ...

film their colleague, Fred Ott sneezing with the

Kinetograph The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, but it introduced the basic approach that woul ...

Edison's Black Maria The Black Maria ( ) was Thomas Edison's film studio, film production studio in West Orange, New Jersey, West Orange, New Jersey. It was the world's first film studio. History In 1893, the world's first film production studio, the Black Mar ...

studio. *April 14 – The first commercial presentation of the

Kinetoscope The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, but it introduced the basic approach that woul ...

took place in the Holland Brothers' Kinetoscope Parlor at 1155 Broadway,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. *June 6 -

Charles Francis Jenkins Charles Francis Jenkins (August 22, 1867 – June 6, 1934) was an American engineer who was a pioneer of early cinema and one of the inventors of television, though he used mechanical rather than electronic technologies. His businesses inc ...

projects a filmed motion picture before an audience in Richmond, Indiana. Earliest documented projection of a motion picture. *

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 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 inventions, ...

experiments with synchronizing audio with film; the Kinetophone is invented which loosely synchronizes a

image with a cylinder

phonograph A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...

. *

viewing parlors begin to open in major cities. Each parlor contains several machines. *

Birt Acres Birt Acres (23 July 1854 – 27 December 1918) was an American and British photographer and film pioneer. Among his contributions to the early film industry are the first working 35 mm camera in Britain (Wales), and ''Birtac'', the firs ...

creates a 70 mm format, which he first uses to shoot the Henley Royal Regatta.

Notable films released in 1894

Birt Acres

*''Crows on Saffron Hill'' (lost) *''Haycart Crossing Hadley Green, Middlesex''

Charles-Émile Reynaud

*''

Autour d'une cabine ''Autour d'une cabine'' ("Around A Cabin"), original full title ' ("Around a Cabin or Misadventures of a Couple at the Seaside"), is an 1894 French short animated film directed by Émile Reynaud. It is an animated film made of 636 individual ima ...

'' *''Rêve au coin du feu''

Étienne-Jules Marey

*'' Falling Cat'' *''Chat en Chute Libre''

William K. L. Dickson

*''Alleni's Boxing Monkeys'' *''Amateur Gymnast, No. 2'' *'' Annabelle Butterfly Dance'', starring

Annabelle Moore Annabelle Moore (born Annabella Whitford, July 6, 1878 – November 29, 1961), also known as Peerless Annabelle, was an American dancer and actress who appeared in numerous early silent films. She was the original Gibson Girl in the 1907 Ziegfeld ...

*''Annabelle Sun Dance'', starring

*''

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American marksman, sharpshooter and folk heroine who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoveris ...

'', starring

*''Armand D'Ary'', starring Armand D'Ary *''Athlete with Wand'' *''Babies in High Chairs'' *''Band Drill'' *''A Bar Room Scene'' *''

The Barbershop ''The Barbershop'' is an 1894 American short narrative silent film directed by William K.L. Dickson and William Heise. It was produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company at the Edison's Black Maria, Black Maria Studio, in West Orange, New Jersey ...

'' *''Bertoldi (Mouth Support)'', starring

Ena Bertoldi Ena Bertoldi (born Beatrice Mary Claxton) (1878 – 1906) was an English contortionist who was the subject of one of the first kinetoscope films. Career She was born Beatrice Mary Claxton to performer and agent Thomas Claxton Gregory, and began per ...

*''Bertoldi (Table Contortion)'', starring Ena Bertoldi *''Boxing'', starring Jack McAuliffe *'' The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's)'' *'' Bucking Broncho'', starring Lee Martin *''

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), better known as Buffalo Bill, was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most famous figures of the American Old West, Cody started his legend at the young age ...

'' (lost), starring William F. Cody *'' Buffalo Dance'', starring ''Hair Coat'', ''Parts His Hair'' and ''Last Horse'' *''Caicedo (with Pole)'', starring Juan A. Caicedo *''Caicedo (with Spurs)'', starring Juan A. Caicedo *'' Carmencita'', starring Carmencita *''The Carnival Dance'', starring Madge Crossland, May Lucas and Lucy Murray *''Chinese Laundry Scene'', directed by William Heise and William K. L. Dickson and starring Phil Doreto and Robetta *'' Chinese Opium Den'' (lost) *''The Cock Fight'' *''Cock Fight, No. 2'' *''

Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph ''Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph'' (also known as ''Edison Kinetoscopic Record of Boxers'' and ''The Corbett-Courtney Fight'') is an 1894 American short black-and-white silent film produced by William K.L. Dickson and starring Jame ...

'', starring

James J. Corbett James John Corbett (September 1, 1866 – February 18, 1933) was an Americans, American professional Boxing, boxer and a World Heavyweight Champion, best known as the only man who ever defeated John L. Sullivan (hence the "man who beat the man" ...

and Peter Courtney *''Cupid's Dance'', starring Florence Ewer, Lenora Ewer and Mildred Ewer *''Dance'', starring Rosa France,

Frank Lawton Frank Lawton Mokeley (30 September 1904 – 10 June 1969) was an English actor. Biography Frank Lawton was born in St Giles, London, on 30 September 1904. His parents were stage players Daisy May Collier and Frank Mokely Lawton. His first ...

and Etta Williamson *''Dance du Ventre'' *''

The Dickson Experimental Sound Film ''The Dickson Experimental Sound Film'' is a film made by William Dickson in late 1894 or early 1895. It is the first known film with live-recorded sound and appears to be the first motion picture made for the Kinetophone, the proto- sound-fil ...

'' *''Dogs Fighting'' *''Edison Employee Picnic'' *''Fancy Club Swinger'', starring John R. Abell *''Finale of 1st Act, Hoyt's 'Milk White Flag *''Fire Rescue Scene'' *''Fred Ott Holding a Bird'', starring Fred Ott *''

Fred Ott's Sneeze ''Fred Ott's Sneeze'' (also known as ''Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze'') is an 1894 Short film, short, black-and-white silent film shot by William Kennedy Dickson, William K.L. Dickson and featuring Fred Ott. According to the Library of ...

'', starring Fred Ott *''French Dancers'' *'' Glenroy Bros., (no. 2)'' *''Hadj Cheriff'', starring Hadji Cheriff *''Highland Dance'' *''The Hornbacker-Murphy Fight'', starring Eugene Hornbacker and Murphy *''Human Pyramid'', starring Saleem Nassar *''Imperial Japanese Dance'', starring the Sarashe Sisters *''Lady Fencers (With Broadswords)'', starring Louise Blanchard and Helen Englehart *''Lady Fencers (With Foils)'' *''Lasso Exhibition'', starring Frank Hammitt and Lee Martin *'' Lasso Thrower'' (lost), starring Vicente Oropeza *'' Leonard–Cushing Fight'', starring Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard *''

Luis Martinetti, Contortionist ''Luis Martinetti, Contortionist'' is an 1894 American short film produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company. The film, which runs 12.5 seconds, consists of a contortionist act performed by Luis Martinetti of the Martinetti Brothers trapeze act. ...

'', starring Luis Martinetti *''Man of a Thousand Faces'', starring George Layman *''May Lucas'', starring May Lucas *''Men on Parallel Bars'' *'' Mexican Knife Duel'' (lost), starring Pedro Esquivel and Dionecio Gonzales *''Miss Lucy Murray'', starring Lucy Murray *''Mlle. Capitaine'', starring Alciede Capitaine *''Organ Grinder, No. 1'' *''Organ Grinder, No. 2'' *''Oriental Dance'', starring Rosa *''The Pickaninny Dance, from the 'Passing Show, starring Joe Rastus, Denny Tolliver and Walter Wilkins *''Rat Killing'' *''Rats and Terrier No. 2'' *''Rats and Terrier No. 3'' *''Rats and Weasel'' *''Ruth Dennis'', starring

Ruth St. Denis Ruth St. Denis (born Ruth Dennis; January 20, 1879 – July 21, 1968) was an American pioneer of modern dance, introducing eastern ideas into the art and paving the way for other women in dance. She was inspired by the Delsarte advocate Gene ...

*''

Sandow Sandow is a German and Jewish (western Ashkenazic) family name. It is a variant of Sandau, which is a habitational name from a place near Stendal called Sandau. The Swedish barers of the name are probably of German origin. It may refer to: ; Sur ...

'', starring

Eugen Sandow Eugen Sandow (born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, ; 2 April 1867 – 14 October 1925) was a German bodybuilder and showman from Prussia. He was born in Königsberg, and became interested in bodybuilding at the age of ten during a visit to Italy. Aft ...

*''Sheik Hadji Tahar'', starring Sheik Hadji Tahar *''

Sioux Ghost Dance The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translation ...

'' *''Summersault Dog'', starring Lucy the Dog and Ivan Tschernoff *''Sword Combat'', starring Najid and Saleem Nassar *''Topack and Steele'', starring

George W. Steele George Washington Steele (December 13, 1839July 12, 1922) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician who twice served as a United States Congressional Delegations from Indiana, Representative for Indiana, from 1881 to 1889 and again from ...

and George Topack *''Toyou Kichi'', starring Toyou Kichi *''Trained Bears'' *''Trapeze'' *''Unsuccessful Somersault'' *''Walton and Slavin'', starring John Slavin and Charles F. Walton *''Whirlwind Gunspinning'', starring Hadj Lessik *''The Widder'', starring Isabelle Coe *''Wonderful Performing Dog'', starring Lucy the Dog and Ivan Tschernoff *''The Wrestling Dog'', starring Henry Welton *''Wrestling Match''

Films directed by other filmmakers

*'' Miss Jerry'', directed by Alexander Black, starring by Blanche Bayliss, William Courtenay and

Chauncey Depew Chauncey Mitchell Depew (April 23, 1834April 5, 1928) was an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician. He is best remembered for his two terms as United States Senator from New York and for his work for Cornelius Vanderbilt, a ...

Births

Debut

* Annabelle Whitford (''Annabelle Sun Dance'') * William Courtenay (''Miss Jerry'')

External links

List of 1894 films
at

IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

List of 1894 deaths
at

List of 1894 births
at

References

{{Reflist Film by year Articles containing video clips