1903 in film

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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.

Films released in 1903

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 – (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 – (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

• 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 – (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 – (France)

O

• Old London Street Scenes, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
• 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 – (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 – (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

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

Deaths

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

Debut

G. M. Anderson

External links

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