Metropolis

Image from Metropolis (1927)

“No optical printing system existed at the time, so to create a matte effect, a large mirror was placed at an angle to reflect a piece of artwork while live footage was projected onto the reverse. To expose the projected footage, the silvering on the back of the mirror had to be scraped off in strategically appropriate places. One mistake would ruin the whole mirror. This was done for each separate shot that had to be composited in this manner. This procedure was developed by Eugen Schüfftan and is known as the ‘Schufftan Process.’”

– Source: Internet Movie Database

The Unknown

Poster for The Unknown (1927)

“For many years this film only existed in murky 9.5mm dupes on the black market. In March 1973, at a screening of this film at George Eastman House, archivist James Card said that Henri Langlois and his staff at the Cinematheque Francais discovered a copy of it in 1968 among other miscellaneous cans of film marked ‘l’inconnu’ (films ‘unknown’ due to missing titles, etc.).”

– Source: Internet Movie Database

First All-Talking Movie?

The Jazz Singer (1927) is often cited as the first sound film. That’s not entirely correct. It was the first popular sound film, and the film that launched the sound era, but it was only partially a sound movie. Much of the dialogue was presented through subtitles.

The first feature-length film with sound throughout (commonly referred to as all-talking) was Lights of New York (1928). And just a year later, Hollywood released its first all-color, all-talking feature. That was On with the Show! (1929).

Fashion Statement

Production photo from It Happened One Night (1934)

Can a movie change clothing trends almost overnight? That’s what happened with It Happened One Night (1934) from Columbia Pictures. Here’s the scoop, according to the Internet Movie Database:

“While shooting the scene where he undresses, Clark Gable had trouble removing his undershirt while keeping his humorous flow going and took too long. As a result the undershirt was abandoned altogether. It then became cool to not wear an undershirt which resulted in a large drop in undershirt sales around the country. In response, underwear manufacturers tried to sue Columbia.”

Vertigo

Image from Vertigo (1958)

Kim Novak wasn’t Alfred Hitchcock’s first choice for the leading female role in Vertigo (1958). He wanted Vera Miles to take the part, only she became pregnant and couldn’t do it. Miles had plenty of talent (check out her performances in Psycho and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance). On the other hand, I can’t imagine her bringing the same mysterious quality to the role.

First Sound Film?

When was the first sound film made? The Warner Bros. studio began experimenting with its Vitaphone technology in 1925. This technology used a mechanical system to lock the projected film to a phonograph turntable. The synchronized audio worked well most of the time, but could be thrown out of sync if everything didn’t go perfectly. It improved enough within two years for the part-sound, part-silent The Jazz Singer (1927) to become a popular hit. Later, the accompanying sound track was incorporated onto the film itself.

The very first attempts at synchronizing sound with film reach almost as far back as the invention of film. Thomas Edison’s assistant, W.K. Laurie Dickenson, produced an experimental sound film in 1884 using Edison’s “kinetophone” process, which attempted to link a Kinetoscope movie projector with Edison’s phonograph player. The film shows two men dancing to the accompaniment of a violinist. As far as we know, it was never shown outside the Edison movie studio.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Italian Poster for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

One of the best alien-invasion movies from the 1950s, it was remade in 1978 and 1994. It is often cited as having an anti-Communist or anti-McCarthite subtext, though director Don Siegel has denied he had any political intentions for the film.

First Movie Ever Made?

What was the first movie ever made? It depends on what you consider to be a movie. In 1877, Eadweard Muybridge photographed a galloping horse using a split-second sequence of images, in order to prove the horse had all four hoofs off the ground. When displayed in real time, the sequence resembled to a motion picture.

Here is a link to stream what may be the earliest celluloid film. Roundhay Garden Scene (1888) was shot by Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince using the Le Prince single-lens camera.

Thomas Edison’s assistant, W.K. Laurie Dickenson, is often credited with building the first movie camera, movie projector (the “Kinetoscope”), and movie studio (the “Black Maria”). The first short films produced at Black Maria include “Fred Ott’s Sneeze,” “Buffalo Bill’s Shooting Skill,” and “Boxing Cats.” By 1894, the public could see these and similar films at Kinetoscope Parlors established in cities around the U.S., including New York and San Francisco. Only one person could view a Kinetoscope at a time, so the parlors had multiple machines lined against a wall.

Early Superman

Production photo from Superman (1948)

Before Superman Returns (2006), Superman (1978), and even the television series Adventures of Superman (1952-1958), there was the movie serial Superman (1948), starring Kirk Alyn in the title role. Though it may spoil the magic, this image reveals some of the technical wizardry that allowed him to fly through the air unaided by wires or trampolines. Alyn made a cameo appearance in the 1978 Superman movie as young Lois Lane’s father (they’re on a train together).

Longest Theatrical Run?

What movie has played continuously in a theater for the longest time? That depends on what you consider to be a movie. The 34-minute Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot has run in Colonial Williamsburg since 1957. In 2002, it was shown to its 30 millionth person.

Among feature-length movies, the record may go to the Indian-film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). It had played in a Bombay theater for more than 500 weeks, as of May 2005. The title translates as “The brave-hearted will take away the bride.” Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find out when its run ended, or if it’s still playing at the same theater.

Top Movie Quotes

Here are the top 20 movie quotes from the American Film Institute’s list of Top 100 Movie Quotes:

1. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. (Gone with the Wind, 1939)

2. I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse. (The Godfather, 1972)

3. You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. (On the Waterfront, 1954)

4. Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. (The Wizard of Oz, 1939)

5. Here’s looking at you, kid. (Casablanca, 1942)

6. Go ahead, make my day. (Sudden Impact, 1983)

7. All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up. (Sunset Blvd., 1950)

8. May the Force be with you. (Star Wars, 1977)

9. Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night. (All About Eve, 1950)

10. You talking to me? (Taxi Driver, 1976)

11. What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. (Cool Hand Luke, 1967)

12. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. (Apocalypse Now, 1979)

13. Love means never having to say you’re sorry. (Love Story, 1970)

14. The stuff that dreams are made of. (The Maltese Falcon, 1941)

15. E.T. phone home. (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, 1982)

16. They call me Mister Tibbs! (In the Heat of the Night, 1967)

17. Rosebud. (Citizen Kane, 1941)

18. Made it, Ma! Top of the world! (White Heat, 1949)

19. I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore! (Network, 1976)

20. Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. (Casablanca, 1942)

Woman in the Moon

Photo from Woman in the Moon (1929)

This silent German science-fiction film from Fritz Lang introduced the concept of counting backwards before a rocket lift-off. Lang was looking for a way to dramatize the launch and hit on the idea of having someone count down to zero. The count down procedure became commonplace in both films and novels and was later adopted by NASA for the real thing. This movie also explored the effects of zero gravity in space and accurately predicted a two-stage rocket powered by liquid fuel.

Shortest Movie Reviews

Leonard Maltin is credited with the shortest movie review. His review for Isn’t it Romantic? was simple and to-the-point, “no.” James Agee is supposed to have written off You Were Meant for Me with, “That’s what you think.” And Kenneth Tynan summed up the allure of I Am a Camera with, “Me no Leica.”

There’s even a website devoted to short movie reviews. The name of the site says it all: The Four Word Film Review. Examples of its four-words-or-less opinions include Groundhog Day (Monotony in Punxatawney), The Mummy (America’s first wrap star), The Ten Commandments (Runaway Jewry), and Citizen Kane (Publisher has last word).

Longest Movie Ever?

What’s the longest movie ever? According to the Guinness Book of Records, it would be the aptly named The Cure for Insomnia (1987), which runs an incredible 5,220 minutes (87 hours). It doesn’t have a plot and was shot on video rather than on film, so it may not technically quality as the world’s longest movie. And no, I haven’t seen it, though I did sit through a 190-minute screening of Michael Snow’s The Central Region (1970), which also doesn’t have a plot.

Other contenders for longest movie include the 1,620-minute The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (1928–1931), the 1,452-minute Grandmother Martha (1996), the 873-minute Resan (1987), the 773-minute Out 1 (1971), the 643-minute Evolution of a Filipino Family (2004), the 566-minute Shoah (1985), and the 511-minute War and Peace (1968).

Highest Grossing Movies

What are the highest grossing movies of all time? They may not be the ones you expect — if you adjust the ticket prices for inflation. Here’s the top 10 list using adjusted gross earnings, according to Box Office Mojo:

1. Gone with the Wind (1939)
$1,293,085,600 (unadjusted: $198,676,459)

2. Star Wars (1977)
$1,139,965,400 (unadjusted: $460,998,007)

3. The Sound of Music (1965)
$911,458,400 (unadjusted: $158,671,368)

4. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
$907,867,700 (unadjusted: $435,110,554)

5. The Ten Commandments (1956)
$838,400,000 (unadjusted: $65,500,000)

6. Titanic (1997)
$821,413,700 (unadjusted: $600,788,188)

7. Jaws (1975)
$819,704,400 (unadjusted: $260,000,000)

8. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
$794,466,900 (unadjusted: $111,721,910)

9. The Exorcist (1973)
$707,639,500 (unadjusted: $232,671,011)

10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
$697,600,000 (unadjusted: $184,925,486)

My Man Godfrey

Here’s a link to stream one of the best screwball comedies: My Man Godfrey (1936). This was the first film to be nominated for all four acting Oscars: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Coincidentally, it was the first year for the two supporting awards. My Man Godfrey was also nominated for the writing and directing Oscars.

To this day, it’s the only film to be nominated for all six awards and not be nominated for Best Picture. And to this day, it’s the only film to be nominated for all six awards and not win any of them.

If you prefer to download this classic public domain movie, you can visit here.