Explore cinematic history with a journey into The First Films Made. Uncover the origins of filmmaking, from Lumière Brothers’ iconic 1895 shorts to the pioneers shaping the reel world. Delve into the birth of cinema and witness the magic of inaugural cinematic masterpieces.
The birth of cinema is an event that revolutionised the world of entertainment, art, and storytelling. The first films made were the pioneers of an industry that has grown to be one of the most lucrative and influential in the world. The creation of the illusion of motion in film created a new form of art that has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world spanning three centuries.
The earliest moving pictures were created in the late 1800s, and they were simple, short movies that depicted everyday life. These movies from the silent era relied on the visual element to tell a story. The first moving pictures were not intended to be anything more than a novelty. But they soon became popular, and filmmakers began to experiment with different techniques to create complex and engaging stories.
In this article, after first summarising the background of early cinema, we talk about 8 of the first movies before ending with the legacy of movies and the importance of preserving history for future generations of movie makers.
Exact origins, dates, and historical facts get muddied over time, so we hope you understand we have done our best to present the contents of this article as accurately as possible.
- Key Takeaways
- The first moving pictures were simple, short films that depicted everyday life.
- The creation of the illusion of motion in film created a new form of art.
- The first movies were not intended to be anything more than a novelty, but they were surprisingly popular.
The First Films Made: The Birth of Cinema
To be precise about the origin of movies made 130 years ago can be difficult. However, most film historians agree that the first motion pictures that could be considered films, emerged in the late 1800s. At this time, several inventors around the world began to develop innovative ways to capture moving images and exhibit them to the public. So, began the movie industry and the first movies were made.
Among early cinema innovators were:
- Thomas Edison,
- Georges Méliès,
- William K.L. Dickson, and
- Auguste and Louis Lumière.
Pioneers of the First Films and the Cinématographe
The Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, are often credited with inventing the first practical motion-picture camera and projector, known as the Cinématographe. On December 28, 1895, the brothers held the first public screening at the Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris, France. The showcase included ten short movies, each lasting around 50 seconds, and was one of the earliest public screenings to charge for admission.
The Lumière brothers went on tour with the movies in 1896, showing them in Brussels, Bombay, London, Montreal, New York City, and Buenos Aires. They featured:
- workers from the Lumière factory,
- a gardener,
- horse trick riders, and
- blacksmiths.
The First Motion Picture Public Screening
The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight
The first public screening was held by the Lumière brothers, but the first feature film ever produced was The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight. It was a documentary film depicting a boxing match between James J. Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons in Carson City, Nevada on St. Patrick’s Day in 1897. Directed by Enoch J. Rector, the film ran for one hour and forty minutes.
It was the longest movie created at the time. And it was made possible because of a technology called the Latham Loop, which Rector claims to have invented. It was the first widescreen film (aspect ratio 1.65:1). Today, only fragments of the film survive. It was added to the U.S. National Film Registry at the Library of Congress in 2012.
Le Manoir du diable
Georges Méliès was another pioneer of early cinema. He created many films, including Le Manoir du diable (The House of the Devil), which was released in the winter of 1896. The movie set several firsts in the film industry.
Although it shows an encounter with the Devil and various ghosts, it was meant to evoke amusement rather than fear. However, the subject accidentally meant it became the first horror movie. It is also the first vampire film because it depicts a bat transforming into the Devil. The movie’s running time of three minutes was also unprecedented at the time.
The Earliest Motion Pictures: Background Summary
In the late 1800s inventors and photographers experimented with ways to capture and display motion on film. One of the pioneers in film production was Eadweard Muybridge, who in 1872 produced a single photographic frame of Stanford’s horse “Occident” trotting with all four feet off the ground. This was the first time that anyone had captured motion in a still image, and it provided conclusive proof of what we now take as common knowledge.
Thomas Edison
An inventor who played a significant role in the development of moving pictures was Thomas Edison. In 1891, he patented the Kinetoscope, which was a device that allowed a single viewer to watch a short film through a peephole. Edison’s invention was hugely popular, and it paved the way for the development of other motion picture technologies.
Louis le Prince
Louis Le Prince was another inventor who made significant contributions to the development of moving pictures. In 1888, he created the first practical photographic motion picture, which was shot in Leeds, England. The film, known as the Roundhay Garden Scene, was only a few seconds long, but it was a significant milestone in the history of cinema.
Zoopraxiscope
The Zoopraxiscope was an early motion picture technology that was developed in the late 1800s. This device projected images from rotating glass disks onto a screen, creating the illusion of motion. The Zoopraxiscope was invented by Eadweard Muybridge and was one of the earliest examples of projected motion pictures.
| Title | Year | Producer/Director |
| The Horse in Motion | 1878 | Eadweard Muybridge |
| Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge | 1888 | Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince |
| Roundhay Garden Scene | 1888 | Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince |
| Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat | 1896 | The Lumière brothers |
| L’Arroseur Arrosé | 1895 | Louis Lumière |
| The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight | 1897 | Enoch J. Rector |
| The Magic Sword (Le Sabre Enchanté) | 1901 | Georges Méliès |
| Newman’s Electric Theatre | 1896 | Eugene Augustus Newman |
These early films were short and often experimental, but they laid the foundation for the development of the motion picture industry that evolved.
The Horse in Motion: The First Movie ever Made (1878)
The Horse in Motion – by Eadweard Muybridge is believed to be the first film ever made. It was shot on June 19th, 1878, and is an 11-frame clip of a horse named Sallie Gardner.
The film was created using twelve separate cameras. Each one was used to take a picture of the horse as it ran past. The film was played back using a device called a zoopraxiscope, which allowed the images to be projected onto a screen, creating the illusion of motion.
Muybridge’s motion picture production was revolutionary. It was the first time anyone had been able to capture motion in a series of still images. Others had tried to create moving images, but none of them were successful. Muybridge had made the breakthrough which paved the way to the development of the motion picture industry.
To create it, Muybridge had to build a camera that could take multiple pictures in rapid succession. He also had to find a way to synchronise a number of cameras, so they all took pictures at the same time. It took him several years to perfect his technique.
Despite the challenges, Muybridge’s film was a huge success. The Horse in Motion is considered a classic which is studied by film students and historians.
Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge (1888)
Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge was filmed in 1888 by Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince, a French inventor who was living in Leeds at the time. The movie was filmed using a single-lens camera that Le Prince had designed himself.
The movie was only a few seconds long and showed traffic crossing a bridge in Leeds. It was filmed at a speed of 20 frames per second, which was faster than the previous movies that had been made. However, the movie was not without its problems. Le Prince had trouble with the camera’s shutter, which caused some of the frames to be overexposed.
Despite the problems, Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge was a significant achievement in the history of cinema. It was the first movie to use a single-lens camera, and it was the first movie to be filmed at a faster speed than previous movies. Le Prince’s invention paved the way for the development of the motion picture industry.
Interestingly, Le Prince disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1890, just as he was preparing to patent his camera. Some people believe that he was murdered, while others think that he simply disappeared on purpose. Either way, his disappearance remains a mystery to this day.
Roundhay Garden Scene (1888)
Roundhay Garden Scene was filmed by French inventor Louis Le Prince in 1888. The movie is only a few seconds long and features Le Prince’s son, Adolphe, and his parents-in-law walking around a garden in Roundhay, Leeds, England. It is one of the oldest surviving films and the first to feature human subjects.
Le Prince used a single-lens camera to film the scene, which he later projected onto a screen using his own invention, the Le Prince single-lens projector. However, Le Prince never got the chance to show his movie in public. In 1890, he mysteriously disappeared while on a train to Paris, and he was never found.
The disappearance of Le Prince led to speculation that he was murdered, or took his own life. His demise is still unknown. His invention, however, played a significant role in the development of motion pictures.
Le Prince’s single-lens camera was the precursor to the modern movie camera, and his single-lens projector was the precursor to the modern movie projector.
Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1896)
Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat was produced by the Lumière brothers in 1896. It was a short, silent, black-and-white film that lasted for just 50 seconds. It was shot at the La Ciotat train station in France and shows a train arriving at the station. It was one of the first to be shown to a paying audience and was a huge success.
The film was made using the Lumière brothers’ patented Cinématographe, which was a combination camera – printer – projector. The Cinématographe was able to capture and display moving images, making it the first true motion picture camera.
Despite its success, there were some problems. The Lumière brothers had to overcome several technical difficulties to get it to work. For example, the camera had to be placed on a special platform to keep it steady during filming. Additionally, the train had to be positioned at just the right angle so that it would appear to be moving towards the camera.
Overall, Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat is an important film in the history of cinema. It was one of the first to be shown to a paying audience and was a major milestone in the evolution of motion pictures.
L’Arroseur Arrosé(1895)
L’Arroseur Arrosé or The Waterer Watered is a French short comedy directed by Louis Lumière and released in 1895. The film was part of the Lumière brothers’ series of short films that were shown to the public in Paris in December 1895.
A 49-second silent movie, it tells the story of a gardener who plays a prank on a boy by stepping on the hose and stopping the water flow. When the boy checks the hose, the gardener removes his foot, causing the boy to be sprayed in the face. It is notable for being the first comedy and for its use of filmic techniques such as editing and close-ups.
The film was made using the Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe. The Cinématographe used a 35mm film strip perforated on both sides to ensure accurate movement. Challenges while making the movie included the need for a stable camera platform and the difficulty of lighting the scene.
Despite the challenges, L’Arroseur Arrosé was a commercial success which established the Lumière brothers as pioneers of the film industry. Its popularity led to the creation of many other short films, and the Lumière brothers’ Cinématographe became popular in Europe and the United States.
L’Arroseur Arrosé is significant in the history of cinema and is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of the Lumière brothers.
The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897)
The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight was a documentary depicting a boxing match between James J. Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons in Carson City, Nevada on St. Patrick’s Day in 1897. Directed by Enoch J. Rector, it ran for one hour and forty minutes.
The film was shot outdoors, and the weather was not good. The bright sun shone made it difficult for the camera to capture the action. To solve this problem, Rector built a makeshift tent to block out the sun and control the environment for filming.
Another challenge faced by Rector was the limited amount of film available. At the time, film stock was expensive and not widely available. To ensure that he had enough film to capture the entire fight, Rector had to use a hand-cranked camera that could only record 30 seconds of footage at a time.
Despite these challenges, The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight was a huge success. It was shown in theatres across the United States and Europe, and it helped to establish the popularity of the boxing film genre.
The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight is widely considered to be one of the earliest examples of a feature-length movie and an important milestone in the history of cinema.
The Magic Sword (1901)
The Magic Sword (Le Sabre Enchanté) released in 1901was directed by Georges Méliès, a French illusionist and filmmaker.
The Magic Sword is a short film that tells the story of a knight who is given a magic sword by a fairy. The knight then goes on a quest to rescue a princess from an evil sorcerer. It is notable for its special effects, which were created using stop-motion animation, multiple exposures, and other techniques.
Méliès encountered several problems while making the movie. For example, he had difficulty creating the illusion of the magic sword. In the end, he used a combination of stop-motion animation and multiple exposures to create the desired effect. He also had to deal with issues related to lighting and camera positioning, as well as the physical limitations of the film stock available at the time.
Despite these challenges, The Magic Sword was a critical and commercial success. It was praised for its innovative special effects and imaginative storytelling. Success helped establish Méliès as one of the leading filmmakers of his time.
The Magic Sword is an important film in the history of cinema. It showcases the early experimentation and innovation that characterised the medium in its early years.
Newman’s Electrographic Pictures (1896)
Newman’s Electrographic Pictures, also known as – Newman’s Electric Theatre, was created by Eugene Augustus Newman, an American inventor. It is believed to have been released in 1896. This historic movie is notable for being one of the early examples of motion pictures during the silent film era.
Newman’s movie was a short film that showed a man and a woman dancing. It was made using a device called the Electrographic Camera, which Newman invented himself. The camera used a special type of film coated with a layer of silver bromide. The film was then exposed to light through a lens, which caused the silver bromide to darken. It was developed using a special chemical process, which produced a negative image. The negative was then used to create a positive print, which was projected onto a screen.
Despite its success, Newman’s movie did not receive the same level of attention as The Horse in Motion. This was partly due to technical problems with the Electrographic Camera, which produced a blurry and grainy image. Newman attempted to improve the camera by adding a second lens, but it only made the image worse. He eventually abandoned the project, and the Electrographic Camera was never used again.
Despite technical flaws, Newman’s film is still considered an important milestone in the history of cinema. It was one of the first films to be made using a camera that was specifically designed for motion pictures, and it demonstrated the potential of the medium to capture movement and action.
Notable Firsts in Film History
The history of cinema is rich and diverse, with many notable firsts that have shaped the industry into what it is today. This section will explore some of the most significant firsts in film history.
| First | Title |
| First Feature-Length Film | “The Story of the Kelly Gang” (1906) |
| First Hollywood Film | “The Squaw Man” (1914) |
| First Animated Film | “Humorous Phases of Funny Faces” (1906) |
| First Sound Film | “Dickson Experimental Sound Film” (1923) |
| First Western Film | “The Great Train Robbery” (1903) |
| First Horror Film | “Le Manoir du Diable” (1896) |
| First Science Fiction Film | “A Trip to the Moon” (1902) |
First Feature-Length Films
The first feature-length film was made in 1906 by French filmmaker Ferdinand Zecca. The Story of the Kelly Gang was a biopic about the notorious Australian outlaw Ned Kelly. Over an hour long, the film was a huge success, paving the way for future feature-length films.
Another notable first in feature-length films was the release of the first Hollywood film, The Squaw Man, in 1914. Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, the film was a Western drama that was a critical and commercial success.
First Animated and Sound Films
The first animated film was made by British filmmaker J. Stuart Blackton in 1906. The film, titled Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, was a short film that used stop-motion animation to create a series of comical faces.
The first sound film was made in 1923 by American inventor Lee De Forest. The film, titled Dickson Experimental Sound Film, was a short film that featured a man playing a violin while a phonograph played in the background.
First Genres
The first genre film was the Western, which was popularised in the early 1900s. The first Western film was made in 1903 by American filmmaker Edwin S. Porter. The film, titled The Great Train Robbery, was a silent film that told the story of a group of bandits who rob a train.
Other notable firsts in film genres include the first horror film, Le Manoir du Diable, made by French filmmaker Georges Méliès in 1896, and the first science fiction film, A Trip to the Moon, made by Méliès in 1902.
Watch the top 10 film firsts
Movies Legacy and Preserving History
Oldest Surviving Films
The oldest surviving films are a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of early filmmakers. These films paved the way for the modern movie industry and are an important part of film history. The Library of Congress and Martin Scorsese are just a few of the entities that are dedicated to preserving these films for future generations.
Film Archives and Restoration
Preserving film history is a crucial task that requires the expertise of film archivists and restoration specialists. Film archives such as the Library of Congress and the British Film Institute are responsible for collecting, cataloguing, and preserving films for future generations.
Restoration of old films is a delicate process that involves repairing physical damage to the film as well as restoring the visual and audio elements of the film. Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation is one of the leading organisations dedicated to film restoration and has helped to restore many classic films.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered the first feature-length film in history?
The first feature-length film in history is widely considered to be the Australian production, “The Story of the Kelly Gang” (1906). The film was around 60 minutes long and told the story of the notorious Australian outlaw, Ned Kelly.
Which film was the inaugural one to incorporate sound, and when was it released?
The first film to incorporate sound was “The Jazz Singer” (1927), a Warner Bros. production that starred Al Jolson. The film was released on October 6, 1927, and featured synchronized music and dialogue.
What was the first movie to be produced in the United States?
The first movie to be produced in the United States was “In Old California” (1910), which was directed by D.W. Griffith. The film was a short Western that was shot in the Los Angeles area.
When did the transition from silent films to ‘talkies’ occur?
The transition from silent films to “talkies” occurred in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The first successful sound film was “The Jazz Singer” (1927), and by the end of the 1920s, most Hollywood studios had converted to sound production.
What was the initial film to use colour, and how did it impact cinema?
The initial film to use colour was “The World, the Flesh and the Devil” (1914), which was produced by the Kinemacolor Company in the UK. However, it was not until the release of “Gone with the Wind” (1939) and “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) that colour films became popular. The impact of colour on cinema was significant, as it allowed filmmakers to add a new dimension to their storytelling and create more visually stunning films.
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