Before the Nickelodeon: The Cinema of Edwin S. Porter (1982)

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Blanche Sweet	...	Narrator (voice)
	Jay Leyda	...	Reader - Thomas A. Edison (voice)
	Rob Issen	...	Reader - Corbett-Courtney Fight (voice)
	Robert Sklar	...	Reader - Porter's Naval Record (voice)
	Robert Rosen	...	Reader - Vitascope's First Night (voice)
	Mitchell Kriegman	...	Reader - 'Kiss' Review (voice)
	Peter Davis	...	Reader - Eden Musee / War Films (voice)
	D.A. Pennebaker	...	Reader - Film as a Visual Newspaper (voice)
	Milos Forman	...	Reader - The Biddle Brothers (voice)
	Warren Leight	...	Reader - Terrible Teddy (voice)
	Rick King	...	Reader - Sampson-Schley Controversy (voice)
	Anthony Potter	...	Reader - Fighting the Flames (voice)
	Louis Malle	...	Reader - Melies Catalogue (voice)
	Robert Altman	...	Reader - 'Jack And The Beanstalk' Promo (voice)
	Jim Walton	...	Reader - 'Jack And The Beanstalk' (voice)

Storyline

This documentary is produced by one of the world's foremost authorities and biographers of Edwin S. Porter. Since little is known of Porter's personal life, the emphasis here is on his technique and contributions to the art of the cinema. This film also serves as a documentary on the origins of the American cinema; Porter's work is showcased in the context of the whole American cinema of his day, from mutoscope parlors to the advent of the projected image. Written by Thomas McWilliams <tgm@netcom.com>  

Details

Company Credits

Technical Specs

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