Motion Picture Academy Salutes the Films of 1904

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences salutes the year 1904 and its developmental contributions to motion pictures with a program of selected films, “A Century Ago: The Films of 1904,” in the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study in Hollywood on Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

(Fittingly, this will also mark the centennial of special effects pioneer Linwood Dunn’s birth.)

After years as a technological novelty, interest in the motion picture had waned until the release in 1903 of several popular narrative films, most notably Thomas Edison’s “The Great Train Robbery,” as well as the important introduction of copyright protection for films that same year.

“A Century Ago: The Films of 1904” will reflect the progress inspired by these two events of the previous year and include a partial survey of turn-of-the-20th-century international filmmaking with trick films, actualities, primitive dramas and gag films. It will be highlighted by the one-reel “feature” films “The Great Train Robbery” (a scene-by-scene “recreation” of the classic Edison film by the Lubin company), “Parsifal” (the Edison company’s ambitious follow-up to “Train Robbery”) and a color-tinted print with live narration of “The Impossible Voyage” by George Mèliés.

The program will also feature “Buster Brown and His Dog Tige,” “The Opening of the New York Subway” and three different versions of the same story involving a man advertising for a wife in the personal columns by the Biograph, Edison and Lubin companies. All prints will be in 35mm and are drawn from the collections of the Academy, the Library of Congress, the George Eastman House and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Live musical accompaniment will be provided by Michael Mortilla.

The Linwood Dunn theater is located in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study at 1313 N. Vine St. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for students and Academy members. Tickets can be purchased from the Academy offices, 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or on the night of the event, if still available. Call 310-247-3600.