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1、20130125EarlyCinemaThecinemadidnotemergeasaformofmassconsumptionuntilitstechnologyevolvedfromtheinitial"peepshow"formattothepointwhereimageswereprojectedonascreeninadarkenedtheater.Inthepeepshowformat,afilmwasviewedthroughasmallopeninginamachinethatwascreatedforthatpurpo
2、se.ThomasEdison'speepshowdevice,theKinetoscope,wasintroducedtothepublicin1894.ItwasdesignedforuseinKinetoscopeparlors,orarcades,whichcontainedonlyafewindividualmachinesandpermittedonlyonecustomertoviewashort,50-footfilmatanyonetime.ThefirstKinetoscopeparlorscontainedfive
3、machines.Forthepriceof25cents(or5centspermachine),customersmovedfrommachinetomachinetowatchfivedifferentfilms(or,inthecaseoffamousprizefights,successiveroundsofasinglefight).TheseKinetoscopearcadesweremodeledonphonographparlors,whichhadprovensuccessfulforEdisonseveralyea
4、rsearlier.Inthephonographparlors,customerslistenedtorecordingsthroughindividualeartubes,movingfromonemachinetothenexttoheardifferentrecordedspeechesorpiecesofmusic.TheKinetoscopeparlorsfunctionedinasimilarway.EdisonwasmoreinterestedinthesaleofKinetoscopes(forroughly$1,00
5、0apiece)totheseparlorsthaninthefilmsthatwouldberuninthem(whichcostapproximately$10to$15each).Herefusedtodevelopprojectiontechnology,reasoningthatifhemadeandsoldprojectors,thenexhibitorswouldpurchaseonlyonemachine-aprojector-fromhiminsteadofseveral.Exhibitors,however,want
6、edtomaximizetheirprofits,whichtheycoulddomorereadilybyprojectingahandfuloffilmstohundredsofcustomersatatime(ratherthanoneatatime)andbycharging25to50centsadmission.AboutayearaftertheopeningofthefirstKinetoscopeparlorin1894,showmensuchasLouisandAugusteLumiere,ThomasArmatan
7、dCharlesFrancisJenkins,andOrvilleandWoodvilleLatham(withtheassistanceofEdison'sformerassistant,WilliamDickson)perfectedprojectiondevices.Theseearlyprojectiondeviceswereusedinvaudevilletheaters,legitimatetheaters,localtownhalls,makeshiftstorefronttheaters,fairgrounds,anda
8、musementparkstoshowfilmstoamassaudience.Withtheadventofprojectionin1895-1896,motionpicturesbecametheult
