Cripple Creek Bar-room
First "Western" Movie Known, Produced by Thomas Edison.

One writer says, "Cripple Creek Bar-Room Scene,' a 46-second, one shot film produced by the Edison Manufacturing Company, is a decidedly unremarkable achievement, even for the era in which it was made. However, the film receives bonus marks for being, quite possibly, the first Western ever made, predating Edwin S. Porter's celebrated 'The Great Train Robbery' by four years. This title is regularly contested by film historians, many arguing over exactly what constitutes a Western. Admittedly, we may be missing the horses and the gunfights, but 'Cripple Creek Bar-Room Scene' adequately captures what would later become a staple in every Western film produced: the bar scene.

"The depicted scene takes place at a bar, with the stout barmaid (allegedly played by a man) watching three of her patrons good-naturedly playing cards at the nearest table, as a drunken topor sleeps by the door. In stumbles a bumbling drunkard who waltzes straight up to the bar and demands a whiskey. The barmaid complies, and the man turns to leave. As he reaches the door, the drunk notices the sleeping toper, and he mischievously flicks the hat off the sleeping man's head. The man wakes suddenly, stares indignantly around the room, and a minor scuffle breaks out. The ready-thinking barmaid, however, promptly escorts the men to the door to settle their disputes outside. The three card-playing cowboys congratulate the lady on a job well done.

"Cripple Creek Bar-Room Scene' isn't precisely a riveting cinematic experience, but it is an interesting little curio from the 19th century, and it paved the way for the likes of Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood and John Wayne in the next century. Essential viewing for all Western-lovers."