History of Cinematography
Cinema is much younger than theatre. It was born at the end of the 19th century. The first people who showed the first movies to a paying public were the Lumiere Brothers of France. They did this on the 20th February 1896 at the Grand Cafe, Boulevard des Capucines, Paris. This was the first cinema show and it was quickly followed by many others in all parts of the world. All the 1996 we celebrated the hundredth anniversary of cinematography.
The first films showed moving people and transport or newsreels of processions and wars, and short comedies. In 1901 France was the first country to produce a dramatic film, The Story of a Crime, which was followed by The Great Train Robbery in the United States in 1903.
At first, films were shown anywhere: in music halls, clubs and shops. By 1908, special film theatres were built to give regular programmes. At this time cinema rapidly developed in both the New and the Old World. Charlie Chaplin made his first film, Making a living, in 1914 in the USA. At that time the world was crazy about Charlie, that was created by Charlie Spencer Chaplin. His Charlie, small and clumsy yet kind-hearted, generous and brave, has attracted the hearts of simple people in different countries. Sometimes they stood in long queues to see a film with their favourite actor. The first films in the West were mainly melodramas or comedies.
Then, in 1927, Warner Brothers in Hollywood made the first film in which an actor sang and spoke. The film was called Jazz Singer. It opened a new era in films - the era of the “talkies”. The film mostly told its story with titles, but it had three songs and a short dialogue. There were long lines of people in front of the Warner Theatre in New York. The silent film was dead within a year. The first one hundred percent sound film, “Lights of New York”, appeared in 1928.
The first colour films were made in the 1930s, but the black-and-white films are made even today.
1. When was the cinema born?
2. Who showed the first movie?
3. Which country produced the first dramatic film?
4. When did the first colour film appear?
5. Who is Charley Chaplin?
Writing
Task 2. Make the film review using the questions.
Title of the movie
Title of the review
1. Who is the main character\actors in the movie? Give a summary of the plot.
2. What is the possible theme or moral for this story?
3. Who would like this movie?
4. What is your opinion of the movie?
5. Would you recommend the movie? Why or why not?
) It was born at the end of the 19th century.
2) The first dramatic film was produced in France.
3) The Jazz Singer opened a new era in films — the era of the “talkies”, or sound films.
4) At first, people could see films anywhere: in music halls, clubs and shops
5) The Russian film industry produced such great films as Protazanov’s The Queen of Spades (1916) and Father Sergius (1918). A little later The Battleship “Potemkin” came to the screen.
6) The silent film was over within a year.
7) The first one hundred percent sound film, Lights of New York, appeared in 1928, and the first colour films — in the 1930s.