Dickson Experimental Sound Film

Dickson Experimental Sound Film

1894 · 1 min · ★ 6.1 · Music

William K.L. Dickson plays the violin while two men dance. This is the oldest surviving sound film where sound is recorded on the phonograph.

Directed by William K.L. Dickson

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William K.L. Dickson Self
Charles D'Almaine Self

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Dickson Experimental Sound Film

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Caicedo (with Pole)

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King of the slack wire. His daring feats of balancing as he performs his thrilling feats in midair show that he is perfectly at home.

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Capuchin Monks in Vatican City · 1898

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A group of monks in procession carrying a large crucifix in Vatican City, 1898.

Annie Oakley

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Blacksmithing Scene

Blacksmithing Scene · 1893

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Three men hammer on an anvil and pass a bottle of beer around. Notable for being the first film in which a scene is being acted out.

Annabelle Butterfly Dance

Annabelle Butterfly Dance · 1894

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Annabelle (Whitford) Moore performs one of her popular dances. For this performance, her costume has a pair of wings attached to her back, to suggest a butterfly. As she dances, she uses her long, flowing skirts to create visual patterns.

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The first woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the first woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States. In the film, Carmencita is recorded going through a routine she had been performing at Koster & Bial's in New York since February 1890.

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Dickson Greeting · 1891

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William K.L. Dickson brings his hat from his one hand to the other and moves his head slightly, as a small nod toward the audience. This was the first film produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company to be shown to public audiences and the press.

King John

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Based on Shakespeare's play, Act V, Scene vii: King John is in torment, and his supporters fear that his end is near. As he writhes in agony, he is attended by Prince Henry, the Earl of Pembroke, and Robert Bigot. Prince Henry tries repeatedly to comfort his delirious father, but to no avail - John's pain is too great.

Glenroy Brothers (Comic Boxing)

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The Glenroy Brothers perform a portion of their vaudeville act, "The Comic View of Boxing: The Tramp & the Athlete", which depicts a boxer with a classic style trying to contend with an opponent who uses a very unorthodox approach.

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From Edison films catalog: One of the most peculiar customs of the Sioux Tribe is here shown, the dancers being genuine Sioux Indians, in full war paint and war costumes. 40 feet. 7.50. According to Edison film historian C. Musser, this film and others shot on the same day (see also Buffalo dance) featured Native American Indian dancers from Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, and represent the American Indian's first appearance before a motion picture camera.

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A fascinating, up-to-date dancing diversion by four pretty girls in stunning costumes.

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A man (Thomas Edison's assistant) takes a pinch of snuff and sneezes. This is one of the earliest Thomas Edison films and was the second motion picture to be copyrighted in the United States.

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James J. Corbett and Peter Courtney meet in a boxing exhibition.

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A referee and five fans (including a waiter in his apron) look on as two young men box. The dark-haired, slightly taller boxer throws a right and the light-haired smaller one goes down; but he's up before the referee starts counting. After the knockdown, the boxers mostly hit each other's gloves. The fans, at least one of whom is sitting inside the ring, show no animation. They're all men, dressed in a range of late 19th-century garb.

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