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Edwin S Porter

Edwin S. Porter

Director

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).

Born: April 21, 1870 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, USA

Died: April 30, 1941 (Age 71)

Streaming Sources for all Edwin S. Porter Movies & TV Shows

Edwin S. Porter  Movies & TV Credits

Title Rating Job Role(s) Year
Movie
6.1
ActorHimself (archive footage) (uncredited)1982
Short Film
6.2
ActorPoliceman1903
Movie
5.8
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1914
Movie
2.6
DirectingDirector1915
Movie
6.1
DirectingDirector1913
Movie
5.7
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography, Editor1913
Short Film
6.8
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1914
Movie
6.4
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1914
Movie
DirectingDirector1914
Movie
5.7
DirectingDirector1913
Movie
5.5
DirectingDirector1915
Movie
5.5
DirectingDirector1915
Movie
DirectingDirector1915
Movie
DirectingDirector1915
Movie
5.6
DirectingDirector1915
Movie
DirectingDirector1915
Movie
DirectingDirector1915
Movie
DirectingDirector
Short Film
3.3
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
5.7
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
5
DirectingDirector1908
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1906
Short Film
4.8
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.1
CrewCinematography1901
Short Film
3.9
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
4.9
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
4.7
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
3.6
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
3.8
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1901
Short Film
4.2
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
5.8
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
4.7
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1908
Short Film
5.4
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
6.5
DirectingDirector, Producer1906
Short Film
2.6
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1903
Short Film
5.1
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.9
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1901
Short Film
4.2
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
4.1
DirectingDirector1908
Short Film
5.7
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
5.4
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1906
Short Film
4.6
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1905
Short Film
5
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
5.2
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1906
Short Film
6
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1902
Short Film
4.7
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.4
DirectingDirector1906
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
6.2
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4.8
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
5.1
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
5
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4.2
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
5.8
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.2
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
5.2
DirectingDirector1906
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
5.6
CrewCinematography1908
Short Film
4.9
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
5.1
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1908
Short Film
3.8
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1901
Short Film
5.8
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
5.7
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.6
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
5.1
ProductionProducer1909
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
5.2
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1903
Short Film
7.1
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography, Producer, Writer1903
Short Film
4.2
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
5
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
4.4
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
3.6
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.4
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
5
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
4.6
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
6.1
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1905
Short Film
4.6
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
5.1
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
4.6
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
5.2
DirectingDirector1906
Short Film
4.2
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4.4
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
5.1
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1906
Short Film
5.4
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
5.6
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
4.7
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
4.7
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
5
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1903
Short Film
5.6
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.7
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
5.7
DirectingDirector1911
Short Film
DirectingDirector, Director of Photography1904
Short Film
4.6
DirectingDirector, Camera Operator1904
Short Film
5.1
ProductionProducer1909
Short Film
4.9
CameraCamera Operator1905
Short Film
6.5
ProductionProducer1910
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1900
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
3.7
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4.1
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
3.9
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.6
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.6
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.7
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.2
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
5.1
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
4.9
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
DirectingDirector1909
Short Film
6.2
DirectingDirector1910
Short Film
5.7
DirectingDirector1910
Short Film
7.1
DirectingDirector1909
Short Film
5
DirectingDirector1906
Short Film
6.2
DirectingDirector, Writer1911
Short Film
5.2
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
4.9
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
3.3
DirectingDirector of Photography1901
Short Film
4.9
DirectingDirector of Photography1904
Short Film
4
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
4.1
DirectingDirector1907
Short Film
4.9
DirectingDirector1906
Short Film
4
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
5.2
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
5.6
DirectingDirector1899
Short Film
6.8
DirectingDirector1911
Short Film
4.2
CameraCamera Operator1905
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector of Photography1901
Short Film
5.6
DirectingDirector1911
Short Film
5.1
CameraCamera Operator1904
Short Film
5.2
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
5.2
DirectingDirector1910
Short Film
5.5
DirectingDirector1901
Short Film
5.1
DirectingDirector1905
Short Film
4
DirectingDirector of Photography1904
Short Film
4.3
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1903
Short Film
3.3
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
DirectingDirector1908
Short Film
6.2
DirectingDirector1913
Short Film
DirectingDirector1911
Short Film
DirectingDirector1908
Short Film
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
DirectingDirector1908
Short Film
4.8
DirectingDirector1911
Short Film
DirectingDirector, Scenario Writer1908
Short Film
5.3
DirectingDirector1904
Short Film
DirectingDirector1909
Short Film
4.5
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
DirectingDirector1902
Short Film
5.9
DirectingDirector1904
Title Rating Job Role(s) Year
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