Top 10 Film Firsts
The first time may not be the best time, but it's always a memorable one. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Film Firsts.
For this list, though there are often several pieces of work that claim to be the first, we're only looking at movies that use techniques that became standard for the industry or were the first to achieve an impressive goal, and which still have surviving film to show.
Special thanks to our users Andrew A. Dennison for submitting the idea using our interactive suggestion tool at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
Top 10 Film Firsts
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The first time may not be the best time, but it’s always a memorable one. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Film Firsts. For this list, though there are often several pieces of work that claim to be the first, we’re only looking at movies that use techniques that became standard for the industry or were the first to achieve an impressive goal, and which still have surviving film to show.
#10: First Horror Film “The Haunted Castle” [aka “Le Manoir du diable”] (1896)
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Depicting a man who encounters the Devil and other spooky creatures, this film might not scare the pants off of you, but it is notable for many reasons. Director George Méliès was an illusionist who took an interest in the new art of cinematography, reportedly discovering the stop trick entirely by accident. While seemingly simple and outdated, it was wondrous and bewildering for viewers at the time to see people and objects disappear into thin air. Méliès later made “A Trip to the Moon,” which is widely regarded as the first sci-fi film and a pioneering work of art that utilized innovative special effects.
#9: First Color 3-D Film “House of Wax” (1953)
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After his wax museum is set on fire, the proprietor seeks revenge - killing those he finds responsible and using their corpses as sculptures in his new exhibit. This film is a loose remake of 1933’s “Mystery of the Wax Museum,” but it’s very significant in its own right. Vincent Price appears as the maniacal lead in a horror film for the first time - and in color 3-D. Additionally, “House of Wax” boasts the first use of stereophonic sound. These two advances show how quickly the film industry was expanding and making an effort to truly engage the audience in an immersive film experience.
#8: First Full-Length Narrative Feature Film “The Story of the Kelly Gang” (1906)
This Australian film depicts the legendary tale of Ned Kelly - murderous outlaw to police, but Robin Hood to the people. You might not be impressed by the 60-minute runtime, but this was made in an era when most films were between five and ten minutes long. Up until this point, films had to be billed with others to create a show of any length. The film was originally thought to be lost, but several reels were discovered and restored to the 17-minute film we now have. It includes the iconic scene of Kelly’s last stand in which the legendary bushranger wore homemade iron armor.
#7: First Kiss on Film “The Kiss” (1896)
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It didn’t take long for filmmakers to start sexing up their work. Thomas Edison (yes, THAT Thomas Edison) commissioned this film, which shows a man and a woman nuzzling each other sweetly before sharing a close-mouthed peck. Those 18 seconds became infamous since kissing in public could get you prosecuted at the time. The film was labeled “shocking and obscene,” with the Roman Catholic Church even calling for it to be censored. Naturally, all the uproar inspired a myriad of copycat kissing films. That same year, one of first “pornographic” films was screened in Paris: “Le Coucher de la Mariée,” or “Bedtime for the Bride,” which depicted a woman stripping.
#6: First Film to Gross $100 Million “The Sound of Music” (1965)
Some sources give this honor to 1939’s “Gone with the Wind.” However, the title actually goes to the 1965 Oscar-winning film that surpassed the record-holding gross “Gone with the Wind” had earned as of the next year: “The Sound of Music.” Despite initially receiving mixed reviews and a limited roadshow theatrical release, the musical drama following the young Maria as the governess of the von Trapp family became a box office smash. And thanks to an initial four-and-a-half year theatrical release (as it was re-released more than once), it became the first movie to hit the $100 million mark!
#5: First Animated Cartoon [Film] “Fantasmagorie” [aka “A Fantasy”] (1908)
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Émile Cohl secured his place in film history with the earliest known use of hand-drawn animation. “Fantasmagorie” is a short, surreal film with a stick man that encounters an array of shape-shifting objects. The simple drawings in a “stream of consciousness” style are a tribute to the Incoherent movement -- a short-lived artistic movement in France in the early 1880s. Hand-drawn animation would remain a staple of the film industry until the game changed in 1995 with the release of “Toy Story” - the first feature-length computer-animated film.
#4: First Special Effects
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“The Execution of Mary Stuart” [aka “The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots”] (1895) Special effects are inseparable from films, and their use goes back to the beginning of film itself. This film is another 18-second contribution by Thomas Edison, and it’s just as controversial as his other work. Though he uses a stop trick to replace the actress whose character is to be executed with a mannequin, many audience members didn’t realize this. They were shocked to witness what they thought was history’s first snuff film. Thankfully, special effects have improved with the use of computers. The first feature film to take advantage of computer technology through digital image processing was 1973’s “Westworld” for the Gunslinger’s android-vision.
#3: First Color Film [in Hollywood] “The Toll of the Sea” (1922)
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Though many films claim to be the first one in color, “The Toll of the Sea” certainly makes the best case for it. Starring the iconic Anna May Wong in her first lead role, the film is the first Hollywood-made color feature that didn’t require any special equipment to project it. The drama itself deals with the challenges of forbidden love between an American man and a Chinese woman. Though some criticized the portrayal of Wong’s character as the “Madame Butterfly” Asian stereotype, it introduced the difficult subject of interracial marriages in a highly conservative time.
#2: First Film with Sound “The Jazz Singer” (1927)
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Telling the story of a young Jewish man who runs away from home to follow his dream, this film is one of the most significant in cinema history. “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans” was among the first films to utilize sound for musical scores and special effects. However, “The Jazz Singer” was the first feature film to use synchronized sound techniques for both speaking and singing. “Talkies” would turn the industry on its head and change the course of cinema. As technology improved, new sound techniques were introduced with Dolby Stereo sound being used for the first time in 1976’s “A Star is Born.” Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions: First PG-13 Film [in the U.S.] “Red Dawn” (1984) First Theatrically Released Digital Film “Collateral” (2004) First Feature Length Zombie Film “White Zombie” (1932) First Anime “Namakura Gatana” (1917) First Best Picture Oscar Winner “Wings” (1927)
#1: First Film “Roundhay Garden Scene” (1888)
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You might be hesitant to call a mere two-second recording a film, but the “Roundhay Garden Scene” was truly an innovation. Louis Le Prince is known as the Father of Cinematography for inventing a single lens camera to shoot moving pictures. Earlier attempts at film, such as Eadweard Muybridge’s 1878 “Sallie Gardner at a Gallop,” were more like flipbooks. Other notable early films, like “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat” by the Lumière brothers, reportedly surprised audience members so much that they dove out of the way of the oncoming train. Even back then, film’s incredible potential was apparent and possibly led to the Father of Cinematography’s mysterious disappearance. Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite film first? For more groundbreaking top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
