1894/1895 – The Dickson Experimental Sound Film

Directed by: William K. L. Dickson

Much like the Monkeyshines films, this is an in-house experiment of the Kinetophone – a system consisting of a Kinetoscope and a cylinder-playing phonograph. It is the first film to feature live-recorded sound, although due to technicalities does not necessarily qualify as the first sound-film in history. The main issue is that it did not attempt synchronicity but an effect much like turning on your TV and radio at the same time. The music was an approximation and various recommendations were made for films played with the Kinetophone (in the case of Carmencita, suggestions included Valse Santiago, La Paloma, and Alma-Danza Spagnola). Regardless, it was a significant development towards sound film.

As for the content, it features William Dickson playing the violin and two other men (likely lab assistants) dancing. The melody is Song of the Cabin Boy from Robert Planquette’s light opera Les Cloched de Corneville (The Chimes of Freedom), composed in 1877. In the full version of the surviving recording, it is possible to hear somebody say “Are the rest of you ready? Go ahead!” at the very beginning – the first recorded instance of “speed” and “action”.

Bibliography

IMDb contributors (n.d.). ‘Dickson Experimental Sound Film (1894)’, IMDb. Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177707/ [Accessed: 2 December 2021].

Murch, W. (n.d.). ‘Dickson Experimental Sound Film 1895’, FilmSound.org. Available at: http://filmsound.org/murch/dickson.htm [Accessed: 2 December 2021].

Wikipedia contributors (2021). ‘The Dickson Experimental Sound Film’, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 November. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dickson_Experimental_Sound_Film [Accessed: 2 December 2021].

1894 – The Boxing Cats

Directed by: William K. L. Dickson, William Heise

More than a hundred years prior to cat videos exploding online, this film starring two boxing cats was recorded in Edison’s Black Maria Studio. The cats featured were part of Professor Welton’s vaudeville show which, reportedly, also included acts such as cats jumping through flaming hoops and riding on bicycles. It is possible that the film was used to promote the show.

News, 27 January 1894.

The man in the background is Professor Henry Welton himself. To achieve the effects in the film, the cats wore shoulder harnesses that were manipulated by Welton to help them stand upright.

Bibliography

IMDb contributors (n.d.). ‘The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton’s) (1894)’, IMDb. Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0219560/ [Accessed: 1 December 2021].

Kay, L. (2014). ‘The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton’s) (1894)’, Cinema Cats, 28 February. Available at: http://www.cinemacats.com/?p=1042 [Accessed: 1 December 2021].

Tschorn, A. (2015). ‘Thomas Edison, inventor of…the cat video?’, Los Angeles Times, 20 June. Available at: http://www.latimes.com/style/pets/la-hm-pets-cat-video-side-20150620-story.html [Accessed: 1 December 2021].

1894 – Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze

Directed by: William K. L. Dickson

Also known as Fred Ott’s Sneeze, it was the first film to be registered for copyright on January 9, 1894. It features Thomas Edison’s assistant, Fred Ott, taking a pinch of snuff and sneezing. The submission consisted of the 45 frames reproduced as a picture.

The film is also noted for being the first to feature a close-up. There seems to be an understanding that audiences do not need to be bystanders to a scene but can be taken close to the action.

Bibliography

IMDb contributors (n.d.). ‘Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894)’, IMDb. Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000008/ [Accessed: 28 November 2021].

Library of Congress (n.d.). ‘Edison kinetoscopic record of a sneeze, January 7, 1894’, Library of Congress. Available at: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694192 [Accessed: 28 November 2021].

Shedden, D. (2015). ‘Today is Media History: A copyrighted 1894 sneeze and the beginning of the film industry’, Poynter, 7 January. Available at: https://www.poynter.org/news/today-media-history-copyrighted-1894-sneeze-and-beginning-film-industry [Accessed: 28 November 2021].