This collection includes the entire holdings of Thomas Edison films (a total of 140) belonging to the Museum of Modern Art, offering a rare opportunity to see a broad range of the kinds of films that were produced in New York at the Edison Studios during the earliest period of film production, from 1894 through 1919.
In addition to the meticulous presentation of these historic prints of films from a few seconds to as much as twenty minutes each, there is copious historical documentation provided by Charles Musser, author of Nickelodeon: The Invention of the Movies. Moreover, each of the films is accompanied by extensive commentary by Charlie, myself, and a host of other silent film experts.
My contribution includes commentary on Edison's Watermelon Films, his early version of Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1903 and films dealing with ethnic stereotypes in general. I have used this set in a variety of ways with film classes both at Cornell and at the Graduate Center with great success. Instead of having to begin discussion of silent film in the teens with Birth of a Nation, this set makes it possible to present to students and others this earliest period of film production, arguably the most exciting and varied period, and thereby to better understand how films developed into what they are today.
There are some really extraordinary gems that would be of particular interest to different people. Not only does this set pretty much include all the films that might have formerly been excluded because they aren't politically correct, there are many films which don't necessarily comment on the status of African Americans but which reveal other telling things about American values. For instance, there is a brief actuality (the earliest one shot films) in which an elephant is electrocuted to death. The image of the smoke coming out of his head and his falling over dead is still seared into my consciousness. There's an intricate anti-Semitic film in which a shopkeeper goes to elaborate lengths to recover his property. Among the early actualities, there are Native American performances from acts who participated in the annual Wild West Shows featured at U.S. world's fairs.
I recognize and accept that lots of people will never much care for silent film. But if you do like silent film, this would be an excellent introduction to this fascinating period of our history.
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