Edwin Stanton Porter - American Filmmaker

Edwin Stanton Porter 

Date of birth: April 21, 1870
Date of Death: April 30, 1941

Porter was an American film pioneer, most famous as a director with Thomas Edison's company.
Porter's most important films are 'Life of an American Fireman' (1903) and 'The Great Train Robbery' (1903).


Porter was born and raised in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. He has three brothers and one sister. After attending public schools Porter later worked as a exhibition skater, a sign painter and a telegraph operator.
He got his interest in electricity at a young age and shared a patent at age 21 for a lamp regulator.

Edwin Stanton Porter, 1901

In 1899 Porter joined the Edison Manufacturing Compan. Soon afterward he took charge of the motion picture production at Edison's New York studios, operating the camera, directing the actors, and assembling the final print. During the next decade he became the most influential filmmaker in the United States. From his experience as a touring projectionist Porter knew what pleased the crowds. He began making trick films and comedies for Edison. Like all early filmmakers, he took the ideas from others, but rather than simply copying films he tries to improve what he borrowed. In his Jack and the Beanstalk (1902) and Life of an American Fireman (1903) he followed early films by France's George Méliès and members of England's Brighton School, such as James Williamson.


Source: www.wikipedia.org-EdwinPorter