User Reviews

This is a time-lapse special effects film released in April 1901 and showing the demolition of the Star Theatre (formerly the Wallack Building) at the corner of Broadway and Thirteenth Street in New York City. According to publicity from the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, "a specially devised electric apparatus" took single exposures every four minutes, within brief normal-speed views at the film's start and close. The full title seems inexplicable-we see only demolition-until one reads Biograph's recommendation to exhibitors that the film also be run backward to see that it would then show the "building up" of the Star Theatre. I wonder why they would want to demolish what looks to be - at that time - a pretty sturdy modern looking building?

It is also interesting to see - when the film runs at normal speed - pedestrians in 1901 sharing the city streets with streetcars. I didn't see any automobiles in this one, as this is really before the mass production of the automobile.

It might be typical and ordinary for nowadays, but this footage represents the FIRST EVER Time-Lapse in filming history. The film starts with a 30 second regular motion of the theaters construction site and the surrounding buildings and street; a typical everyday life routine can be seen with pedestrians and vehicles( old fashioned automobiles and carriages ) crossing... From the first 30-sec of the footage , the Time-Laps kicks off; Shot once every four minutes in a 8-hour daylight period and lasting for 30 days ( the demo duration) , the Theatre is built with extraordinary architecture but meanwhile after the completion the footage is reversed indicating a Time-lapsed demolish of this immense structure! The main POINT of the footage is that unlike assumptions , the movie was recorded ONLY during the Demolish and not the construction ( since the building was built above 40 years before the shot) , so alongside the time-lapse , the director has made use of a fascinating Time Reverse seeming that the construction of the structure is recorded although it's just the DEMOLISH revised!!! Throughout the build and demolish a bunch of changes can be seen in the area: The awning of a building on the left front side ( probably a Cafe!!) is opened and shut several times and a misty smog and slight showers ( which seems like snow) are shown... Regardless of the modern era and it might be just a boring 3 minute "waste of time", this footage introduces a newborn revolution into the History of Cinema which is technically applied in the following motions and pictures... A MASTERPIECE for the 1900's!!!

Time-lapse photography is used to show the manual dismantling and demolition of New York's Star Theatre over a period of about thirty days.

I have to assume that the "building up" is simple dismantling shown in reverse, because if these builders were able to construct a theater in thirty days, that would be amazing in itself. But either way, is this the first time-lapse film? It had to be one of the first, and it really captures something grand.

We are also left to wonder about the building in the foreground that keeps taking its awning down and putting it back up up. While that was probably normal at he time, it seems strange today when awnings comes attached to the building and never go away.

A fascinating example of timelapse photography, and quite

possible the first. Shot from one angle, the movie begins with a

real time shot of a building across the street, the Star Theater.

Vehicles of all kinds crowd the street below, and the sidewalk is

bustling with people.

Then time flashes forward. As though watching somebody

dressed in layers of clothes start to strip, we watch as Star

disappears, pealed away layer by layer by an ant-like demolition

crew. The final shot, still from the same angle, is again in real

time, showing people and vehicles passing through the street,

past what is now a vacant lot.

We're so used to seeing examples of this same sort of scene

now, it's strangely unnerving to see it happen 102 years ago. The

picture quality of the print I saw was extremely crisp, and fine

details (even the faces of passersby on the street) were visible.

The only thing I didn't like so much was seeing a beautiful building

get torn down. Still, at least it was all captured on film for us to see

now. A fascinating document.

For 1901, this footage is impressive both in its creativity and in its quality. It would be easy to believe that it had been made much later than it actually was. The time-lapse technique works remarkably well, and it creates an interesting and very watchable movie.

The idea is a simple one, but ambitious for its time. As a massive old theater building was being torn down, a film crew from American Mutoscope & Biograph set up a stationary camera timed to take photographs at regular intervals over the entire course of the process, creating a fast-paced movie of the building's demolition. The illusion works perfectly, and it is also very interesting to watch. Almost as interesting as the building itself are some of the other details in the surrounding neighborhood. An awning in the foreground continually appears and disappears, along with many other such details.

The earliest film-makers often showed quite an imagination and some determined resourcefulness in their efforts to get the most out of their equipment. Although footage like this is now more commonplace and is easier to obtain, this pioneering effort well deserves to be remembered and watched.

Skyscrapers of New York from the East River (1903)

*** (out of 4)

A camera is placed on a boat and we get another view of the buildings in NYC. I'm not sure what time this film was shot but the streets are pretty empty.

Panorama from Tower of Brooklyn Bridge (1903)

*** (out of 4)

Biograph film from director Billy Blitzer who would eventually become famous for his work with D.W. Griffith. It's also worth noting that this was shot in 65mm.

Demolishing and Building Up the Star Theatre (1901)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Early gimmick film from Biograph uses exposures caught every four minutes to see the Star Theatre being built. At the end of the film the footage is shown backwards to bring the thing down.

Coney Island at Night (1905)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Edison film directed by Edwin S. Porter shows just what the title says. This film really isn't too interesting but it's worth noting that this was one of the first film that could show glowing lights thanks to a special camera built by Porter.

At about the turn of the century, an old theater was being torn down. Not wanting to lose an opportunity, the film makers film it--frame by frame and piecing it together using time-lapse footage. So, you see the building going from complete to completely demolished in only about 2 minutes.

This is a highly creative film for 1901 and must have impressed audiences of the day. Sure, in today's world audiences would not be particularly impressed, as time-lapse filming is taken for granted. Still, you have to admire all the time that went into making this--it must have taken months.

If you'd like to see it, it's included in the 50 film set "Treasures From American Film Archives"--a four-DVD set of mostly ephemeral old films that would have otherwise been lost and forgotten.