The History of Film

Episode

• A New Translation of a Master Filmmaker: Dr. Anne McKnight on Long Take 27.03.2026 50mnt

  An interview with Japanese media scholar Anne McNight about her new book Long Take. Long Take is a collection of interviews and other material by or about Akira Kurosawa, one of most famous and influential filmmakers in world history. These are being translated and published into English for the first time. You can find Dr. McKnight's new translation here: https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517903299/long-take/ Support the show
• 37- Abel Gance, and the Prelude to the Post-War 26.02.2026 24mnt

  An episode about Gance, covering his life and movies from birth to just before of the release of his monumental film J'accuse. Support the show
• 36- Women's Pictures, Staring Women, that Women Were Watching 25.07.2025 31mnt

  An episode all about proper (or not explicitly patriotic) melodrama as it was developing in France during the war. Who were these movies made for? What were they about? Well, let's find out. If you would like to email me you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com History of Film Discord: https://discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF Letter Boxed: https://boxd.it/3cZn3 Support the show
• 35- French Patriotic Melodrama 14.12.2024 31mnt

  This episode is a little smaller in scope than usual. But like one my great podcasting heroes, my ambition for this show is to tell the history of film without any gaps. We cover two examples of an important, though ultimately short lived, sub-genre: The Patriotic Melodrama. We discuss and analyze the 1916 film Alsace, directed by Henri Pouctal, and the 1917 Mothers of Frances, directed by René Hervi . If you would like to email me you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com History of...
• 34- American Invasion, Sessue Hayakawa, and "The Cheat" 17.11.2024 56mnt

  In this episode we cover just how, exactly, American cinema came to dominate Europe in the wake of WW1. We take a look at the economic practices that facilitated the "invasion" of American cinema onto French screens. We also examine one picture in particular, The Cheat, which exemplifies the technical sophistication of U.S. national cinema, and that film's reception by the City of Lights. If you would like to email me you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com History of Film Discord: ...
• 33- War on Film, Film at War 03.11.2024 22mnt

  This week we cover the effect of The War on the French film Industry. While The Conflict's Titanic needs did a real number on French production, it did also help develop a new kind of documentary filmmaking: The Newsreel, which was then put to work in service to the Republic. If you would like to email me you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com History of Film Discord: https://discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF Letter Boxed: https://boxd.it/3cZn3 Support the show
• 32- Foundation of Death, Foundation of Light 15.02.2024 25mnt

  This episode reexamines some topics we have already looked at, but this time as context for one of history's greatest butcheries, rather than as pure film history. The development of cinema is intertwined with the forces that defined the 20th century. Today we explore how the First World War and the movies are cut from the same fabric, as we set the stage for some of the screen's greatest epochs -- German Expressionism, French Impressionism, Soviet Montage, and the Golden Age of American Sile...
• Announcement – Plans and Reasons 10.08.2023 4mnt

  The History of Film Podcast has been on Haitus since May of 2022. This announcement officially ends that. Let's get back to it! If you have any ideas on how I can improve the show, you can email me at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com. See you soon! -Jake! Support the show
• 31- Gertie: The First Animated Character 15.05.2022 31mnt

  In this episode we finish up our series on early animation by covering Gertie the Dinosaur and The Sinking of the Lusitania, both animated by Winsor McCay. Next time it's back to Europe, where we will cover the the effect of the First World War on European film! I decided to end the Patreon, at least for the foreseeable future. It was a hard decision, but I wasn't in the position to devote the time that I wanted and needed to make the channel what I wanted it to be. A special thank you to a...
• 30- Animation Before the Dinosaur 27.02.2022 26mnt

  This is the first of two episodes (only two, I promise) about the great animator Winsor McCay. We cover his life before he became a filmmaker, and his two first movies: Little Nemo (1911) and How a Mosquito Operates (1912). The history of the film has a discord server, which you can access through this here link: discord.gg/Ud8EcEzvSF Thank you to my wonderful patrons who helped make this show possible! A special thank you to patron Ed & Shari for supporting this program in such a big w...
• 29- Phantasmagoria 18.01.2022 24mnt

  It's a new year, and the History of Film is back! In this episode, we cover the life and achievements of French animator Emile Cohl, as he creates the first paper film animation, and brings fluidity and grace to a medium he helped invent! Thank you to my wonderful patrons who helped make this show possible! A special thank you to patron Ed & Shari for supporting this program in such a big way. If you want to support this show, read your name down here in the credits, and get access to co...
• 28- Drawings That Can Dance 25.11.2021 32mnt

  The long promised day is finally here! We dive into the world of animation, examine ancient Iranian pottery, and meet animators named Charles-Emile Reynaud and James Stewart Blackton, as we begin our journey though a whole other kind of cinema. Thank you to my wonderful patrons who help make this show possible! A special thank you to patron Ed & Shari for supporting this program in such a big way. If you want to support this show, read your name down here in the credits, and get access t...
• 27- The Fall of Babylon, The Fall of Griffith 06.11.2021 34mnt

  In this episode we take a look at Griffith's second most famous movie, Intolerance, and examine its production, structure, and impact. We also (finally) finish the long arc of Griffith's story, and bring his career, and his time here on the podcast, to a close. I would like to give special credit to my wonderful patron Ed & Shari for supporting this episode and helping to make this show possible. If you want to support this show, read your name down here in the credits, and get access t...
• 26- The Birth of a Nation: Part III 27.10.2021 55mnt

  This is the last of it. In this episode, we dig into how and why The Birth of a Nation was so influential, and who was influenced by it. I am happy to say that next week we will be moving on from here. So three cheers for that. If you would like to email me, you can do so at historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com You can visit the show's website at historyoffilmpodcast.com and you can support the show at patreon.com/historyoffilm Thank you for listening! Support the show
• 25- The Birth of a Nation: Part II 28.09.2021 33mnt

  When I write these, I never know just how long they will be. As it turns out, talking about a film that has had a huge impact on the development of film history, and made the world so much worse, is taking a lot of words. So, this is the second of what I hope to be three episodes of The Birth of a Nation. In this episode, we describe the plot of the movie in detail (though I still skipped a couple of things here and there for the sake of brevity, believe it or not), and talk about how the ide...
• 24- The Birth of a Nation: Part I 22.09.2021 26mnt

  Well, where it is. The Birth of a Nation is an extremely important movie. It would be hard to overstate it. In this episode, we cover the original novel the film was based on, and the film-making process for the movie. So, spoilers for a 106-year-old movie, The Birth of a Nation is an evil film. other than the films that were created by the Nazi regime during WWII, I don't think there have been movies that have spread so much evil and hate that have been so widely received. We have to d...
• Bonus: Film as Cultural Artifacts 06.09.2021 15mnt

  This is the first of (hopefully) a recurring series of episodes on film critical theory. Today, with special guest Melissa Favara, we cover the idea of cultural production. This is kind of the broadest way of looking at movies, as a product of a culture rather only the work of an individual or group of filmmakers. This is a lens with witch to look at movies, and a tool for building context for the movies we will encounter throughout this series. I hope you enjoy it! You can email me at: hist...
• 23- D. W. Griffith 04.09.2021 33mnt

  Here it is! Its an episode and a subject that has been a long time coming, and it's one that is less important then people used to think, though perhaps a little more important than some people say it is now. D. W. Griffith was a filmmaker who invented nothing, innovated on much, and influenced many (including influencing people to commit acts of viscous evil and pernicious violence). In today's episode, we cover his early life and career, and talk about some of the movies that would lead hi...
• 22- Italian Futurism and Everything Else 25.08.2021 42mnt

  Hello and welcome back! This is everything about early Italian films that we didn’t cover in the last two episodes. That means we talk a little about how Italian studios were run throughout the 1910s, Important actors not playing Maciste, influential directors (including another of the most prolific women of early film), and a film movement: Futurism. We talk about the movement’s origin, and its only surviving film – Thaïs – and how it, and the whole Italian film industry, entered a dec...
• Announcement: Updates on "The History of Film" Going Forward 03.08.2021 3mnt

  A few words on exciting changes that are coming to "The History of film in very near future. historyoffilmpodcast@gmail.com historyoffilmpodcast.com Support the show