1st Publicly Shown Movie

Dickson Greeting (1891) - William K. L. Dickson

Believed to be the 1st movie shown in public, Dickson Greeting was played for viewers at National Federation of Women’s Clubs. Directed and starring motion-picture pioneer William Dickson, it displays a 3 second clip of him passing a hat in front of himself, and reaching for it with his other hand. It was filmed on May 20, 1891 in the Photographic Building at Edison’s Black Maria studio, West Orange, New Jersey, in collaboration with Thomas Edison using his kinetograph.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241373/