Years in film
19th century
1870s
1880s 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889
1890s 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899
1900s 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910s 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920s 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930s 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020s 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
v t e

The year 1903 in film involved many significant events in cinema.

Events

• Thomas Edison demolishes "America's First Movie Studio", the Black Maria.
• The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decides that federal copyright protection for "photographs" extends to motion pictures, and that filmmakers could copyright films as a whole rather than having to separately register each frame.^[1]
• The three elder Warner Bros. begin in the exhibition business and open their first theater, the Cascade.
• Gaston Méliès, Georges' brother, opens a branch of Star Film in New York to defend its production's copyrights.
• Adolph Zukor and Marcus Loew partner with Mitchell Mark to expand his chain of movie theaters.
• William N. Selig's war film A Soldier's Dream is released. The film shows soldiers playing cards and music around a campfire. Scholars have speculated that the double-exposed image used to create one soldier's dream sequence may have been inspired by Méliès.^[2]

Films released in 1903

A

• Alice in Wonderland, directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, based on the 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll – (GB)
• The Apparition (Le Revenant), directed by Georges Méliès^[3] – (France)

C

• Capital Execution (Henrettelsen), directed by Peter Elfelt – (Denmark)
• A Chess Dispute, directed by Robert W. Paul – (GB)

D

• The Damnation of Faust, directed by Georges Méliès^[4] – (France)
• A Daring Daylight Burglary, by Frank Mottershaw – (GB)
• Desperate Poaching Affray, directed by William Haggar – (GB)
• Diving Lucy, produced by Mitchell and Kenyon – (GB)

E

• Electrocuting an Elephant, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
• The Enchanted Well (Le Puits fantastique), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
• An Extraordinary Cab Accident, directed by Robert W. Paul – (GB)

F

• Faust and Mephistopheles, directed by Alice Guy – (France)
• From Show Girl to Burlesque Queen, directed by A. E. Weed – (US)

G

• The Gay Shoe Clerk, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
• The Georgetown Loop (Colorado), directed by Billy Bitzer – (US)
• The Great Train Robbery, directed by Edwin S. Porter, starring Broncho Billy Anderson – (US)

H

• Hiawatha, the Messiah of the Ojibway (lost), directed by Joe Rosenthal – (Canada)

I

• The Infernal Cake Walk (Le Cake-Walk infernal), directed by Georges Méliès^[5] – (France)
• The Infernal Cauldron (Le Chaudron infernal), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
• The Inn Where No Man Rests (L'Auberge du bon repos), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

K

• The Kingdom of the Fairies (Le Royaume des fées), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)

L

• Life and Passion of the Christ (Vie et Passion du Christ), directed by Lucien Nonguet and Ferdinand Zecca – (France)
• Life of an American Fireman, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)

M

• The Magic Lantern (La Lanterne magique), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
• Mary Jane's Mishap, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
• The Melomaniac (Le Mélomane), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
• A Message from Mars (lost), by Franklyn Barrett – (NZ)
• Misfortune Never Comes Alone (Un malheur n'arrive jamais seul), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
• Momijigari (Viewing Scarlet Maple Leaves), directed by Tsunekichi Shibata, based on the 15th century kabuki play by Kanze Nobumitsu – (Japan)
• The Monster (Le Monstre), directed by Georges Méliès – (France)
• The Mysterious Box (La Boîte à malice), directed by Georges Méliès^[6] – (France)

O

• Old London Street Scenes, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
• The Oracle of Delphi (L'Oracle de Delphes), directed by Georges Méliès^[7] – (France)

P

• Panorama of Beach and Cliff House, produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company – (US)
• Petticoat Lane – (GB)

R

• Rip Van Winkle, directed by William K. L. Dickson, based on the 1819 short story by Washington Irving – (US)
• Runaway Match, directed by Alf Collins – (GB)

S

• The Sick Kitten, directed by George Albert Smith – (GB)
• Skyscrapers of New York City, from the North River, directed by J.B. Smith – (US)
• A Spiritualistic Photographer (La Portrait Spirite), directed by Georges Méliès^[8] – (France)

T

• The Terrible Turkish Executioner (Le Bourreau turc), directed by Georges Méliès^[9] – (France)

U

• Uncle Tom's Cabin, directed by Edwin S. Porter, based on the 1852 novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe – (US)

W

• What Happened in the Tunnel, directed by Edwin S. Porter – (US)
• The Witch's Revenge (Le Sorcier), directed by Georges Méliès^[10] – (France)

Births

Deaths

• c. February 15 – Julie Verstraete-Lacquet, Flemish actress, dies at 69

Debut

G. M. Anderson