A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2025 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

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[Edison Comedy with Fred Ott]
(189?) United States of America
B&W : Short film
Directed by W.K.L. Dickson

Cast: Fred Ott, [?] ? [the office boy].

Edison Manufacturing Company production. / Cinematography by W.K.L. Dickson. / Kinetoscope 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / [?] Most likely shot early in 1893? Early Kinetograph camera films were shot at approximately 48 frames per second. Perhaps the first motion picture comedy.

Comedy.

Synopsis: A view of Edison employee Fred Ott at a desk. A young office boy sneaks up on Ott and sprinkles him from a pepper box. Ott sneezes.

Survival status: (unknown)

Current rights holder: Public domain.

Listing updated: 9 February 2015.

References: Ramsaye-Million pp. 82-83.