Is it true that the first show of the film of the Lyumier brothers “The arrival of the train” caused panic among the audience?

In popular science articles about cinema, one can often find the statement that the demonstration of one of the first films in the history of the cinema “The arrival of the train to the La-Syota Station” provoked panic in the auditorium. We decided to find out if this is really so.

The mention of panic among the audience of the film of the Lumier brothers is often found in social networks: Livejournal, "VKontakte", Blogs on the platform"Zen". The public claimed was so shocked by the plausibility of what was happening on the screen that panic began in the hall - the audience really thought that a huge train would jump out on them now. ” In the advertising publication "Kommersant Weekend»2003 The realism of the new IMAX technology for that time was compared precisely with the showing of the“ arrival of the train ”. Finally, this story is described on the website of the history of cinema and photographs Cameralabs.

Information about the first years of the existence of cinema is quite fragmentary, and it is not always possible to reliably establish on which day, and sometimes even a year the premiere of a film took place. The famous “Arrival of the train to the La-Soot station” was no exception (distributors often reduced the name until the “arrival of the train to the station” or at all until the “arrival of the train”). A scene at the station of the Provensal city of La-Syota, 30 km east of Marseille, the Lumier brothers shot several times. Exists Three versions “Train arrival”, shot on the same platform no later than the end of 1895.

In newspaper publications, the arrival of the train has been mentioned since the beginning of 1896. The first time the film was demonstrated by the audience in Lyon on January 25, 1896 on the occasion of the opening of the second hall of the "Cinematographer" in this city. The next day, Le Lyon Républicain newspaper I wrote: “This is the most delightful sight, whose witnesses we ever had to be. <...> This, of course, is just an illusion, but so full of amazing realism that it seems as if we are among the characters appearing on the screen. ” And nothing about panic. The press did not mention any riots among the audience.

There is not a word about this in the scientific journal La Science Française, published in February 1896. In this issue, two articles dedicated to the invention of the Lumier brothers were published. IN One of them talked about the impression that the movie makes on the audience, in second - About the technical side of the "living photos." For the latter, Auguste and Louis Lumier provided personnel (more precisely, Photograms) Just from the film about the train.

In the Lyon weekly Le Passe-TEMPS in issue for February 9 A small but spectacular announcement called “Living Photography” is placed. “On the occasion of the growing popularity of this really amazing sight, to satisfy the public requests, the directorate decided: the sessions will now be daily, from 2 hours to midnight. On Sundays and holidays - from 10 a.m. to midnight. The cost of the entrance is 0.50 franc. "

This weekly was dedicated to all kinds of secular entertainment, in it one could find information about theatrical premieres and fashion exhibitions, read fresh feuilletons. If a panic happened in the Lyon Sinematographer, Le Passe-TEMPS would definitely write about it. In the previous issue (for February 2) The editors posted only an article about the new entertainment, which will now be available in Lyon (the text, obviously, was written even before the premiere).

Finally, in issue for February 16 For the first time, the film “Arrival of a train to the station” is mentioned: the program has been published in the journal. And again, not a word about any emergency.

The legend of a panic in the auditorium in detail Disassembled The historian of the movie Jean-Pierre Sirua-Trained. The word "fear" appeared the next day after the premiere - in the newspaper Le Lyon Républicain. Kinoved quotes: “It is amazing with what amazing plausibility the locomotive comes to the station, throwing puffs of smoke. He moves along the rails at such a speed that they involuntarily instinctively move away from the Iron Colossus, out of the fear that he will cut into you now. But there is nothing to be afraid, the train stops, everyone goes out, the doors open, the new passengers climb the steps of the wagons at the signal of the station chief. ” Thus, the fright, most likely, was fleeting, no panic in the hall arose.

Another researcher, Martin Loiperdinger from Trire University, also I did not find it Reliable evidence of the panic that happened in the Lyon Sinematographer in 1896. He reproaches his colleagues in endless reproduction of the myth about the premiere of “The arrival of the train” and believes that the legend appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. According to the German researcher, the reaction of the audience did not go beyond the permissible: most likely, many viewers simply deviated a little in their seats when they saw the train. Loyperdinger draws attention to the fact that the train is traveling for only a few seconds and the viewer after a moment is already focusing on passengers waiting for their turn on the platform.

It is possible that the legend was formed under the influence of another film. In 1901, the English director Robert William Paul took off the short comedy “Rustic and Cinema”. This film consists of short scenes depicting a peasant's reaction to different episodes from the ribbons already removed by that time. In one of these scenes, a village simpleton runs away from the rush from the train rushing from the screen.

Perhaps, Maxim Gorky involuntarily had a hand in the creation of a legend. In the summer of 1896, the first films showed in Russia. Gorky (under the pseudonym I. M. Pacatus) wrote about this full of drama Essay For the Nizhny Novgorod leaflet: “And suddenly something clicks, everything disappears, and the railway train is on the screen. He rushes in an arrow right at you - beware! It seems that he is about to rush into the darkness in which you are sitting and turning you into a torn bag of skin, full of crushed meat and fragmented bones, and will destroy, turn into debris and dust this hall and this building, where there are so many wine, women, music and vice. ” But if you read it, the impressions of the cinema of Gorky are presented in a completely different context: he calls the movie the kingdom of shadows, contrasting the screen gray scenes of real life. But he does not write anything about a panic in the hall and about the audience who ran out in horror.

Thus, sources do not confirm the widespread story about a panic among the audience provoked by the film “Arrival of a train”. The picture of the Lyumier brothers made a strong impression on the public, but there was no data that she forced that she came to the session from the audience or somehow hide from the locomotive “traveling” on them.

Photo on the cover: Frame from the film "Arrival of a train to the La-Siote Station", 1896

Most likely not true

What do our verdicts mean?

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