The following is an overview of the events of 1896 in film, including a list of films released and notable births.

Events

Vitascope Hall Daily Picayune NOLA 31 July 1896

* January – In the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the

Vitascope Vitascope was an early film projector first demonstrated in 1895 by Charles Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat. They had made modifications to Jenkins' patented Phantoscope, which cast images via film and electric light onto a wall or screen. T ...

film projector A movie projector (or film projector) is an opto-mechanical device for displaying motion picture film by projecting it onto a screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in ...

is designed by

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 ...

and

Thomas Armat Thomas J. Armat (October 25, 1866 – September 30, 1948) was an American mechanic and inventor, a pioneer of cinema best known through the co-invention of the Edison Vita Armat studied at the Mechanics Institute in Richmond, Virginia and then ...

. Armat begins working with

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, ...

to manufacture it. * January 14 –

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 ...

demonstrates his film projector, the ''Kineopticon'', the first in Britain, to the

Royal Photographic Society The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, commonly known as the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), is the world's oldest photographic society having been in continuous existence since 1853. It was founded in London, England, in 1853 as th ...

at the

Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. Fro ...

in London. This is the first film show to an audience in the U.K. * February 20 – In London: **

Robert W. Paul Robert William Paul (3 October 1869 – 28 March 1943) was an English pioneer of film and scientific instrument maker. He made narrative films as early as April 1895, which were shown first in Edison Kinetoscope knockoffs. In 1896 he showe ...

demonstrates his film projector, the ''Theatrograph'' (later known as the ''Animatograph''), at the

Alhambra Theatre The Alhambra Theatre was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was built as the Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts, opening on 18 March 1854. It was closed after two yea ...

. ** The

Lumière Brothers Lumière is French for 'light'. Lumiere, Lumière or Lumieres may refer to: Buildings * Lumière, a building used by the Bibliothèque publique d'information in Paris, France * Lumiere (skyscraper), a cancelled skyscraper development in Leeds, ...

first project their films in Britain, at the Empire Theatre of Varieties, Leicester Square. * April – Edison and Armat's

is used to project motion pictures in public screenings in New York City. * May 14 – Tsar

Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...

is crowned in Moscow, the first

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

ever recorded in film. * July 11 – First films screened in

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

Luis Manuel Méndez Luis Manuel Méndez was a Venezuelan businessman and film presenter from the state of Zulia. Electric business Méndez worked as a representative for the American Telephone Company across the west of Venezuela, operating in Maracaibo, San Antonio ...

and

Manuel Trujillo Durán Manuel Trujillo Durán (8 January 1871 – 14 March 1933) was a Venezuelan photographer who pioneered film in Venezuela. Trujillo was most successful as a photographer, though he dabbled in other industries and is best remembered for his conne ...

at the

Baralt Theatre The Baralt Theatre () is a theatre in downtown Maracaibo, Venezuela, at the northwestern corner of the historic Plaza Bolívar. The first theatre at the site was built in the mid 19th century as a small performance hall, with subsequent theatre ...

Maracaibo Maracaibo ( , ; ) is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the largest city in Venezuela and is List of cities in Venezuela by population ...

. * July 26 – "Vitascope Hall" opens on

Canal Street, New Orleans Canal Street () is a major thoroughfare in the city of New Orleans. Forming the upriver boundary of the city's oldest neighborhood, the French Quarter or ''Vieux Carré'', it served historically as the dividing line between the colonial-era (18 ...

, the first business devoted exclusively to showing motion pictures at a fixed locatio

* September 28 – The

Pathé Frères Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

film company is founded. * October 19 – "

Edisonia Hall Edisonia Hall was a generic name for exhibition halls that displayed the various inventions of Thomas Alva Edison's company. These included the phonograph, the Vitascope, the Kinetoscope and other such devices. The Edisonia Hall opened by Mitchell ...

" in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, the first building constructed specifically for showing motion pictures

* November 3 –

Marius Sestier Marius Ely Joseph Sestier (8 September 1861 – 8 November 1928) was a French cinematographer. Sestier was best known for his work in Australia, where he shot some of the country's first films. Born in Sauzet, Drôme, Sestier was a pharmacist b ...

films the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...

, a major sporting event in Australia. * In France, magician and filmmaker

Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès ( , ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French magic (illusion), magician, toymaker, actor, and filmmaker. He led many technical and narrative developments in the early days of film, cinema, primarily in th ...

begins experimenting with the new motion picture technology, developing early special effect techniques, including

stop motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...

. Films that year included ''The Devil's Castle'', ''A Nightmare'', ''A Terrible Night''. *

William Selig William Nicholas Selig (March 14, 1864 – July 15, 1948) was a vaudeville performer and pioneer of the American motion picture industry. His stage billing as ''Colonel'' Selig would be used for the rest of his career, even as he moved into ...

founds the

Selig Polyscope Company The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago, Illinois. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. * Demeny-Gaumont work on a 60 mm format, first known as ''Biographe'' (unperforated), then ''Chronophotographe'' (perforated). * Casimir Sivan and E. Dalphin create a 38 mm format.

Notable films released in 1896

Alexandre Promio

*''

Lion, London Zoological Gardens ''Lion, London Zoological Gardens'' () is a 1896 in film, 1896 France, French Short subject, short black-and-white silent film, silent actuality film, produced by Auguste and Louis Lumière and directed by Alexandre Promio, featuring a male lion r ...

'' *''

Pelicans, London Zoological Gardens ''Pelicans, London Zoological Gardens'' () is a 1896 French short black-and-white silent actuality film, produced by Auguste and Louis Lumière and directed by Alexandre Promio, featuring pelicans following their keeper around their enclosure at ...

Alice Guy-Blaché

*'' The Cabbage Fairy'' *''Le chapeau de Tabarin'' *''Le clubmen'' *''Les concierges'' *''Les démolisseurs'' *''Chez le barbier''

Birt Acres

*'' The Boxing Kangaroo'' *'' Boxing Match; or, Glove Contest'' *'' Dancing Girls'' *'' Landing at Low Tide'' *''

Rough Sea at Dover ''Rough Sea at Dover'' (also known as ''Gale at Dover and Sea Waves at Dover'') is an 1895 British short black-and-white silent film, shot by Birt Acres. Acres shot the film in mid-1895, with a camera designed with and built by Robert W. Paul ...

'' directed with

*'' Yarmouth Fishing Boats Leaving Harbour'' Melies Arrival of a Train at Vincennes Station

Gabriel Veyre

*'' Carga de rurales'', a

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

short

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

silent

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

. *''Un duelo a pistola en el bosque de Chapultepec'' (''Duel au pistolet'').

Georges Méliès

*'' Arrival of a Train at Vincennes Station'', currently presumed to be a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

*'' A Lightning Sketch'', a series of four French short silent films (lost) *'' A Nightmare'', it was advertised as a ''scène fantastique''. *'' A Serpentine Dance'', it was released by Méliès's company Star Film and is numbered 44 in its catalogues (lost) *'' A Terrible Night'', it is listed with the descriptive subtitle ''scène comique''. *'' Conjurer Making Ten Hats in Sixty Seconds'' (lost) *'' Conjuring'', the film was rediscovered in 2014 *''

Miss de Vère (English Jig) ''Miss de Vère (English Jig)'' () was an 1896 French silent film directed by Georges Méliès. It was released by Méliès's Star Film Company and is numbered 45 in its catalogues. The performer, the "Miss de Vère" of the title, is the dancer a ...

'' *'' The Haunted Castle'' (aka ''The House of the Devil'', aka ''The Devil's Castle'')Malthête, Jacques; Mannoni, Laurent (2008), L'oeuvre de Georges Méliès, Paris: Éditions de La Martinière, p. 337, *'' The Rag-Picker'' *'' The Rescue on the River'' *''

The Vanishing Lady ''The Vanishing Lady'' (, literally "Magical Disappearance of a Lady at the Théâtre Robert-Houdin") is an 1896 French silent trick film directed by Georges Méliès. It features Méliès and Jehanne d'Alcy performing a trick in the manner of ...

'' *''

Playing Cards A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a Pap ...

'' *'' Post No Bills'' *'' Watering the Flowers'', most likely a

Louis Lumière

*''Arab Cortege, Geneva'' *'' Arrival Of A Train At La Ciotat'' *'' Bataille de boules de neige'' *'' Carmaux, Drawing Out The Coke'' *''Childish Quarrel'' *''Children Digging For Clams'' *'' Démolition d'un mur'' *''Dragoons Crossing The Saone'' *''Loading A Boiler'' *''New York: Broadway At Union Square'' *''New York: Brooklyn Bridge'' *''Poultry-Yard'' *''Pompiers a Lyon'' *''Promenade Of Ostriches, Paris Botanical Gardens'' *''

Serpentine Dance The serpentine dance is a form of dance that was popular throughout the United States and Europe in the 1890s, becoming a staple of stage shows and early film. Background The Serpentine is an evolution of the skirt dance, a form of burlesque danc ...

M.H. Laddé

* '' Gestoorde hengelaar'' (lost) * '' Spelende kinderen'' (lost) * '' Zwemplaats voor Jongelingen te Amsterdam'' (lost)

Robert W. Paul

*''

Barnet Horse Fair Barnet Fair is an annual horse and pleasure fair held near Mays Lane, Barnet, England, on the first Monday in September. The Fair takes place over three days starting on 4 September. It still operates under its royal Charter which is issued ...

'' *''

Blackfriars Bridge Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is in the City of London near the Inns of Court and Temple C ...

'' *'' Comic Costume Race'' *''

'' directed with

*'' The Twins' Tea Party'' *'' Two A.M.; or, the Husband's Return'' produced by Robert W. Paul

William Heise

*''Feeding The Doves'' *'' The Kiss'', starring

May Irwin May Irwin (born Georgina May Campbell; June 27, 1862 – October 22, 1938) was an actress, singer and star of vaudeville. Originally from Canada, she and her sister Flo Irwin found theater work after their father died. She was known for her pe ...

and John Rice. First kiss on film. May be considered the first romantic film.

William K.L. Dickson

*'' Dancing Darkies'', an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

, short,

, silent

. * ''A watermelon feast'', directed by William Kennedy Dickson.

Others

*''

Le Coucher de la Mariée (''Bedtime for the Bride'' or ''The Bridegroom's Dilemma'') is a French erotic short film considered to be one of the first erotic films ever made. The film was first screened in Paris in November 1896, within a year of the first public screeni ...

'', a French erotic

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

considered to be one of the first

erotic films Sexual content has been found in films since the early days of the industry, and the presentation of aspects of sexuality in film, especially human sexuality, has been controversial since the development of the medium. Films which display or sugges ...

(or "

stag party A bachelor party (in the United States), also known as a stag weekend, stag do or stag party (in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland), or a buck's night (in Australia and Canada), is a party held for or arranged by a man wh ...

films") made. The film was produced by

Eugène Pirou Louis Eugène Pirou (26 September 1841 – 30 September 1909) was a French photographer and filmmaker, known primarily for his portraits of celebrities and scenes from the Paris Commune. He was awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle ...

and

directed Direct may refer to: Mathematics * Directed set, in order theory * Direct limit of (pre), sheaves * Direct sum of modules, a construction in abstract algebra which combines several vector spaces Computing * Direct access (disambiguation), a ...

Albert Kirchner Albert Kirchner (1860–1902), better known under the pseudonym Léar, was a French photographer, manufacturer, exhibitor,Richard Abel''Encyclopedia of early cinema'' Taylor & Francis, 2005, , p.518 and filmmaker who is noted for producing severa ...

under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

"Léar". *'' Macintyre's X-Ray Film'', a

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

radiography Radiography is an imaging technology, imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation to view the internal form of an object. Applications of radiography include medical ("diagnostic" radiog ...

film directed by Scottish medical doctor

John Macintyre John Macintyre or Mcintyre FRSE (2 October 1857 – 29 October 1928) was a Scottish medical doctor who set up the world's first radiology department at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, in Glasgow.McKinley at Home, Canton, Ohio'', is a silent film reenactment of

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

receiving the Republican nomination for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

in September 1896 produced by the

American Mutoscope and Biograph Company The Biograph Company, also known as the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1916. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition ...

. *''A Morning Alarm'', produced by

Edison Studios Edison Studios was an American film production organization, owned by companies controlled by inventor and entrepreneur, Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films, as part of the Edison Manufacturing Company (1894–1911) and then Tho ...

. *'' A Sea Cave Near Lisbon'', a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

short silent

actuality film Actuality film is a non-fiction film genre that uses footage of real events, places, and things (essentially B-roll), a predecessor to documentary film. Unlike documentaries, actuality films are not structured into a larger narrative or coheren ...

, directed by Henry Short. * ''Up the River'', directed by Unknown.

Births

Debut

Alice Guy Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

as a director in ''Les démolisseurs'' *

as an actress in '' The Kiss'' (April 1) * John C. Rice as an actor in ''The Kiss'' (April 1) *

Cissy Fitzgerald Cissy Fitzgerald (born Mary Kate Kipping; 1 February 1873 – 10 May 1941) was an English-American vaudeville actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in numerous silent film, silent and sound film, sound films. Fitzgerald acted in a popular '' ...

as an actress in 50 feet of actuality film of Fitzgerald by Edison; presumably elements from the 1894 play ''The Gaiety Girl'' *

Robert B. Mantell Robert Bruce Mantell (7 February 1854 – 27 June 1928) was a Scottish-born stage actor who made several silent films. He used the name Robert Hudson early in his career, as his mother objected to her son becoming an actor. Born in Scotland a ...

as an actor in ''Select Scenes from 'Monbars

External links

*
List of 1896 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 1896 deaths
at

List of 1896 births
at

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1896 In Film Film by year