Film History goes as far as the 17th century. When a very early version of “magic lantern” (or shadow muppets as I like to call it) was invented, it was a devise with a lens that projected images from transparencies onto a screen, with a simple light source (such as a candle). The invention of the Thaumatrope (the earliest version of an optical illusion toy) was in 1824. This is a disk or card with a picture on each side attached to two pieces of string, when the strings are twirled quickly between the fingers the two pictures appear to combine into a single image due to persistence of vision. We’ve all done this once in our life as children or even as an adult, let’s admit it.
We had to wait until the 1920’s until film technology would allow movies to have sound. The first “picture house” was built in New Orleans in 1896, but the first full-length film “THE SQUAW MAN” wasn’t released until 1913. But alas, popcorn was first served in movie theatres in 1912, so those who got the privilege of seeing this first time projection had the chance of munching on it. I don’t know where they got to put their drinks..seeing as cup holders only made it in 1981.
How much did it cost to watch a movie?
- In 1907 you could watch a film at a Nickelodeon theater for five cents, which is why it was called a “Nickel”odeon;
- During the Depression or the 1920s, movies cost about 27 cents;
- During the 60s it cost a little less than one dollar;
- About four dollars in the 80s;
- Now it goes around 10 to 15 dollars.
Here is an interesting list I found on what were classified the best movies of each decade since the 1890’s:
- 1890’s The Execution of Mary Stuart (released in 1895), directed by Alfred Clark, Company: Edison Manufacturing Company (closed in 1918)
- 1990’s The Great Train Robbery (released in 1903), directed by Edwin S. Porter, Company: Edison Manufacturing Company (closed in 1918)
- 1910’s Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse at the circus (released in 1916), directed by William Randolph Hearst, Company: International Film Service (closed in 1918)
- 1920’s The Sheik (released in 1921), directed by George Melford, Company: Paramount Pictures
- 1930’s Wizard of Oz (released in 1939), directed by Victor Fleming, Company: MGM
- 1940’s It’s a Wonderful Life (released in 1947), directed by Frank Capra, Company: Liberty Films
- 1950’s Rear Window (released in 1954), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Company: Paramount Pictures
- 1960’s Psycho (released in 1960), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Company: Shamley Productions (last film was presented in 1965)
- 1970’s Star Wars (released in 1977), directed by George Lucas, Company: Lucasfilm
- 1980’s Empire Strikes Back (released in 1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Company: Lucasfilm
- 1990’s The Sixth Sense (released in 1999), directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Company: Barry Mendel Productions, Hollywood Pictures, Kennedy/Marshall Company, Spyglass Entertainment
- 2000’s Lord of the Rings (released in 2001, 2002 and 2003), directed by Peter Jackson, Company: New Line Cinema
We are proud to say at STiL that some of these great studios have film reels sitting confortably in our containers and even certain films listed above!