1903_in_film
1903 in film
Overview of the events of 1903 in film
The year 1903 in film involved many significant events in cinema.
- 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.[1]
- 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.[2]
 | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (March 2019) |
A
- Alice in Wonderland, directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, based on the 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll – (GB)
- The Apparition (Le Revenant), directed by Georges Méliès[3] – (France)
C
- Capital Execution (Henrettelsen), directed by Peter Elfelt – (Denmark)
- A Chess Dispute, directed by Robert W. Paul – (GB)
D
- The Damnation of Faust, directed by Georges Méliès[4] – (France)
- A Daring Daylight Burglary, by Frank Mottershaw – (GB)
- Desperate Poaching Affray, directed by William Haggar – (GB)
- Diving Lucy, produced by Mitchell and Kenyon – (GB)
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 – (GB)
F
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[5] – (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 – (GB)
- 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[6] – (France)
O
- Old London Street Scenes, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
- The Oracle of Delphi (L'Oracle de Delphes), directed by Georges Méliès[7] – (France)
P
- Panorama of Beach and Cliff House, produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company – (US)
- Petticoat Lane – (GB)
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 – (GB)
S
- The Sick Kitten, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
- 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[8] – (France)
T
- The Terrible Turkish Executioner (Le Bourreau turc), directed by Georges Méliès[9] – (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[10] – (France)
| Month | Date | Name | Country | Profession | Died | |
| January | 6 | Francis L. Sullivan | UK | Actor | 1956 | |
| 6 | Stanley Smith | US | Actor, Singer | 1974 | ||
| 10 | Violet Wilkey | US | Actress | 1976 | ||
| 17 | Warren Hull | US | Actor, Singer | 1974 | ||
| 18 | Werner Hinz | Germany | Actor | 1985 | ||
| February | 11 | Rex Lease | US | Actor | 1966 | |
| 16 | Edgar Bergen | US | Actor, Comedian, Ventriloquist | 1978 | ||
| 28 | Vincente Minnelli | US | Director | 1986 | ||
| March | 3 | Adrian | US | Costume Designer | 1959 | |
| 4 | Dorothy Mackaill | US | Actress | 1990 | ||
| 16 | Dorothy Seastrom | US | Actress | 1930 | ||
| 20 | Edgar Buchanan | US | Actor | 1979 | ||
| April | 9 | Ward Bond | US | Actor | 1960 | |
| 12 | Luis Moglia Barth | Argentina | Director, Screenwriter | 1984 | ||
| 15 | John Williams | UK | Actor | 1983 | ||
| 18 | Leonid Kinskey | Russia | Actor | 1998 | ||
| 26 | Dorothy Sebastian | US | Actress | 1957 | ||
| May | 2 | Bing Crosby | US | Singer, Actor | 1977 | |
| 8 | Fernandel | France | Actor, Singer | 1971 | ||
| 14 | Billie Dove | US | Actress | 1997 | ||
| 15 | Anny Ondra | Poland | Actress | 1987 | ||
| 25 | Binnie Barnes | UK | Actress | 1998 | ||
| 29 | Bob Hope | UK | Comedian, Actor, Singer, Dancer | 2003 | ||
| June | 16 | Ona Munson | US | Actress | 1955 | |
| 18 | Jeanette MacDonald | US | Singer, Actress | 1965 | ||
| 25 | Anne Revere | US | Actress, SAG Board Member | 1990 | ||
| July | 2 | LeRoy Mason | US | Actor | 1947 | |
| September | 13 | Claudette Colbert | US | Actress | 1996 | |
| 17 | Dolores Costello | US | Actress | 1979 | ||
| October | 20 | John Davis Lodge | US | Actor, Politician | 1985 | |
| 22 | Curly Howard | US | Actor, Comedian | 1952 | ||
| November | 7 | Dean Jagger | US | Actor | 1991 | |
| 12 | Jack Oakie | US | Actor | 1978 | ||
| 19 | Nancy Carroll | US | Actress | 1965 | ||
| December | 10 | Una Merkel | US | Actress | 1986 | |
| 12 | Yasujirō Ozu | Japan | Director, Screenwriter | 1963 | ||
| 13 | Norman Foster | US | Actor, Director, Screenwriter | 1976 | ||
| 16 | Hardie Albright | US | Actor | 1975 | ||
| 21 | Maria Balcerkiewiczówna | Poland | Actress | 1975 | ||
| 26 | Elisha Cook, Jr. | US | Actor | 1995 | ||
- c. February 15 – Julie Verstraete-Lacquet, Flemish actress, dies at 69
- Edison v. Lubin, 122 F. 240 (3d Cir. 1903).
- Erish, Andrew A. (2012). Col. William N. Selig: The Man Who Invented Hollywood. University of Texas Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-0292728707. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 16.
- Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 17.
- Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 17.
- Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 18.
- Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
- Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 18.
- Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
- Kinnard,Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 18.