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Life of an American Fireman

  • 19031903
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 6m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2.4K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Life of an American Fireman (1903)
  • Short
  • Action
A fireman rushes into a carriage to rescue a woman from a house fire. Breaks the window glasses and he goes down with the woman. After dangerous and uncertain moments, the fireman save the w... Read allA fireman rushes into a carriage to rescue a woman from a house fire. Breaks the window glasses and he goes down with the woman. After dangerous and uncertain moments, the fireman save the woman' s son, too.A fireman rushes into a carriage to rescue a woman from a house fire. Breaks the window glasses and he goes down with the woman. After dangerous and uncertain moments, the fireman save the woman' s son, too.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2.4K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • George S. Fleming(uncredited)
    • Edwin S. Porter(uncredited)
  • Writer
    • Edwin S. Porter(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Edwin S. Porter(uncredited)
    • Vivian Vaughan(uncredited)
    • Arthur White(uncredited)
Top credits
  • Directors
    • George S. Fleming(uncredited)
    • Edwin S. Porter(uncredited)
  • Writer
    • Edwin S. Porter(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Edwin S. Porter(uncredited)
    • Vivian Vaughan(uncredited)
    • Arthur White(uncredited)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 19User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos11

    Thomas A. Edison in Uncle Josh's Nightmare (1900)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)
    Life of an American Fireman (1903)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Edwin S. Porter
    Edwin S. Porter
    • Policemanas Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    Vivian Vaughan
    • The Girlas The Girl
    • (uncredited)
    Arthur White
    Arthur White
    • The Firemanas The Fireman
    • (uncredited)
    James H. White
    • Fire Chiefas Fire Chief
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • George S. Fleming(uncredited)
      • Edwin S. Porter(uncredited)
    • Writer
      • Edwin S. Porter(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Porter's sequential continuity editing links several shots to form a narrative of firemen responding to a house fire. They leave the station with their horse drawn pumper, arrive on the scene, and effect the safe rescue of a woman from the burning house. But wait, she tells them of her child yet asleep in the burning bedroom . . . —Thomas McWilliams <tgm@netcom.com>
    • national film registry
    • firehouse
    • sliding down a firepole
    • child in jeopardy
    • fire
    • 13 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Short
      • Action
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      There are actually two versions of this film. One version (the re-edit) was shown to the public as a demonstration of the earliest use of editing. It was later discovered that somebody re-edited this film in the 1930s or 1940s based on the real footage that had been salvaged. In the original version of the film, the interior point of view is shown first and completed. Then the exact same action repeating itself is shown again from the exterior.
    • Connections
      Featured in Hollywood (1980)

    User reviews19

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Early Works of Film Directors-Review # 3: George S. Fleming and Edwin S. Porter's Life of an American Fireman
    Once again, I'm reviewing another of Edwin S. Porter's early films. In this one, a fireman wakes up and goes to work when an emergency is called out. So he and his men go to rescue some people and put out the fire. This was an early film that employed many cuts though some of those scenes took a static approach in depicting the action such as when you see fire vehicle after vehicle moving across the screen without any cuts to any particular vehicle. So the rescue scenes aren't as exciting to watch as when cross-cutting were employed in later films. So in summary, Life of an American Fireman was interesting and nothing else. Now on to Porter's most famous work: The Great Train Robbery...
    helpful•0
    0
    • tavm
    • Dec 6, 2021

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 1903 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • None
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Life of an American Fireman
    • Filming locations
      • East Orange, New Jersey, USA
    • Production company
      • Edison Manufacturing Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      6 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    'Breakfast Club,' 'Rushmore' Among Films Added to National Film Registry
    'Breakfast Club,' 'Rushmore' Among Films Added to National Film Registry
    Dec 14Rollingstone.com
    National Film Registry: 25 New Films Added, Including ‘Rushmore’ and ‘The Decline of Western Civilization’
    National Film Registry: 25 New Films Added, Including ‘Rushmore’ and ‘The Decline of Western Civilization’
    Dec 14Indiewire

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