Edwin S. Porter
Edwin Stanton Porter was an American film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the Edison Manufacturing Company and the Famous Players Film Company. Influenced by both the "Brighton school" and the story films of Georges Méliès, Porter went on to make important shorts such as Life of an American Fireman (1903) and The Great Train Robbery (1903). In them, he helped to develop the modern concept of continuity editing, paving the way for D.W. Griffith who would expand on Porter's discovery that the unit of film structure was the shot rather than the scene. Porter, in an attempt to resist the new industrial system born out of the popularity of nickelodeons, left Edison in 1909 to form his own production company which he eventually sold in 1912. Porter remains an enigmatic figure in motion picture history. Though his significance as director of The Great Train Robbery and other innovative early films is undeniable, he rarely repeated an innovation after he had used it successfully, never developed a consistent directorial style, and in later years never protested when others rediscovered his techniques and claimed them as their own. He was a modest, quiet, cautious man who felt uncomfortable working with the famous stars he directed starting in 1912. He has directed four films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Life of an American Fireman (1903), The Great Train Robbery (1903), Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906) and Tess of the Storm Country (1914).
Jack and the Beanstalk
(Director of Photography)
The Great Train Robbery
(Director)
The Great Train Robbery
(Director of Photography)
His Neighbor's Wife
(Director)
A Heroine of '76
(Director)
The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog
(Director)
Life of an American Fireman
(Director)
Rescued from an Eagle's Nest
(Cinematography)
The Eternal City
(Director)
Dream of a Rarebit Fiend
(Director)
The Little Train Robbery
(Director)
Russia, the Land of Oppression
(Director)
A Romance of the Rail
(Director)
What Happened on Twenty-Third Street, New York City
(Director)
The Gay Shoe Clerk
(Director)
Jack and the Beanstalk
(Director)
The 'Teddy' Bears
(Director)
Uncle Tom's Cabin
(Director)
Uncle Josh's Nightmare
(Director)
Terrible Teddy, the Grizzly King
(Director)
Circular Panorama of Electric Tower
(Director)
Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show
(Director)
A Good Little Devil
(Director)
Pan-American Exposition by Night
(Director)
Trapeze Disrobing Act
(Director)
Panorama of Esplanade by Night
(Director)
Execution of Czolgosz with Panorama of Auburn Prison
(Director)
The Old Maid Having Her Picture Taken
(Director)
Another Job for the Undertaker
(Director)
Laura Comstock's Bag-Punching Dog
(Director)
The Martyred Presidents
(Director)
Fun in a Bakery Shop
(Director)
Interrupted Bathers
(Director)
Burning of Durland's Riding Academy
(Director)
The Burlesque Suicide, No. 2
(Director)
What Happened in the Tunnel
(Director)
New York City 'Ghetto' Fish Market
(Director)
Rube and Mandy at Coney Island
(Director)
Subub Surprises the Burglar
(Director)
The Ex-Convict
(Director)
Maniac Chase
(Director)
How a French Nobleman Got a Wife Through the 'New York Herald' Personal Columns
(Director)
European Rest Cure
(Director)
Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel
(Director)
Coney Island at Night
(Director)
The Night Before Christmas
(Director)
A Dull Razor
(Director)
An Animated Luncheon
(Director)
Ching Ling Foo Outdone
(Director)
The Magician
(Director)
Faust and Marguerite
(Director)
An Artist's Dream
(Director)
The Tramp's Unexpected Skate
(Director)
Why Mr. Nation Wants a Divorce
(Director)
Sampson-Schley Controversy
(Director)
Kansas Saloon Smashers
(Director)
The Mystic Swing
(Director)
The Extra Turn
(Director)
The Messenger Boy's Mistake
(Director)
Rector's to Claremont
(Director)
The Unappreciated Joke
(Director)
White Wings on Review
(Director)
New York City Dumping Wharf
(Director)
Sorting Refuse at Incinerating Plant, New York City
(Director)
Fireboat 'New Yorker' in Action
(Director)
New York Harbor Police Boat Patrol Capturing Pirates
(Director)
Panorama of Riker's Island, N.Y.
(Director)
Nervy Nat Kisses the Bride
(Director)
A Rube Couple at a County Fair
(Director)
The Strenuous Life; or, Anti-Race Suicide
(Director)
Buster Makes Room for His Mama at the Bargain Counter
(Director)
Pranks of Buster Brown and His Dog Tige
(Director)
Buster's Dog to the Rescue
(Director)
Buster Brown and the Dude
(Director)
Buster and Tige Put a Balloon Vendor Out of Business
(Director)
Scarecrow Pump
(Director)
Scenes and Incidents, Russo-Japanese Peace Conference, Portsmouth, N. H.
(Director)
How Jones Lost His Roll
(Director)
The Life of an American Policeman
(Director)
Police Chasing Scorching Auto
(Director)
The Seven Ages
(Director)
The Burglar's Slide for Life
(Director)
The Kleptomaniac
(Director)
The Train Wreckers
(Director)
The Miller’s Daughter
(Director)
The Watermelon Patch
(Director)
The White Caps
(Director)
Three American Beauties
(Director)
Babies Rolling Eggs
(Director)
A Winter Straw Ride
(Director)
Kathleen Mavourneen
(Director)
The Terrible Kids
(Director)
Getting Evidence
(Director)
The Rivals
(Director)
College Chums
(Director)
The Trainer’s Daughter, or A Race for Love
(Director)
Cohen’s Fire Sale
(Director)
A Little Girl Who Did Not Believe in Santa Claus
(Director)
Laughing Gas
(Director)
Tale the Autumn Leaves Told
(Director)
A Suburbanite's Ingenious Alarm
(Director)
Fireside Reminiscences
(Director)
Tess of the Storm Country
(Director)
Charleston Chain-Gang
(Director)
How They Do Things on the Bowery
(Director)
Scenes in an Infant Orphan Asylum
(Director)
The Old Maid in the Horsecar
(Director)
Rock of Ages
(Director)
Love by the Light of the Moon
(Director)
The Lighthouse by the Sea
(Director)
The Prisoner of Zenda
(Director)
Parsifal
(Director)
Dog Factory
(Director)
Photographing a Female Crook
(Director)
The Colored Stenographer
(Director)
The Count of Monte Cristo
(Director)
His Mother's Thanksgiving
(Director)
Hearts Adrift
(Director)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
(Director)
How the Office Boy Saw the Ball Game
(Director)
The Artist's Dilemma
(Director)
The Gay Shoe Clerk
(Director of Photography)
How the Office Boy Saw the Ball Game
(Director of Photography)
Getting Evidence
(Director of Photography)
Faust
(Director)
Hansel and Gretel
(Producer)
Miss Sherlock Holmes
(Director)
Sherlock Holmes, Jr.
(Director)
The Finish of Bridget McKeen
(Director)
Western Stage Coach Hold Up
(Director)
A Brush Between Cowboys and Indians
(Director)
The Life of an American Cowboy
(Director)
Zaza
(Director)
Sold
(Director)
The Life of a Cowboy
(Director)
Parsifal
(Director of Photography)
The Gentleman Burglar
(Director)
The Gentleman Burglar
(Scenario Writer)
A Good Little Devil
(Director of Photography)
Such a Little Queen
(Director)
A Winter Straw Ride
(Director of Photography)
Jack the Kisser
(Director)
Appointment by Telephone
(Director)
The Cord of Life
(Producer)
Lost Illusions
(Director)
Lost Illusions
(Writer)
R. F. Outcault Making a Sketch of Buster and Tige
(Director)
The Twentieth Century Tramp; or, Happy Hooligan and His Airship
(Director)
The Count of Monte Cristo
(Director of Photography)
The Count of Monte Cristo
(Editor)
Esquimaux Game of Snap-the-Whip
(Director of Photography)
Circular Panorama of Electric Tower
(Director of Photography)
Terrible Teddy, the Grizzly King
(Director of Photography)
What Happened in the Tunnel
(Director of Photography)
Fire and Flames at Luna Park, Coney Island (An Attraction at Coney Island)
(Director of Photography)
How Jones Lost His Roll
(Director of Photography)
The Night Before Christmas
(Director of Photography)
Three American Beauties
(Director of Photography)
Cupid’s Pranks
(Director of Photography)
Hearts Adrift
(Director of Photography)
Tess of the Storm Country
(Director of Photography)
Catching an Early Train
(Director)
The Reversible Divers
(Director)
Poor John
(Director)
Waiting at the Church
(Director)
I.B. Dam and the Whole Dam Family
(Director)
The Morals of Marcus
(Director)
The White Pearl
(Director)
In the Bishop's Carriage
(Director)
City Hall to Harlem in 15 Seconds, Via the Subway Route
(Director)
Aunt Sallie's Wonderful Bustle
(Cinematography)
Life Rescue at Long Branch
(Director)
Photographing a Country Couple
(Director)
The Burlesque Suicide
(Director)
Cupid’s Pranks
(Director)
Burning of St. Pierre (Martinique)
(Director)
Buster's Revenge on the Tramp
(Director)
Sunshine Sue
(Producer)
Dewar's Scotch Whisky
(Director)
On the Western Frontier
(Director)
Strange Adventure of New York Drummer
(Director)
Rounding Up of the “Yeggmen”
(Director)
Skirmish Between Russian and Japanese Advance Guards
(Director)
Skirmish Between Russian and Japanese Advance Guards
(Camera Operator)
Empire State Express, the Second, Taking Water on the Fly
(Camera Operator)
On a Good Old 5¢ Trolley Ride
(Camera Operator)
Dream of a Rarebit Fiend
(Producer)
Crossing Ice Bridge at Niagara Falls
(Camera Operator)
Desperate Encounter Between Burglar and Police
(Director)
The Attack on the Mill
(Director)
On the Brink
(Director)
The Price
(Director)
Day at the Circus
(Director)
Panoramic View of Electric Tower from a Balloon
(Director of Photography)
Capture of the Biddle Brothers
(Director)
The Great Train Robbery
(Writer)
The Great Train Robbery
(Producer)
Canoeing on the Charles River, Boston, Mass.
(Director of Photography)
Execution of Czolgosz with Panorama of Auburn Prison
(Director of Photography)
Electrocuting an Elephant
(Director of Photography)
Bella Donna
(Director)
Buster's Joke on Papa (I)
(Director)
Buster's Joke on Papa (II)
(Director)
Electrocuting an Elephant
(Director)
The Kiss
(Director)
A Country Girl's Seminary Life and Experiences
(Director)
Niobe
(Director)
The Prince and the Pauper
(Director)
Animated Painting
(Director)
When We Were Twenty-One
(Director)