American Cinema in 1912

In 1912 Lillian and Dorothy Gish make their debut, Sidney Olcott films the story of Christ in the Holy Land, and D. W. Griffith directs a gangster movie that influenced Scorsese.

Elmer Booth in D.W. Griffith's The Musketeer of Pig Alley (1912)

Key developments

Carl Laemmle merges six independent companies to form Universal Film Manufacturing Co.

Edison's What Happened to Mary, the first serial, is released. Kathlyn Williams stars as its plucky heroine.

Mack Sennett co-founds Keystone Studios.

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Key films

The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)

Griffith’s influential urban crime drama is often cited as the first gangster film.

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An Unseen Enemy (1912)

A pivotal Biograph thriller starring the Gish sisters, notable for Griffith’s tense cross-cutting and early development of cinematic suspense.

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People who made their mark

Lillian Gish

Major silent-screen actress celebrated for her work with D. W. Griffith and later filmmakers.

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D. W. Griffith

Pioneering director whose narrative techniques shaped early feature filmmaking, amid a contested legacy.

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Carl Laemmle

Universal Pictures founder and an early champion of the Hollywood star system.

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Mabel Normand

Groundbreaking comedienne who played a major role in Keystone’s formative years.

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Sidney Olcott

Pioneering director and producer noted for extensive location filmmaking before Hollywood’s rise.

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Mary Pickford

“America’s Sweetheart,” a leading silent star, producer and co-founder of United Artists.

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Mack Sennett

Founder of Keystone Studios and a key creator of American slapstick comedy.

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Adolph Zukor

The founder of Paramount Pictures and a central architect of the Hollywood studio system.

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Active studios

Biograph

From 1908 Biograph became the USA's prominent studio thanks to the groundbreaking work of director D. W. Griffith.

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IMP

Carl Laemmle’s Independent Moving Picture Co existed for only three years, but holds an important place in American cinema.

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Kalem

A pioneering studio that at first owned no active studio, Kalem was the first American company to send units to film in foreign lands.

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Vitagraph

Founded in 1897 by two Englishmen, Vitagraph found early success by recreating marine battles in a bathtub...

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