Western films |
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By decade |
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A list of the earliest Western films, by decade, released before 1920.
These exhibition films are silent shorts directed and produced by William K. L. Dickson at Thomas Edison's Black Maria studio, with William Heise as cinematographer. The performers in each film were members of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show with Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill themselves exhibiting their rifle shooting skills.[1] The two dances featured members of the Sioux nation who are believed to have been the first Native Americans to perform on film. The lasso thrower was Vicente Oropeza and the stuntmen staging the knife fight were Pedro Esquivel and Dionecio Gonzales. Two real-life rodeo riders, Lee Martin and Frank Hammitt, featured in Bucking Broncho, which was filmed outside the studio.[2]
Both of these films, which were scenes only, are believed lost. They were made by Alfred Clark for the Edison Manufacturing Company.[3][4]
This is a two-minute silent film drama shot in Blackburn, Lancashire, England by Mitchell and Kenyon. It is the earliest known dramatic work in the genre.[5]
These two films were produced by Edison's Black Maria and have been argued to be the first Western films.[6]
Filmed by Frederick S. Armitage for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, this depicts a poker game.[7]