How rare it is in history for a scientific genius to also possess considerable business acumen and the ability to direct a large body of men working under him. Thomas Edison possessed all of those gifts. With one of the sharper minds granted to a man, he had the inspiration to invent hundreds of devices. He directed eventually a large work force of employees, some of whom had intellects almost as sharp as his. Finally he could take his inventions and develop markets for them.
Edison thought of “moving pictures” as doing for the eye what his phonograph did for the ear. In February of 1888 Edison met with chrono-photographer Eadweard Muybridge who used what he called a zoopraxiscope to rapidly project painted images on a screen to give the illusion of music. They announced they would combine this technology with Edison’s phonograph. From the outset Edison envisioned “talkies”. Most of the actual work in producing the first movies was done by Edison’s employee W. K. L. Dickson, who had served as Edison’s official photographer.
Edison devised the idea of a kinetoscope, but it was Dickson who brought it to reality, producing “moving” images by running strips of film across a light source. Dickson invented the first practical celluloid film to serve as the medium upon which the photographs would be placed. The first films were displayed as “peep shows” in penny arcades, the movies often focusing on boxing matches and other athletic contests.
Dickson went on to produce the first film for a pope, and had his camera blessed by Leo XIII. (more…)
A number of feature films and miniseries have been made about the events of the American Revolution. Here are my top ten choices for Fourth of July viewing:
10. The Devil’s Disciple (1959)- I am not a big fan of the plays of George Bernard Shaw, but this film has its moments. Set during the Saratoga campaign of 1777, Laurence Olivier was an inspired choice as General “Gentleman Johnnie” Burgoyne, and Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas as the two American protagonists have their usual fine chemistry together on film. Not a classic but certainly an overlooked gem.
9. The Crossing (2000)-A retelling of Washington’s brilliant crossing of the Delaware on Christmas 1776 and the battle of Trenton. This film would rank much higher on my list but for Jeff Daniels’ portrayal of Washington as sullen and out of sorts throughout the movie. Washington had a temper, and he could give vent to it if provoked, although he usually kept it under control, but the peevish Washington portrayed here is simply ahistoric and mars an otherwise good recreation of the turning point of the Revolution.
8. John Paul Jones (1959) Robert Stack, just before he rose to fame in the Untouchables, is grand in the role of the archetypal American sea hero. Bette Davis is absolutely unforgettable as Catherine the Great. The climactic sea battle with the Serapis is well done, especially for those pre-CGI days. The only problem with the film is that many of the details are wrong. This is forgivable to a certain extent since scholarship on Jones was badly skewed by Augustus Buell in a two volume “scholarly biography” which appeared in 1900. Buell was a charlatan who made up many incidents about Jones and then invented sources to support his fabrications. Buell was not completely exposed until Samuel Eliot Morison, Harvard professor of history, and an Admiral in the Navy, wrote his definitive biography of Jones. Here is a list of the fabrications of Buell compiled by Morison. Morison’s book appeared after the movie, which is to be regretted.
7. The Patriot (2000) Finally, a film which depicts the unsung contribution of Australians to victory in the American Revolution! Actually not too bad of a film overall. Heath Ledger is quite good as Gibson’s oldest son who joins the Continentals at the beginning of the war against his father’s wishes. Jason Isaacs is snarlingly good as the evil Colonel Tavington, very loosely based on Banastre Tarleton, commander of Tarleton’s Raiders during the Southern Campaign. The film of course allows Gibson to carry on his over-the-top vendetta against all things English. No, the British did not lock up American civilians in churches and burn them alive. However, the ferocity of the partisan fighting in the South is well depicted, and Banastre Tarleton at the Waxhaw Massacre earned a reputation for slaughtering men attempting to surrender. The final battle of the film is based on the battle of Cowpens where General Daniel Morgan decisively defeated Banastre Tarleton.
6. Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)-A John Ford classic starring Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert. Through the eyes of a young newlywed couple, Fonda and Colbert, the American Revolution on the frontier is depicted in the strategic Mowhawk Valley. Full of the usual Ford touches of heroism, humor and ordinary life.
5. Johnny Tremain (1957)-“Hundreds would die, but not the thing they died for. ‘A man can stand up…'” The poignant last line to Esther Forbes’ novel about the events leading up to the American Revolution, a passage so moving that it even inspired Bart Simpson with a brief interest in American history! The events in Boston from 1773-April 1775 seen through the eyes of a young apprentice silversmith. The book is unforgettable. The movie is American history a la Disney. The movie is good to watch, the book is must reading. (more…)
Donald R. McClarey
Paul Zummo
Almost Chosen People 