1903 in film - WikiHQ

The year 1903 in film involved many significant events in cinema.

Events

Thomas Edison demolishes "America's First Movie Studio", the Black Maria.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decides that federal copyright protection for "photographs" extends to motion pictures, and that filmmakers could copyright films as a whole rather than having to separately register each frame.
The three elder Warner Bros. begin in the exhibition business and open their first theater, the Cascade.
Gaston Méliès, Georges' brother, opens a branch of Star Film in New York to defend its production's copyrights.
Adolph Zukor and Marcus Loew partner with Mitchell Mark to expand his chain of movie theaters.
William N. Selig's war film A Soldier's Dream is released. The film shows soldiers playing cards and music around a campfire. Scholars have speculated that the double-exposed image used to create one soldier's dream sequence may have been inspired by Méliès.

Notable films

A

thumb|Electrocuting an Elephant.

Alice in Wonderland, directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, based on the 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll – (UK)
The Apparition (Le Revenant), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

C

Capital Execution (Henrettelsen), directed by Peter Elfelt – (Denmark)
A Chess Dispute, directed by Robert W. Paul – (UK)

D

The Damnation of Faust, directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
A Daring Daylight Burglary, by Frank Mottershaw – (UK)
Desperate Poaching Affray, directed by William Haggar – (UK)
Diving Lucy, produced by Mitchell and Kenyon – (UK)

E

Electrocuting an Elephant, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
The Enchanted Well (Le Puits fantastique), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
An Extraordinary Cab Accident, directed by Robert W. Paul – (UK)

F

Faust and Mephistopheles, directed by Alice Guy – (France)
From Show Girl to Burlesque Queen, directed by A. E. Weed – (US)

G

The Gay Shoe Clerk, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
The Georgetown Loop (Colorado), directed by Billy Bitzer – (US)
The Great Train Robbery, directed by Edwin S. Porter, starring Broncho Billy Anderson – (US)

H

Hiawatha, the Messiah of the Ojibway (lost), directed by Joe Rosenthal – (Canada)

I

The Infernal Cake Walk (Le Cake-Walk infernal), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
The Infernal Cauldron (Le Chaudron infernal), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
The Inn Where No Man Rests (L'Auberge du bon repos), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

K

The Kingdom of the Fairies (Le Royaume des fées), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

L

Life and Passion of the Christ (Vie et Passion du Christ), directed by Lucien Nonguet and Ferdinand Zecca – (France)
Life of an American Fireman, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)

M

The Magic Lantern (La Lanterne magique), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
Mary Jane's Mishap, directed by George Albert Smith – (UK)
The Melomaniac (Le Mélomane), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
A Message from Mars (lost), by Franklyn Barrett – (NZ)
Misfortune Never Comes Alone (Un malheur n'arrive jamais seul), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
Momijigari (Viewing Scarlet Maple Leaves), directed by Tsunekichi Shibata, based on the 15th-century kabuki play by Kanze Nobumitsu – (Japan)
The Monster (Le Monstre), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
The Mysterious Box (La Boîte à malice), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

O

Old London Street Scenes, directed by George Albert Smith – (UK)
The Oracle of Delphi (L'Oracle de Delphes), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

P

Panorama of Beach and Cliff House, produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company – (US)
Petticoat Lane – (UK)

R

Rip Van Winkle, directed by William K. L. Dickson, based on the 1819 short story by Washington Irving – (US)
Runaway Match, directed by Alf Collins – (UK)

S

The Sick Kitten, directed by George Albert Smith – (UK)
Skyscrapers of New York City, from the North River, directed by J.B. Smith – (US)
A Spiritualistic Photographer (La Portrait Spirite), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

T

The Terrible Turkish Executioner (Le Bourreau turc), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

U

Uncle Tom's Cabin, directed by Edwin S. Porter, based on the 1852 novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe – (US)

W

What Happened in the Tunnel, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
The Witch's Revenge (Le Sorcier), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

Births

January 6
Stanley Smith, American actor and singer (died 1974)
Francis L. Sullivan, English actor (died 1956)
January 7 – Alan Napier, English actor (died 1988)
January 10 – Violet Wilkey, American child actress (died 1976)
January 16 – Peter Brocco, American actor (died 1992)
January 17 – Warren Hull, American actor, singer and television personality (died 1974)
January 18 – Werner Hinz, German actor (died 1985)
February 8 – Greta Keller, Austrian-American cabaret singer and actress (died 1977)
February 11 – Rex Lease, American actor (died 1966)
February 14 – Stuart Erwin, American actor (died 1967)
February 16 – Edgar Bergen, American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, vaudevillian and radio performer (died 1978)
February 27 – Reginald Gardiner, English actor (died 1980)
February 28 – Vincente Minnelli, American stage director film director (died 1986)
March 2 – William Haade, American actor (died 1966)
March 3 – Adrian, American costume designer (died 1959)
March 4 – Dorothy Mackaill, British-American actress (died 1990)
March 17 – Dorothy Seastrom, American silent film actress (died 1930)
March 20 – Edgar Buchanan, American actor (died 1979)
March 25 – Binnie Barnes, English actress (died 1998)
March 28 – Charles Starrett, American actor (died 1986)
April 9 – Ward Bond, American character actor (died 1960)
April 12 – Luis Moglia Barth, Argentine film director and screenwriter (died 1984)
April 17
Louis Jean Heydt, American character actor (died 1960)
Leonid Kinskey, Russian-American actor (died 1998)
April 26 – Dorothy Sebastian, American actress (died 1957)
May 2 – Bing Crosby, American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor (died 1977)
May 4 – Paul Demel, Czech actor (died 1951)
May 8 – Fernandel, French comic actor (died 1971)
May 12 – Wilfrid Hyde-White, English actor (died 1991)
May 14 – Billie Dove, American actress (died 1997)
May 15 – Anny Ondra, Czech actress (died 1987)
May 18 – George E. Stone, Polish-American actor (died 1967)
May 29 – Bob Hope, American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer (died 2003)
June 16 – Ona Munson, American actress (died 1955)
June 18 – Jeanette MacDonald, American soprano and actress (died 1965)
June 20 – Eddie Laughton, British-American actor (died 1952)
June 25 – Anne Revere, American actress (died 1990)
June 29 – Ellen Pollock, British character actress (died 1997)
July 1 – Don Beddoe, American character actor (died 1991)
July 2 – LeRoy Mason, American actor (died 1947)
August 9 – Tom Tyler, American actor (died 1954)
August 14 – Millard Mitchell, Cuban-American character actor (died 1953)
September 13 – Claudette Colbert, American actress (died 1996)
September 17 – Dolores Costello, American actress (died 1979)
September 29 – Ted de Corsia, American actor (died 1973)
October 20 – John Davis Lodge, American film actor, lawyer, politician, and diplomat (died 1985)
October 22 – Curly Howard, American comedian and actor (died 1952)
November 7 – Dean Jagger, American actor (died 1991)
November 12 – Jack Oakie, American actor (died 1978)
November 19 – Nancy Carroll, American actress (died 1965)
December 5 – Johannes Heesters, Dutch-German actor (died 2011)
December 10 – Una Merkel, American actress (died 1986)
December 12 – Yasujirō Ozu, Japanese filmmaker (died 1963)
December 13 – Norman Foster, American film director, screenwriter and actor (died 1976)
December 16 – Hardie Albright, American actor (died 1975)
December 21 – Maria Balcerkiewiczówna, Polish actress (died 1975)
December 26 – Elisha Cook Jr., American character actor (died 1995)

Deaths

January 4 - Topsy(elephant) (born c.1875)
c. February 15 – Julie Verstraete-Lacquet, Flemish actress, dies at 69

Debut

G. M. Anderson

References

External links

List of 1903 films at IMDb
List of 1903 deaths at IMDb
List of 1903 births at IMDb