Category:1903, Top Films

1899 -- 1900 -- 1901 -- 1902

-- -- 1903, Top Films -- --

>> Film Studies (1900s) <<

1904 -- 1905 -- 1906 -- 1907

{en} [The] Great Train Robbery (USA 1903 Porter) <YouTube> -- A group of bandits stage a brazen train hold-up, only to find a determined posse hot on their heels.

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{fr} [The] Kingdom of the Fairies / Le royaume des fées (FRA 1903 Méliès) <YouTube> -- In this spectacular free adaptation of the popular theatre play "La Biche au Bois", the valiant Prince Bel-Azor pursues a baleful old witch to her impregnable castle, to save the beautiful young Princess Azurine.

{fr} Life and Passion of the Christ / Vie et Passion du Christ (FRA 1903 Nonguet) -- The story of Jesus Christ from the proclamation of his Nativity to his crucifixion. Impressive scenes and dynamism of the actors prelude to the Italian colossal movies of the silent period.

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{en} Alice in Wonderland (GBR 1903 Hepworth) <YouTube> -- This is the first movie version of the famous story. Alice dozes in a garden, awakened by a dithering white rabbit in waistcoat with pocket watch. She follows him down a hole and finds herself in a hall of many doors.

{en} East Side Urchins Bathing in a Fountain (USA 1903) <short> <YouTube> -- Shows a number of boys bathing in a fountain on the East Side. While they are at the height of their amusement, which consists of splashing the bystanders and swimming around, a policeman suddenly appears.

{en} [The] Gay Shoe Clerk (USA 1903 Edison) <short> <YouTube> -- A woman being fitted for shoes exposes her ankle to the shoe clerk, who is intrigued. He kisses her, but her chaperone hits him with her umbrella.

{en} Life of an American Fireman (USA 1903 Porter) <short> <YouTube> -- A fireman rushes into a carriage to rescue a woman from a house fire. He breaks the windowpanes and carries the woman to safety; after dangerous and uncertain moments he also saves the woman's son.

{fr} [The] Music Lover / Le Melomane (FRA 1903 Melies) <short> <YouTube> -- The leader of a marching band demonstrates an unusual way of writing music.

{en} [A] Scrap in Black and White (USA 1903 Abadie) <short> <YouTube> -- A young black boy and a white boy finally collapse in the centre of the ring after they have fought themselves to a stand-still. The referee proceeds to count them both out, and the seconds empty buckets of water on the fighters.

{en} Uncle Tom's Cabin (USA 1903 Porter) <YouTube> -- Based on the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Critical Reception

History of Cinema, Best Films (9)

-- ** The Great Train Robbery -- * The Music Lover [Le Melomane] (Melies) -- ~ Le Royaume des Fees (Melies) -- ~ Alice in Wonderland (Hepworth, Stow)

-- Mary Jane's Mishap (Smith) -- La lanterne magique (Melies) -- Desperate Poaching AffraY (Haggar) -- Le Chaudron infernal (Melies) -- Life of an American Fireman (Porter)