AllMovie

This documentary represents the first in a two-part series of nonfiction programs to provide a historical overview of the evolution of motion picture technology. This particular volume begins in 1893, when Edison and William Dickson co-designed the earliest prototype of a film projector - christened "The Kinetograph" - and follows history up through the 1930s, when motion pictures had evolved into a common entertainment for the masses and educationally-oriented motion pictures were commonplace. It also discusses how movie projectors gradually became more and more refined in their technological elements, to a point where projector repair and maintenance required advanced training and expertise. The program also touches on the way in which projector manufacturers of the 1930s schooled projectionists via educational films on projector maintenance.