The Martyred Presidents Explained

The Martyred Presidents
Director:Edwin S. Porter
Starring:See below
Cinematography:Edwin S. Porter
Runtime:1 minute
Country:United States
Language:English

The Martyred Presidents is a 1901 American film directed by Edwin S. Porter.

Plot summary

The film, just over a minute long, is composed of two shots. In the first, a girl sits at the base of an altar or tomb, her face hidden from the camera. At the center of the altar, a viewing portal displays the portraits of three U.S. PresidentsAbraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley—each victims of assassination.[1]

In the second shot, which runs just over eight seconds long, an assassin kneels at the feet of Lady Justice.

Production

Evocative of early magic lantern and Phantasmagoria shows, The Martyred Presidents is part of a cycle of films made by the Edison Studios to chronicle the McKinley assassination in Buffalo, New York at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition.[2] An Edison catalog from the time suggests to exhibitors that The Martyred Presidents be used as a closing tableau when "...shown in connection with the funeral ceremonies of the illustrious McKinley."[3]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Niver . Kemp R. . The First Twenty Years: A Segment of Film History . 1968 . Locare Research Group . 21 . 8 February 2024.
  2. Musser. Charles. The Early Cinema of Edwin Porter. Cinema Journal. Autumn 1979. 19. 1. 16–17.
  3. Web site: The martyred presidents / Thomas A. Edison, Inc.. 9 March 2013.