1894 Short Movies

A man (Thomas Edison's assistant) takes a pinch of snuff and sneezes. This is one of the earliest Thomas Edison films and was the first motion picture to be copyrighted in the United States.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson - With Fred Ott

Annabelle Butterfly Dance(1894)

1min | Documentary

2.7/5 (with 20 votes)

Annabelle (Whitford) Moore performs one of her popular dances. For this performance, her costume has a pair of wings attached to her back, to suggest a butterfly. As she dances, she uses her long, flowing skirts to create visual patterns.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson - With Annabelle Moore

Carmencita(1894)

| 1min | Documentary

2.6/5 (with 29 votes)

The first woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the first woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States. In the film, Carmencita is recorded going through a routine she had been performing at Koster & Bial's in New York since February 1890.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson - With Carmencita

The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's)(1894)

1min | Comedy

2.9/5 (with 5 votes)

"A glove contest between trained cats. A very comical and amusing subject, and is sure to create a great laugh." (by Edison Films)

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson, William Heise

The Boxing Cats(1894)

1min | Documentary, Comedy, Action

3.0/5 (with 23 votes)

"A glove contest between trained cats. A very comical and amusing subject, and is sure to create a great laugh." (by Edison Films)

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson, William Heise

Annie Oakley(1894)

1min | Documentary, Western

3.0/5 (with 29 votes)

Annie Oakley was probably the most famous marksman/woman in the world when this short clip was produced in Edison's Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey. Barely five feet tall, Annie was always associated with the wild west, although she was born in 1860 as Phoebe Ann Oakley Mozee (or Moses)in Darke County, Ohio. Nevertheless, she was a staple in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show and similar wild west companies. Because of her diminutive stature, she was billed as "Little Sure Shot." The man assisting her is this appearance is probably her husband, Frank E. Butler. Annie had outshot Butler (a famous dead-eye marksman himself) in a shooting contest in the 1880's. Instead of nursing his bruised ego because he had been throughly outgunned by a woman, Butler fell in love, married Little Sure Shot, and became her manager.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson - With Annie Oakley

Buffalo Dance(1894)

1min | Documentary, Western

2.3/5 (with 21 votes)

Long before Hollywood started painting white men red and dressing them as 'Injuns' Edison's company was using the genuine article! Featuring for what is believed to be the Native Americans first appearance before a motion picture camera 'Buffalo Dance' features genuine members of the Sioux Tribe dressed in full war paint and costume! The dancers are believed to be veteran members of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Filmed again at the Black Maria studios by both Dickson and Heise the 'Buffalo Dance' warriors were named as Hair Coat, Parts His Hair and Last Horse. Its quite strange seeing these movies at first they all stand around waiting to begin and as they start some of the dancers look at the camera in an almost sad way at having lost their way of life.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson

The Barbershop(1894)

1min | Drama

2.5/5 (with 15 votes)

- No description / details available yet. -

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson

Falling Cat(1894)

1min | Documentary

2.7/5 (with 21 votes)

Directed by Étienne-Jules Marey, a French scientist, this is believed to be the first cat ever filmed in cinematic history. Jules Marey created the chronophotographic gun in 1882, a device which looked like a short barrelled shotgun with a magazine on top. It was capable of taking twelve consecutive frames a second. He used this to study various animals, the most famous study in what was called Marey’s ‘animated zoo’, was the one involving a cat which was dropped from a height of a few feet in order to see if it always landed on its feet.

Directed by Étienne-Jules Marey

Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph(1894)

1min | Documentary

2.5/5 (with 16 votes)

James J. Corbett and Peter Courtney meet in a boxing exhibition.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson, William Heise - With James John Corbett, Peter Courtney

Luis Martinetti, Contortionist(1894)

1min | Documentary

2.6/5 (with 10 votes)

Luis Martinetti, a contortionist suspended from acrobatic flying rings, contorts himself for about thirty seconds. This is one of the first films made for Edison's kinetoscopes.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson

Ad Protect Your Online Privacy with a VPN

Don't risk your personal information and online activities being exposed to hackers, government surveillance, and other online threats. A VPN encrypts your internet connection and hides your IP, giving you maximum security and privacy. Take control of your online safety, switch to a VPN now. Learn more:

Bucking Broncho(1894)

1min | Documentary

2.2/5 (with 12 votes)

Lee Martin, one of the cowboy stars in 'Buffalo Bill's Wild West', rides a bronco as a crowd looks on. While the horse is trying to throw Martin off its back, another cowboy stands on top of a fence rail and occasionally fires his six-shooter, to spur on both horse and rider.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson, William Heise

Leonard-Cushing Fight(1894)

1min | Documentary

2.6/5 (with 9 votes)

In the background, five fans lean on the ropes looking into the ring. The referee is to the left; like the fans, he hardly moves as two fighters swing roundhouse blows at each other. Mike Leonard, in white trunks, is the aggressor; in black, Jack Cushing stands near the edge of the ring, warily pawing the air as Leonard comes at him. A couple of punches land, but the fighters maintain their upright postures.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson

Chinese Opium Den(1894)

1min

1.6/5 (with 3 votes)

Lost film from 1894, directed by William K.L. Dickson.

Directed by William Kennedy Dickson

WatchPlayStream ID: LISTS:39046

Ad Protect Your Online Privacy with a VPN

1894 Short Movies

RSS feedEntries in this List

Dickson Experimental Sound Film(1894)

Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze(1894)

Annabelle Butterfly Dance(1894)

Carmencita(1894)

The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's)(1894)

The Boxing Cats(1894)

Annie Oakley(1894)

Buffalo Dance(1894)

The Barbershop(1894)

Falling Cat(1894)

Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph(1894)

Luis Martinetti, Contortionist(1894)

Ad Protect Your Online Privacy with a VPN

Bucking Broncho(1894)

Leonard-Cushing Fight(1894)

Chinese Opium Den(1894)

Current Recommendations(20)

New Movies

Favorite Movies

Favorite TV Shows

Favorite Providers