| The Dickson Experimental Sound Film | |
|---|---|
 Frame from restored version of The Dickson Experimental Sound Film (1894/95) | |
| Directed by | William Dickson |
| Starring | William Dickson |
| Cinematography | William Heise |
| Music by | Robert Planquette |
| Distributed by | Thomas A. Edison, Inc. |
Running time | 17 seconds |
| Country | United States |
The Dickson Experimental Sound Film is a film made by William Dickson in late 1894 or early 1895. It is the first known film with live-recorded sound and appears to be the first motion picture made for the Kinetophone, the proto-sound-film system developed by Dickson and Thomas Edison. (The Kinetophone, consisting of a Kinetoscope accompanied by a cylinder-playing phonograph, was not a true sound-film system, for there was no attempt to synchronize picture and sound throughout playback.) The film was produced at the "Black Maria", Edison's New Jersey film studio. There is no evidence that it was ever exhibited in its original format.
In 2003, The Dickson Experimental Sound Film was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and recommended for preservation.[1][2]
- ^ "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-09-29.