List of the First 10 Hit Films at the Box Office

 

The film industry first became known and attracted global attention at the end of the 19th century. It began in 1895 when the first film screening was held using the Cinématographe device created by the Lumière brothers. The first film showed workers leaving the Lumière Factory after work.

Next, special effects and narrative storytelling in films began to be used by Georges Méliès, creating iconic films such as A Trip to the Moon (1902). The first feature film produced in Hollywood was The Squaw Man (1914). Hollywood became a dominant film production place in the world.

Below is a list of the first 10 films that entered the box office and their brief synopsis:

(Source: Bergan, Ronald. (2011). The Film Book: A Complete Guide to the World of Film. New York. DK Publishing.)

1. Worker Leaving the Lumiere Factory (Lumiere Brothers, France, 1895)

This film, lasting less than one minute, is a short silent film depicting the condition of workers leaving the Lumière factory after work. The scene shows the gate opening, workers rushing out of the factory, and ends with the gate closing again.

2. Watering the Gardener (Louis Lumiere, France, 1895)

This film lasts less than one minute and is in the comedy genre. It tells the story of a man watering plants using a hose. Then a child appears and steps on the hose, stopping the water flow. The confused man tries to look into the hose hole, and suddenly water sprays out because the child releases his foot. The film ends with the man watering the plants again after punishing the child.

3. The Demolition of a Wall (Louis Lumiere, France, 1896)

This film lasts 1 minute 30 seconds and shows the process of workers demolishing a wall. The film uses a reverse effect where after the wall is demolished, the scene is replayed backward, making it seem like the wall rebuilds itself. This effect amazed audiences at that time.

4. A Trip to the Moon (Georges Melies, France, 1902)

This film is a short film lasting 13 minutes in the sci-fi genre and has a sequel titled Around The Moon (1870). In this film, we can find several transition effects, more diverse tools, and certainly an increased level of production difficulty. Besides the sci-fi genre, viewers can also see various funny and entertaining scenes.

The film tells the story of a group of astronomers who have a desire to go to the moon. They then build a capsule that will be used by some of them to go there. The capsule lands right in the eye of the moon.

The astronomers begin to explore and rest on the moon. They see various celestial objects and also meet the moon inhabitants. Afraid of the threat from the moon inhabitants, they return to Earth using the capsule and land in the sea. The film ends with a celebration of their successful return to Earth.

5. The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter, US, 1903)

This film is a short film lasting 12 minutes in the action genre. It depicts several elements including the strong western film tradition and the latest film technique innovations from Europe. The story is possibly inspired by the real-life stories of famous criminals like Butch Cassidy.

The film tells the story of two bandits trying to rob a train. They enter the telegraph room and ask the officer to send a message to the locomotive to stop for water. When the train stops, the other criminal partner sneaks into the train. Knowing there are robbers, the officer immediately secures valuables, but they are eventually taken by the robbers.

The criminals ask the engineer to stop and release the locomotive carriage. Passengers are forced to get off and hand over their valuables. They then flee into the forest. The film ends with the defeat of the criminals by cowboys who received information from the surviving telegraph officer.

6. The Melomaniac (Georges Melies, France, 1903)

This film lasts approximately 3 minutes with the musical comedy genre. Melies himself takes the role of the main character, the music master. The use of more difficult effects begins, such as multiple exposure and substitution splice, which allow Melies to appear many times in one scene.

This film tells the story of a maestro who wants to create music. He makes music in a unique way by attaching musical notes on a staff. However, the notes are formed from the maestro’s head, which is thrown upwards. After successfully making the song, the players read the notes accompanied by drums. The film ends with the players leaving the stage.

7. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Georges Melies, France, 1907)

This short film lasts 10 minutes with the fantasy and sci-fi genres. It is adapted from the novel by Jules Verne in 1870 titled Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. This is the first film that uses the adaptation method from a book.

A sailor, taken by the Spirit of The Sea, becomes part of a submarine project. While inside the submarine, he sees many amazing things such as mermaids dancing, and others. However, the submarine breaks down, forcing him to face terrifying and dangerous creatures like crabs, octopuses, and others. This film ends with the reality that the sailor was actually asleep and all he faced was just a dream.

8. The Tunnel Under the English Channel (Georges Melies, France, 1907)

This film lasts 15 minutes with the fantasy and adventure genres. Méliès takes part in the film by playing an engineer who presents the blueprint for the tunnel. Several special effects are used in this film, such as stage machinery, pyrotechnics, substitution splices, superimpositions, and dissolves. This film also uses music, voice narration, and dialogue, unlike previous films.

This film tells the story following King Edward VII and President Armand Fallières who have the desire to build a tunnel under the English Channel connecting England and France. After long discussions about the plan, they return to their respective homes to rest. Both have the same dream about the tunnel.

King Edward VII and President Armand Fallieres found it difficult to visit each other because of the channel that separated their countries. They then tried to make a path underground. After some time, the tunnel was finally completed.

The first train ran from France to England carrying President Armand Fallieres inside. They celebrated this event. The film ends with both waking up from their sleep due to a nightmare about a train accident inside the tunnel that ultimately destroyed the tunnel. This dream made them cancel the tunnel construction plan.

9. The Squaw Man (Cecil B. DeMille, US, 1914)

This film lasts 1 hour and 14 minutes and is the first feature-length film in Hollywood. It was DeMille’s directorial debut. The film is adapted from a 1905 stage drama of the same title by Edwin Milton Royle. Additionally, DeMille made two other versions: a silent remake in 1918 and a talkie version in 1931. Some scenes were cut, including a tied-up detective scene and shortened scenes of a man’s death and a man falling from a rock.

The film tells the story of Captain James Wynnegate, an English nobleman who, along with his cousin Henry, is entrusted with managing funds for orphans. However, Henry uses the funds to pay off his debts. This causes James to be responsible for the embezzlement scandal. He flees to the American West to protect his family’s name.

In Wyoming, James starts a new life as a rancher and falls in love with a Native American woman named Nat-U-Ritch. Their peaceful life is disturbed when James learns that he has inherited an English title and must return to England. Conflict arises when Nat-U-Ritch realizes she cannot accompany him due to cultural and social barriers. Ultimately, she tragically commits suicide so James can take their son to England and give him a better future.

10. The Birth of a Nation (D. W. Griffith, US, 1915)

This film has the longest duration among the nine films, lasting 3 hours and 15 minutes. It is adapted from the 1905 novel of the same title by Thomas Dixon Jr., revised by Griffith and Frank E. Woods. This was the first film screened inside the White House, also watched by President Woodrow Wilson, his family, and cabinet members. Although this film is technically innovative, it received much controversy for touching on themes of racism and glorification.

The film tells the story of two families—the Northern Stonemans and the Southern Camerons—during and after the American Civil War. The story begins with the outbreak of the war, showing how it divided the country and affected both families. When the South was defeated and Reconstruction began, the film depicts increasing tensions between newly freed Black citizens and Southern white citizens.

The main conflict centers on the Southern whites’ fear of social upheaval and perceived threats to white society. The film controversially portrays the Ku Klux Klan as heroes restoring order. It ends with a family reunion and a depiction of a peaceful, white-dominated America.

 

Most films from that era were black and white and without dialogue or sound. Although early storytelling might seem unique and sometimes illogical—for example, journeys to the moon or under the sea—the stories were still interesting, creative, and innovative. Additionally, editing techniques and image presentation improved year by year, considering the limited information available at the time.

Interested in watching? Some of these films can be easily found on YouTube or other platforms. But of course, without sound, hehe.

 (Aluna)