First Movie Ever Made

Person A: Which was the first ever movie in the history of cinema?
Person B: What are you talking about? First movie ever made in color? First movie with sound? Or first commercial movie?
Person A: (scratches head and gives up!)

An all-inclusive, straightforward answer is not what I have here. You say what do you consider as a movie, and I'll tell you the right answer. The very first movie could be a set of moving images, or could be a full-fledged movie with a tinge of action, drama, thrill, comedy, and a tad-bit of romance. Movies first had a set of motion pictures, then had colors, followed by sound, and so, the enhancement happened. Today, it's pretty hard to focus on your popcorns when you're spellbound by the mind-boggling special effects in movies. But which was that first movie which was a revolution in itself? Which marked the beginning of the entertainment era? I think, the best way to answer would be segregating them into various sections as follows.

First Movie Ever Made (Debated)

Allegedly, Roundhay Garden Scene is debated over to be the oldest movie. It was made by inventor Louis Le Prince, and was shot in the year 1888. The Guinness Book of Records talks about this movie to be the earliest surviving motion picture, having recorded at 12 frames per second, that ran for as less as two seconds. Hmm! And do you know what's in it? This movie was shot in the garden of the Whitley family house, in Oakwood Grange Road, Roundhay. Featuring Adolphe Le Prince who was Le Prince's son, Joseph Whitley, Mrs. Sarah Whitley, and Miss Harriet Hartley, it shows all of them laughing and enjoying in the garden. It wouldn't be wrong to state that the English film industry has its roots from the Oakwood Grange Road garden! Other contenders of the category include The Horse in Motion (1878), Strongman Sandow (1890), The Great Train Robbery (1903).

First Movie in Color

Okay, there are two answers to this one, but sure-shot ones this time! The first movie with color was A Visit to the Seaside, shot in 1908. This movie, shot in UK, was the first successful movie in natural color, and was filmed with Kinemacolor, the first motion picture color process. A Visit to the Seaside features people from Brighton doing various activities and runs for 8 minutes. Having unarguably high historical significance, this movie was directed by George Albert Smith.

The second debated entry was With Our King and Queen Through India, shot in 1912. This movie was a silent film, released on Feb 2, 1912, and was a British Documentary. Including celebrations in India, this film-making was dedicated to the coronation of George V, who is known as The Durbar of Delhi. While the original film was approximately six hours, the surviving prints are approximately 3 hours, or 126 minutes. Other movies under this category include Little Lord Fauntleroy (1914), The Gulf Between (1917), and The Wizard of Oz (1939).

First Movie With Sound

It was the first movie to be made in America as well! Well, we have The Jazz Singer topping this list, which was released in the year 1927. The title makes it obvious that this was an American musical movie with synchronized dialog sequences, and was based on a play by Samson Raphaelson. The world saw a rapid decline in the era of silent films when The Jazz Singer hit the screens as the first talkie. This movie is produced by none other than Warner Bros. and starred Al Jolson performing on six songs. The Jazz Singer was directed by Alan Crosland. Other subsequent movies that trailed the path of The Jazz Singer were The Perfect Crime (1928), Lights of New York (1928), and The Singing Fool (1928).

Heard it somewhere, asking about which was the first movie ever made is like asking what came first; chicken or the egg? It made me perplexed as to what to call a movie, let alone the first one ever made. To ease up, I put forth a description of movie firsts for you. Comprehensive information on entertainment and media is welcome. I'll await your answers too. Correct me, if you must.