IMDb RATING
4.9/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
One of W.K.L. Dickson's laboratory workers horses around for the camera.One of W.K.L. Dickson's laboratory workers horses around for the camera.One of W.K.L. Dickson's laboratory workers horses around for the camera.
Photos
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThere is some disagreement amongst two W.K.L. Dickson biographers as to when this movie was actually shot and who is actually in the cast. Writer Paul Spehr believes that it was shot at an earlier date of 1889 with Edison employee John Ott. Gordon Hendricks agrees with later date of 1890 and employee G. Sacco Albanese as the cast member.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Edison: The Invention of the Movies (2005)
Featured review
The First Film in the USA
Being made in 1890, "Monkeyshines, No. 1" is the first true film ever created in the United States (or at least believed by many to be the first, just as "Roundhay Garden Scene" by Louis le Prince is believed to be the world's oldest celluloid film). In many ways, it's nothing particularly exciting when it comes to content. It did not, like "Men Boxing", begin any new film genre at the time; nor did it attempt to show a display of skill like "Newark Athlete". Instead, like all of the films in the Monkeyshines trilogy, it merely served as a test for the Kinetoscope camera that Edison was hoping to use in the future to publicize the motion picture. As such, it is no surprise that the result of this test is not a big achievement. More changes had to be made to the invention before it could capture true motion on film in the ways we are accustomed to.
Instead of a clear view of the action and definite motion like movies are today, the footage that makes up "Monkeyshines, No 1" is very difficult to decipher. The character seen to move before the lens is blurry, phantom-like and not at all detailed. Nor is the movement he performs very easy to watch. It is apparent the person was doing something with his arms. Waving? Gesticulating? From a horror buff's point of view, he looks more like some strange morphing being who can change shape at will. That's how hard it is to understand this experiment.
But there was hope. Edison obviously wasn't satisfied with the results of his invention yet, and needed to alter the Kinetoscope yet in order to change the look. The results of his later proceedings were the other two Monkeyshines films, 2 and 3. Number 2 already appeared much improved over number 1, and number 3 (which is either lost or unrestored) probably also showed some new details. Slowly, these camera tests continued to be made and improved upon until the great inventor finally debuted his invention in 1893, with "Horse Shoeing" and "Blacksmith Scene", which would publicize the motion picture industry for the first time in America.
(Note: It has been debated who the actor is. Some say John Ott, some say G. Sacco Albanese. Both were workers at Edison's factories).
Instead of a clear view of the action and definite motion like movies are today, the footage that makes up "Monkeyshines, No 1" is very difficult to decipher. The character seen to move before the lens is blurry, phantom-like and not at all detailed. Nor is the movement he performs very easy to watch. It is apparent the person was doing something with his arms. Waving? Gesticulating? From a horror buff's point of view, he looks more like some strange morphing being who can change shape at will. That's how hard it is to understand this experiment.
But there was hope. Edison obviously wasn't satisfied with the results of his invention yet, and needed to alter the Kinetoscope yet in order to change the look. The results of his later proceedings were the other two Monkeyshines films, 2 and 3. Number 2 already appeared much improved over number 1, and number 3 (which is either lost or unrestored) probably also showed some new details. Slowly, these camera tests continued to be made and improved upon until the great inventor finally debuted his invention in 1893, with "Horse Shoeing" and "Blacksmith Scene", which would publicize the motion picture industry for the first time in America.
(Note: It has been debated who the actor is. Some say John Ott, some say G. Sacco Albanese. Both were workers at Edison's factories).
helpful•01
- Tornado_Sam
- Jun 17, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Витівки
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 minute
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content