1903 in film

Overview of the events of 1903 in film

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

## Events

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* 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]

## Notable films released in 1903

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### A

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* 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

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

### D

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* 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

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* 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

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

### G

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* 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

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

### I

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* 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

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

### L

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* 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

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* 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

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* 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

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

### R

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* 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

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* 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

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* The Terrible Turkish Executioner (Le Bourreau turc), directed by Georges Méliès[9] – (France)

### U

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

### W

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* What Happened in the Tunnel, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
* The Witch's Revenge (Le Sorcier), directed by Georges Méliès[10] – (France)

## Births

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Month | Date | Name | Country | Profession | Died |

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|
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|
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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 | 8 | Greta Keller | Austria | Singer, Actress | 1977 |
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 |
4 | Paul Demel | Czechoslovakia | Actor | 1951 |
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 |
20 | Eddie Laughton | US | Actor | 1952 |
25 | Anne Revere | US | Actress, SAG Board Member | 1990 |
29 | Ellen Pollock | UK | Actress | 1997 |
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 |

## Deaths

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* c. February 15 – Julie Verstraete-Lacquet, Flemish actress, dies at 69

## Debut

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G. M. Anderson

## References

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1. ^ Edison v. Lubin, 122 F. 240 (3d Cir. 1903).
2. ^ 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.
3. ^ Kinnard, Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 16.
4. ^ Kinnard, Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 17.
5. ^ Kinnard, Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 17.
6. ^ Kinnard, Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 18.
7. ^ Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
8. ^ Kinnard, Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 18.
9. ^ Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
10. ^ Kinnard, Roy (1995). "Horror in Silent Films". McFarland and Company Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0036-6. Page 18.

## External links

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

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