Annie Oakley (1894) FULL VIDEO

 

Annie Oakley (1894)

Director: William K.L. Dickson

Cast: Francis E. Butler, Annie Oakley

Filming Date: November 1, 1894

Country of Origin: USA

Oakley is shown in the movie doing trick shooting, which she was well-known for in her live performances. In the opening scene, Oakley fires her Marlin 91.22 caliber rifle twenty-five times in twenty-seven seconds. She also shoots composition balls into the air in another scenario. Frank E. Butler, her husband, is probably the one helping her. They had both worked on Buffalo Bill's Wild West act.

The 1894 American silent black-and-white film Annie Oakley was produced by William K. L. Dickson and shot by William Heise at Edison Studios.

In a film from the Edison Catalog, Annie Oakley, the "Little Miss Sure Shot" of the "Wild West," demonstrates rifle shooting at clay pigeons and glass balls.

Get your guns, Annie. Annie Oakley, dressed in a cowboy hat, a skirt with fringe at the hem, and a jacket with fringe hanging from the sleeves, takes a rifle from her assistant, spins around, and quickly fires six shots, cocking the gun after each one to hit six targets on a board on the opposite side of the stage. Then Annie switches weapons while her aide hurries to the target side of the stage and drops on her knees. Annie takes aim and grinds each tiny clay pigeon that the assistant tosses in the air, one at a time, right above his head. When the reel ends, she has completed seven of these shots.

The 1894 silent film Annie Oakley, produced at Thomas Edison's Black Maria studio, is a landmark of early cinema for its technical and cultural milestones:

First Appearance of a Female Film Star: It is credited as the first motion picture to feature a woman as its primary star. Annie Oakley was already a global superstar from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, making this one of the earliest examples of celebrity being captured on film.

Scientific Experiment in Motion: Thomas Edison used the film as a technical experiment to see if his Kinetograph (a primitive movie camera) was sensitive enough to capture rifle smoke and the rapid motion of shattering glass targets in midair.

Earliest "Western" Footage: It is considered one of the first films to depict "Western" scenes, helping to initiate a genre that would dominate cinema for the next century.

Targeting Female Audiences: Filmmakers specifically produced the short to appeal to middle-class women, recognizing the commercial potential of a female demographic interested in Oakley's marksmanship and empowerment.

Commercial Milestone: It was the 11th film ever made for commercial showings after public Kinetoscope parlors began opening in April 1894.

Crystallizing the "Cowgirl" Image: The film solidified the public image of the independent, skilled American cowgirl, which challenged traditional gender roles of the era. 

The surviving footage, which shows Oakley hitting 11 targets in roughly 10-25 seconds, is preserved today by the Library of Congress.