EARLY MOVIE MILESTONES

The following are just a few benchmarks in the development of the movies.

Edison invented a "kinetograph-camera/Kinetoscope-viewer for silent film in 1879.

The world's first movie theater opened in Paris in 1895.

On August 3, 1898, the first movie in the Twin Cities was shown at the Bijou Opera House in Minneapolis [by theater manager Theodore Hayes]

Safety film was developed by Eastman in 1901.

Early silents were sometimes shown at the Hamilton Block, probably starting around 1905.

The Scenic Theater on Hennepin Avenue opened in 1906. It was Minneapolis's first theater designed solely for showing movies

F&R opened the Princess, their first theater, on Seventh Street in St. Paul. Patrons got so excited they broke down the doors and smashed the glass.

In 1913, Edison invented the Kinetophone commercial talking picture.

In 1922, mechanical refrigeration was first installed in theaters. Up to this time, theaters had been cooled by having fans blow air over tons of ice.

Before the Park Theater opened in 1939, Park residents went to the Edina Theater on 50th, the Westgate at 44th and France, and the Royal Theater in Hopkins. In 1939 there were also prominent ads for the Uptown and Granada at Hennepin and Lake.

In 1953, CinemaScope widescreen film with 4-track surround sound was developed by Todd-AO (Mike Todd)/Ampex

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.