Admiral Cigarette

director: William Heise

original title: Admiral Cigarette

year: 1897

running time: 30 sec.

synopsis

One of the first movie commercials made by the Edisonʼs company is also a bitter commentary on the social progress which monetizes vice. “We all smoke”, reads the banner, happily unfolded by Uncle Sam, a clergyman, a businessman and a Native American. Their heated dispute ends abruptly when a girl appears and gives them cigarettes.

biography

William Heise (1847–1910) joined the team working on the development of the kinestoscope in Edisonʼs laboratory. He co-operated closely with W. K. L. Dickson. He remained in the Edisonʼs lab even after Dickson left and so he often worked in the team with James White. He is the director of The Kiss (1896), the film which aggravated (not only) the American society.

more about film

director:

William Heise

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