# 1903 in film

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
The year 1903 in film involved many significant events in cinema.

## Events

* Thomas Edison demolishes "America's First Movie Studio", the Black Maria.
* The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decides that federal copyright protection for "photographs" extends to motion pictures, and that filmmakers could copyright films as a whole rather than having to separately register each frame.
* The three elder Warner Bros. begin in the exhibition business and open their first theater, the Cascade.
* Gaston Méliès, Georges' brother, opens a branch of Star Film in New York to defend its production's copyrights.
* Adolph Zukor and Marcus Loew partner with Mitchell Mark to expand his chain of movie theaters.
* William N. Selig's war film A Soldier's Dream is released. The film shows soldiers playing cards and music around a campfire. Scholars have speculated that the double-exposed image used to create one soldier's dream sequence may have been inspired by Méliès.

## Notable films released in 1903
### A

* Alice in Wonderland, directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, based on the 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll – (GB)
* The Apparition (Le Revenant), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

### C

* Capital Execution (Henrettelsen), directed by Peter Elfelt – (Denmark)
* A Chess Dispute, directed by Robert W. Paul – (GB)

### D

* The Damnation of Faust, directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
* A Daring Daylight Burglary, by Frank Mottershaw – (GB)
* Desperate Poaching Affray, directed by William Haggar – (GB)
* Diving Lucy, produced by Mitchell and Kenyon – (GB)

### E

* Electrocuting an Elephant, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
* The Enchanted Well (Le Puits fantastique), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
* An Extraordinary Cab Accident, directed by Robert W. Paul – (GB)

### F

* Faust and Mephistopheles, directed by Alice Guy – (France)
* From Show Girl to Burlesque Queen, directed by A. E. Weed – (US)

### G

* The Gay Shoe Clerk, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
* The Georgetown Loop (Colorado), directed by Billy Bitzer – (US)
* The Great Train Robbery, directed by Edwin S. Porter, starring Broncho Billy Anderson – (US)

### H

* Hiawatha, the Messiah of the Ojibway (lost), directed by Joe Rosenthal – (Canada)

### I

* The Infernal Cake Walk (Le Cake-Walk infernal), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
* The Infernal Cauldron (Le Chaudron infernal), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
* The Inn Where No Man Rests (L'Auberge du bon repos), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

### K

* The Kingdom of the Fairies (Le Royaume des fées), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

### L

* Life and Passion of the Christ (Vie et Passion du Christ), directed by Lucien Nonguet and Ferdinand Zecca – (France)
* Life of an American Fireman, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)

### M

* The Magic Lantern (La Lanterne magique), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
* Mary Jane's Mishap, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
* The Melomaniac (Le Mélomane), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
* A Message from Mars (lost), by Franklyn Barrett – (NZ)
* Misfortune Never Comes Alone (Un malheur n'arrive jamais seul), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
* Momijigari (Viewing Scarlet Maple Leaves), directed by Tsunekichi Shibata, based on the 15th-century kabuki play by Kanze Nobumitsu – (Japan)
* The Monster (Le Monstre), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
* The Mysterious Box (La Boîte à malice), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

### O

* Old London Street Scenes, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
* The Oracle of Delphi (L'Oracle de Delphes), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

### P

* Panorama of Beach and Cliff House, produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company – (US)
* Petticoat Lane – (GB)

### R

* Rip Van Winkle, directed by William K. L. Dickson, based on the 1819 short story by Washington Irving – (US)
* Runaway Match, directed by Alf Collins – (GB)

### S

* The Sick Kitten, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
* Skyscrapers of New York City, from the North River, directed by J.B. Smith – (US)
* A Spiritualistic Photographer (La Portrait Spirite), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

### T

* The Terrible Turkish Executioner (Le Bourreau turc), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

### U

* Uncle Tom's Cabin, directed by Edwin S. Porter, based on the 1852 novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe – (US)

### W

* What Happened in the Tunnel, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
* The Witch's Revenge (Le Sorcier), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

## Births

| Month | Date | Name | Country | Profession | Died |
| January | 6 | Francis L. Sullivan | UK | Actor | 1956 |
| January | 6 | Stanley Smith | US | Actor, Singer | 1974 |
| January | 10 | Violet Wilkey | US | Actress | 1976 |
| January | 17 | Warren Hull | US | Actor, Singer | 1974 |
| January | 18 | Werner Hinz | Germany | Actor | 1985 |
| February | 11 | Rex Lease | US | Actor | 1966 |
| February | 16 | Edgar Bergen | US | Actor, Comedian, Ventriloquist | 1978 |
| February | 28 | Vincente Minnelli | US | Director | 1986 |
| March | 3 | Adrian | US | Costume Designer | 1959 |
| March | 4 | Dorothy Mackaill | US | Actress | 1990 |
| March | 16 | Dorothy Seastrom | US | Actress | 1930 |
| March | 20 | Edgar Buchanan | US | Actor | 1979 |
| April | 9 | Ward Bond | US | Actor | 1960 |
| April | 12 | Luis Moglia Barth | Argentina | Director, Screenwriter | 1984 |
| April | 15 | John Williams | UK | Actor | 1983 |
| April | 18 | Leonid Kinskey | Russia | Actor | 1998 |
| April | 26 | Dorothy Sebastian | US | Actress | 1957 |
| May | 2 | Bing Crosby | US | Singer, Actor | 1977 |
| May | 8 | Fernandel | France | Actor, Singer | 1971 |
| May | 14 | Billie Dove | US | Actress | 1997 |
| May | 15 | Anny Ondra | Poland | Actress | 1987 |
| May | 25 | Binnie Barnes | UK | Actress | 1998 |
| May | 29 | Bob Hope | UK | Comedian, Actor, Singer, Dancer | 2003 |
| June | 16 | Ona Munson | US | Actress | 1955 |
| June | 18 | Jeanette MacDonald | US | Singer, Actress | 1965 |
| June | 25 | Anne Revere | US | Actress, SAG Board Member | 1990 |
| July | 2 | LeRoy Mason | US | Actor | 1947 |
| September | 13 | Claudette Colbert | US | Actress | 1996 |
| September | 17 | Dolores Costello | US | Actress | 1979 |
| October | 20 | John Davis Lodge | US | Actor, Politician | 1985 |
| October | 22 | Curly Howard | US | Actor, Comedian | 1952 |
| November | 7 | Dean Jagger | US | Actor | 1991 |
| November | 12 | Jack Oakie | US | Actor | 1978 |
| November | 19 | Nancy Carroll | US | Actress | 1965 |
| December | 10 | Una Merkel | US | Actress | 1986 |
| December | 12 | Yasujirō Ozu | Japan | Director, Screenwriter | 1963 |
| December | 13 | Norman Foster | US | Actor, Director, Screenwriter | 1976 |
| December | 16 | Hardie Albright | US | Actor | 1975 |
| December | 21 | Maria Balcerkiewiczówna | Poland | Actress | 1975 |
| December | 26 | Elisha Cook, Jr. | US | Actor | 1995 |

## Deaths

* c. February 15 – Julie Verstraete-Lacquet, Flemish actress, dies at 69

## Debut

G. M. Anderson