Table of Contents: “…Early career with Shields, Lubin and others -- The early film companies : Crescent and Bison -- Making The true heart of an Indian -- Patents company troubles and the decision to move west -- Working for Edwin S. Porter -- Filming in the Wild West -- With the Pathé News Weekly -- The Keystone Film Company and rivalry among the companies -- The perils of Pauline -- The Sterling Film Company and actor troubles -- Working for George Fitzmaurice -- The Yorke Film Corporation -- Filming Mae Murray, Elsie Ferguson, Richard Barthelmess, and others -- Filming in London and Rome -- With Cecil B. …”

Table of Contents: “…Part one: Fade-in (1869-1903) -- First stages : trade, technique, pictures -- George Melies : "artificially arranged scenes" -- Part two : Foundations (1903-1908) -- Art : Edwin S. Porter and the editing principle -- Business : toward national expansion -- Social : first American story films -- Part three : Development (1908-1914) -- The struggle for control -- D.W. …”

Table of Contents: “…In the beginning : "A magic lantern run mad" -- Georges Méliès and Edwin S. Porter -- "This line is a Klondike" : the Nickelodeon -- Griffith at Biograph (I) : The miraculous year (1909) -- Griffith at Biograph (II) : more experiments -- Thunder on the right (1909-1913) : Griffith leaves Biograph -- Foreign invasion (I) : films from France, Britain, Scandinavia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Russia -- Films fine and foolish (1909-1918) -- Thomas H. …”

Table of Contents: “…Part one : The silent film (1900-1930) -- Introduction : A new medium, a new art -- George Melies : artificially arranged scenes ; Edwin S. Porter and the editing principle ; D.W. Griffith : new discoveries / Lewis Jacobs -- The birth of a nation : the technique and its influence / Seymour Stern -- D.W. …”

Table of Contents: “…. -- The single-shot film -- Georges Méliès -- Edwin S. Porter -- Griffith: the formative years -- Other pioneers -- 3. …”

Table of Contents: “…Part 1: Origins -- Optical principles -- Series photography -- Motion pictures -- Projection: Europe and America -- The evolution of narrative: Georges Méliès -- Edwin S. Porter: developing a concept of continuity editing -- Part 2: International expansion, 1907-1918 -- The United States -- Expansion on the continent -- Part 3: D.W. …”