A man sneezing. It's Fred Ott one of not too many people who appeared in more than one of Dickson's very early short films at the end of the 19th century. It's one of Dickson's shortest works and only runs for like five seconds. But it's movie magic nonetheless. The moment where you feel the sneeze rising inside your nose and there it is: the final moment of release. That felt good, didn't it? Hopefully just a one time thing and not the early symptoms of a nasty cold forcing you to stay in bed the next couple days. In any case, Mr. Ott may want to check his prominent mustache afterward for snot that got stuck. Okay film and feel free to waste five seconds of your life on that one. You can watch it in its entirety the next time you feel a sneeze crawling up.
20 Reviews
What has Ott wrought?
cricket3025 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
First, to understand all that came after (CITIZEN KANE, ISHTAR, LEGO: THE MOVIE), you need to get a couple things straight. The sneezer pictured here is Fred Ott. The sneeze of this walrus-mustached germ spreader lasts 2.475 seconds. His boss, light bulb man Tom Edison, chose this film from the first week of January, 1894, as the flick best suited to illustrate the wonders of cinema to the media and general public (though about a dozen others are sometimes given this distinction by ill-informed writers). Think about the irony of THE SNEEZE. This is NOT intended as high-brow entertainment. Old Tom was too smart to give the credit for the invention of the movies to God, as his contemporary, Alexander Graham Bell, had done with the telephone. He knew that he was fooling with something more along the lines of the Devil's work, and he was making no bones about it. Further, the idea of a short film going viral beat You Tube and all the rest by more than a century: The very first film for public consumption it literally blowing the consumption virus into our very faces!
The First Snuff Film
ronin-8818 February 2022
In this film, Fred Ott, an employee of Thomas Edison, takes a pinch of snuff and sneezes. It's not a particularly dramatic sneeze. In fact, if I hadn't known it was a film showing a man sneeze, I wouldn't have been sure what he was doing. It looked more like an artificially vigorous yawn after a nose scratch.
The film was made sometime in the first week of January, 1894, and was projected through Edison's Kinetoscope, a projector that only one viewer could use at a time by looking through a peephole at the top of the device. The film was actually not initially meant to be shown as a film to audiences. Rather, it was shot for publicity reasons, to generate a series of still photographs for a Harper's Weekly article. Edison and company, led by William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, had been gearing up for commercial production of films since late 1891. Fred Ott's Sneeze was an important promotional idea which was to help with this.
The film is significant for featuring the first medium close-up shot of a performer, now one of the most common types of shots used in film and television.
The film was made sometime in the first week of January, 1894, and was projected through Edison's Kinetoscope, a projector that only one viewer could use at a time by looking through a peephole at the top of the device. The film was actually not initially meant to be shown as a film to audiences. Rather, it was shot for publicity reasons, to generate a series of still photographs for a Harper's Weekly article. Edison and company, led by William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, had been gearing up for commercial production of films since late 1891. Fred Ott's Sneeze was an important promotional idea which was to help with this.
The film is significant for featuring the first medium close-up shot of a performer, now one of the most common types of shots used in film and television.
This is where it begins.
Kevbo14 February 1999
This is it. This is ground zero. This is what led to Gone With The Wind, The Godfather, Star Wars and Titanic. You could arguably call it the first successful action movie. No idea what the gross was or what the overseas receipts were but certainly many a coin was spent by early film patrons to witness the most basic of human acts... the instinctual expulsion of invading micro-particles for the maintenance of Fred Ott's health. But, did Fred Ott fake it? Was he truly the first stunt man? No matter, its brevity and succinctness are exemplary to this day. It is better than some 3 hour epics in today's multiplexes.
Fred Ott sneezes...
kobe141312 August 2014
William Heise and W.K.L. Dickson worked together to record this short for Edison Laboratories. In it, one of the co-workers, Fred Ott, places a bit of something in his nose, making him sneeze.
This was one those early shorts, that the Edison group made, where they were basically just messing around. The guys seemed to always be looking for something funny or original to film, and often turned to the men that worked around them to star in front of the camera. This was one of the earliest close-ups, Ott's entire face taking up much of the screen.
YOU WILL LIKE THIS FILM, IF YOU LOVED: "The Kiss" (1896) IF YOU HATED: "Contagion"
This was one those early shorts, that the Edison group made, where they were basically just messing around. The guys seemed to always be looking for something funny or original to film, and often turned to the men that worked around them to star in front of the camera. This was one of the earliest close-ups, Ott's entire face taking up much of the screen.
YOU WILL LIKE THIS FILM, IF YOU LOVED: "The Kiss" (1896) IF YOU HATED: "Contagion"
Nothing To Sneeze At
Jeope!13 August 2002
Wonderful concept (man films man sneezing) gets bogged in melodramatic Hollywood sentimentality by a director clearly overexceeding himself. The film redeems itself however, with a wonderful performance by Fred Ott. Good, but not great. 7/10.
a tongue-in-cheek reaction to a short
stuff_100419 January 2001
I have seen this film numerous times in documentaries about the history of the silent film. I have always loved the history of the silent film and this is undoubtedly the seed from which some of the great comedies of our time have been based. I feel sneezing (nowadays) has become an overdone gimmick in comedies and this film started it even though I laughed at it. My final word on this film is this, IT BLEW ME AWAY!!! (HA HA)
And shortly before he sneezed, . . .
smaynard-219 May 2001
One story has it that, in 1877, railroad tycoon Leland Stanford and a pal were having drinks on Stanford's California stud farm, when one or the other of them wondered aloud whether or not a galloping horse ever had all four hooves off the ground.
Stanford directed his chief researcher to find out. In turn, the researcher hired Eadweard Muybridge (real name: Edward Muggeridge) a landscape photographer of note, to set up 24 cameras with trip wires along a track. A horse ran through the wires, tripping the shutters of the cameras, and the resulting photographs showed that, indeed, all four of the horses' hooves were off the ground for quite a while. When viewed rapidly in sequence, these photos were the precursor to "motion pictures".
What was needed of course, was film that moved through the camera, and several people created cameras and projectors (sometimes the same device) that did this, but all had various shortcomings.
Thomas Edison directed his employee, a Scotsman named W. K. L. Dickson (who would later go on to found Biograph Pictures), to study the inferior machines then in use, and come up with something better. He did, sort of, and he (under Edison's name) came up with the kinetograph (the camera), the kinetoscope (the projector) and the kinetophone (the projected film). None of these technologies were actually new, but Dickson's advances in each device resulted in a system that simply produced better looking presentations.
On April 14, 1894, at a theater on Broadway in New York City, several of Dickson's films were presented together, at an admission fee of 25 cents. The show included short films of a dancing bear, some Vaudeville pratfalls, and, . . . "Fred Ott's Sneeze", which became the very first copyrighted motion picture.
Stanford directed his chief researcher to find out. In turn, the researcher hired Eadweard Muybridge (real name: Edward Muggeridge) a landscape photographer of note, to set up 24 cameras with trip wires along a track. A horse ran through the wires, tripping the shutters of the cameras, and the resulting photographs showed that, indeed, all four of the horses' hooves were off the ground for quite a while. When viewed rapidly in sequence, these photos were the precursor to "motion pictures".
What was needed of course, was film that moved through the camera, and several people created cameras and projectors (sometimes the same device) that did this, but all had various shortcomings.
Thomas Edison directed his employee, a Scotsman named W. K. L. Dickson (who would later go on to found Biograph Pictures), to study the inferior machines then in use, and come up with something better. He did, sort of, and he (under Edison's name) came up with the kinetograph (the camera), the kinetoscope (the projector) and the kinetophone (the projected film). None of these technologies were actually new, but Dickson's advances in each device resulted in a system that simply produced better looking presentations.
On April 14, 1894, at a theater on Broadway in New York City, several of Dickson's films were presented together, at an admission fee of 25 cents. The show included short films of a dancing bear, some Vaudeville pratfalls, and, . . . "Fred Ott's Sneeze", which became the very first copyrighted motion picture.
You thought Star Wars was cool? Wait till ya...
winstonsmith_8411 June 2000
Thomas Edison's "Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze" is truly the "Star Wars" of the 1800s... This ground-breaking masterpiece literally blew me away. I stared in awe at the sneeze, for the visual effects were just magnificent... with moving images and all. Story wise, this is also quite a masterpiece. Who could have thought of anything more brilliant than a sneeze! Anyhow, this movie was meant to be watched over and over again, and trust me, you'll never grow tired of this one. A true collector's item!
The sneeze heard 'round the world
pooch-823 February 1999
Best known as Fred Ott's Sneeze, W.K.L. Dickson's short Kinetoscope should most likely be classified as some sort of documentary, although Mr. Ott's exaggerated wind-up and release come off as a little less than authentic. The novelty of moving images stunned and amazed those who saw these early subjects following their creation at Thomas Edison's famous Black Maria studio. And even though it is not the oldest film listed in the database, it was the first film to have a copyright filed on its behalf. Lasting only a few seconds, the movie itself holds a kind of rare and inexplicable fascination for lovers of film. Difficult to put into words (you could have watched the complete work a number of times in the span it takes to read this), I always feel like I am seeing the cinema's equvalent of Eve biting into the apple.
Making movie history without really knowing it.
Boba_Fett113820 October 2007
This film was purely made for publicity purposes, as a series of still photographs to accompany an article in Harper's weekly, so it wasn't even supposed to be even ever shown as a motion-picture in the first place. It must have been a real blast for Edison and Co. to make this movie and I'm sure it good a good laugh out of people at the time.
To me the sneeze itself really didn't seemed real, also because of the reason that of course in those days they couldn't shoot for several minutes straight, in order to wait for Fred Ott to finally sneeze. But who knows, maybe that really is how people sneezed over 100 years ago. It was a very highly sophisticated looking sneeze. A real gentleman's sneeze.
The movie isn't looking of the greatest quality but this is of course all due to the fact that this film was never meant to be shown as a motion-picture in the first place.
The film is historically interesting for a couple of reasons 1. It of course is the first ever recorded sneeze, as if that is really historically significant. 2. It was the first ever motion picture to be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and 3. It's the first film to feature a close-up of a persons face. So without really knowing at the time, and without those intentions I would guess, this movie has become part of film-history.
8/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
To me the sneeze itself really didn't seemed real, also because of the reason that of course in those days they couldn't shoot for several minutes straight, in order to wait for Fred Ott to finally sneeze. But who knows, maybe that really is how people sneezed over 100 years ago. It was a very highly sophisticated looking sneeze. A real gentleman's sneeze.
The movie isn't looking of the greatest quality but this is of course all due to the fact that this film was never meant to be shown as a motion-picture in the first place.
The film is historically interesting for a couple of reasons 1. It of course is the first ever recorded sneeze, as if that is really historically significant. 2. It was the first ever motion picture to be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and 3. It's the first film to feature a close-up of a persons face. So without really knowing at the time, and without those intentions I would guess, this movie has become part of film-history.
8/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
A Historical Novelty
Snow Leopard2 November 2005
This ultra-short feature has historical significance in addition to its novelty value. As one of a number of surviving features that the Edison Company made not for exhibiting commercially, but as experiments or for other purposes, it is part of the interesting historical record of the very earliest stages of motion picture development.
Made just a couple of months before Edison's Kinetoscopes were opened for public viewing, this feature was originally filmed for a magazine article, in which the individual frames could illustrate the way that the Kinetoscope would produce the effect of motion. Naturally, for such a purpose they did not need or want more than a few seconds of film.
One thing that is interesting about the earliest movies is their choice of material. A good many of the Edison Company's movie subjects, whether commercial or experimental, are either offbeat or provocative. This contrasts with, for example, the early Lumière movies, which featured so many aesthetically pleasing and even lyrical sights. This subject is one of the offbeat ones, recording Edison employee Fred Ott in the act of sneezing.
For its original purpose this was a suitable subject, since the action would all be contained within a narrow camera field, and it would last only a very short time. Now, so many years later, it is useful in a different way, as a record of one of the many steps on the way to commercially-made movies. It should also be noted that the footage, very short and simple though it is, succeeds in recording motion clearly and smoothly.
Made just a couple of months before Edison's Kinetoscopes were opened for public viewing, this feature was originally filmed for a magazine article, in which the individual frames could illustrate the way that the Kinetoscope would produce the effect of motion. Naturally, for such a purpose they did not need or want more than a few seconds of film.
One thing that is interesting about the earliest movies is their choice of material. A good many of the Edison Company's movie subjects, whether commercial or experimental, are either offbeat or provocative. This contrasts with, for example, the early Lumière movies, which featured so many aesthetically pleasing and even lyrical sights. This subject is one of the offbeat ones, recording Edison employee Fred Ott in the act of sneezing.
For its original purpose this was a suitable subject, since the action would all be contained within a narrow camera field, and it would last only a very short time. Now, so many years later, it is useful in a different way, as a record of one of the many steps on the way to commercially-made movies. It should also be noted that the footage, very short and simple though it is, succeeds in recording motion clearly and smoothly.
Magnificent! Fred Ott deserved his postage stamp.
Grand9 August 1999
Certainly there have been other notable cinematic sneezes in the past century, some more comedic, some more dramatic, but for the sheer intense SINCERITY of a sneeze, Fred Ott must be regarded as the champion -- no special effects, no stunt double, no computer graphics -- Fred Ott sneezed all by himself under Dickson's superb direction. And he did it for a lot less than twenty million dollars! It's high time that Fred Ott be given the recognition which his performance as "The Sneezing Man" deserves. A.M.P.A.S. should erect a statue to him in front of the new Academy Theater on Hollywood B
The First Copyrighted Motion Picture in the US
Tornado_Sam19 June 2017
With "Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze" (known to most people as "Fred Ott's Sneeze" or simply "The Sneeze") the year 1894 in film began in the United States. Now that the Black Maria studio had been completed last year and the first two commercially exhibited movies had been shown at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, the Edison company was ready to take off. Shot between January 2 and 7, the film is not only the first short to feature a sneeze but also the first copyrighted motion picture in the USA when submitted to the Library of Congress.
The film features Fred Ott, a factory worker at the Edison company, who has been known to star in at least two other movies: "Fred Ott Holding a Bird" (of the same year) and later in 1900, "The Kiss". In the four-second clip, Ott, (who ever made up that last name was a riot) is shown in medium closeup as he takes a pinch of snuff which causes him to sneeze in an admittedly fake manner. The mystery surrounding the short is clear: of all things, why would you film a sneeze? Either Edison had no better ideas, he wanted to make a random movie for the sake of submitting it to the Library of Congress, or it was just a good way to test motion by filming such a quick movement. Either way you look at it, the film served it's purpose and gets my vote for the best action movie of the 1800s.
On a side note, I think Fred Ott would have been pretty mad if he knew that he is now remembered just because he sneezed, held a bird and kissed a lady. Still, he does hold his place in history and could be called the first film comedian, preceeding Chaplin and Keaton by about twenty years.
The film features Fred Ott, a factory worker at the Edison company, who has been known to star in at least two other movies: "Fred Ott Holding a Bird" (of the same year) and later in 1900, "The Kiss". In the four-second clip, Ott, (who ever made up that last name was a riot) is shown in medium closeup as he takes a pinch of snuff which causes him to sneeze in an admittedly fake manner. The mystery surrounding the short is clear: of all things, why would you film a sneeze? Either Edison had no better ideas, he wanted to make a random movie for the sake of submitting it to the Library of Congress, or it was just a good way to test motion by filming such a quick movement. Either way you look at it, the film served it's purpose and gets my vote for the best action movie of the 1800s.
On a side note, I think Fred Ott would have been pretty mad if he knew that he is now remembered just because he sneezed, held a bird and kissed a lady. Still, he does hold his place in history and could be called the first film comedian, preceeding Chaplin and Keaton by about twenty years.
All action, no plot.
dutchqd13 December 2002
Five seconds that changed the world of entertainment
Jim-D30 November 2007
Watching Fred Ott's Sneeze can be equated to the birth of any new medium. The first music was presumably nothing more than sticks and stones banging together. The first stories, just rough interpretations of daily routines. Even the first video games are, in a way, their medium's version of Fred Ott's Sneeze.
Pong, when it was first released, showcased two rectangles and a small square that bounced between them. It was short, simple, and did what it needed to introduce the world to a new medium. As time went on, video games grew into something much bigger - eventually using cinematic techniques like storytelling, camera angles, and even acting. Now, while video game players still consider Pong fun, it is a far cry from the medium it stood at the forefront of.
The same can be said in all respects to Fred Ott's Sneeze. While only five seconds long, it did precisely what it set out to do. It was short, simple, and introduced the world to a new medium. Film-making eventually grew into something much bigger... much grander, but its humble beginnings should never be forgotten.
From a critical perspective, lighting the scene was clearly difficult - and Ott's clearly fake sneeze mimics the actor's obvious hesitation about appearing in such a strange new medium. In the decades that followed, and people became comfortable in front of the camera, on-screen acting blossomed.
Here, in these five short seconds, lies the birth of film-making.
Pong, when it was first released, showcased two rectangles and a small square that bounced between them. It was short, simple, and did what it needed to introduce the world to a new medium. As time went on, video games grew into something much bigger - eventually using cinematic techniques like storytelling, camera angles, and even acting. Now, while video game players still consider Pong fun, it is a far cry from the medium it stood at the forefront of.
The same can be said in all respects to Fred Ott's Sneeze. While only five seconds long, it did precisely what it set out to do. It was short, simple, and introduced the world to a new medium. Film-making eventually grew into something much bigger... much grander, but its humble beginnings should never be forgotten.
From a critical perspective, lighting the scene was clearly difficult - and Ott's clearly fake sneeze mimics the actor's obvious hesitation about appearing in such a strange new medium. In the decades that followed, and people became comfortable in front of the camera, on-screen acting blossomed.
Here, in these five short seconds, lies the birth of film-making.
hankies, please (*spoilers inside*)
oldbadeyes2 March 2004
Warning: Spoilers
First of all I have to say that for me as an allergy sufferer I felt a strong desire for reviewing this comprehensive piece of cineastic enlightenment. William Dickson was probably the first who mastered the technique of omission. Following by originating Hemingway, the great writer, the director of Record Of A Sneeze understands how to focus on the main parts by leaving out disturbing elements. The result we see is a true epic in its shortest form: A harsh and dry sneeze, nothing more, nothing less and that' s it. But not at all because according to H´s iceberg theory six seventh of the true meaning are still invisible under water. However I cannot do this interpretation on your behalf, so go open the treasure of Dickson films yourself and discover a universe of puzzle pieces which, when stuck together, will always make you smile. 9/10, an outstanding short and dark Dickson, recommended
Great Drinking Movie!!!
douhaveasista4 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Dude! You've got to see this movie. It's funny when it needs to be, but serious. It's a gut-buster, yet a tear jerker. Best movie of the summer! The acting is fantastic, and the chemistry between the characters is mesmerizing. It was like I was in the movie. Intelligent script, great writing by the writers. This movie is a must-see!! I'm gonna get this on DVD as soon as it comes out. I am awestruck at the spectacle of this great future American classic. It's just fun. I'm glad I spent the money on this movie, heck I think I would've paid triple what I paid just to see this gem. A must-see in my book, so go see this if you want all the ingredients for a great drinking movie.
Greatest Sneeze
Michael_Elliott30 December 2008
Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894)
**** (out of 4)
If entertainment is what you're seeking then don't take my four-star review meaning a great movie. The word entertainment might not fit too well with these early films but on a historical level this here is one of the all time greats. Running just five seconds we see a man sneeze. Yes, that's all there is to it. This is famous for many reasons including it being one of the earliest films made by Edison. According to records it was filmed on January 7th, 1894 and became the first movie to have a copyright two days later.
**** (out of 4)
If entertainment is what you're seeking then don't take my four-star review meaning a great movie. The word entertainment might not fit too well with these early films but on a historical level this here is one of the all time greats. Running just five seconds we see a man sneeze. Yes, that's all there is to it. This is famous for many reasons including it being one of the earliest films made by Edison. According to records it was filmed on January 7th, 1894 and became the first movie to have a copyright two days later.
The mystery behind the sneeze
peapulation13 April 2005
This film might have been the greatest movie ever made but it is full of mysteries. I will quote some of the questions you should ask yourself while watching this movie numbering them.
1 - Is the sneeze real?
How do we know the sneeze is a real sneeze or a wonderful piece of acting by the great Ott? 2 - If the sneeze was real, what caused it?
As we know it, Ott might have been allergic to something waved in front of him by Edison himself. In this case we should feel sorry for Ott and what he went through to create this masterpiece.
3 - What does he say during the sneeze?
We don't know whether he made rude sound or a more polite sound.
4 - Did Edison even bother to say "Bless you"?
Because the sneeze is silent, I wonder did Edison at least say "Bless you" or not? Mysteries that will never have an answer. Bet you didn't think a sneeze hid so many mysteries.
1 - Is the sneeze real?
How do we know the sneeze is a real sneeze or a wonderful piece of acting by the great Ott? 2 - If the sneeze was real, what caused it?
As we know it, Ott might have been allergic to something waved in front of him by Edison himself. In this case we should feel sorry for Ott and what he went through to create this masterpiece.
3 - What does he say during the sneeze?
We don't know whether he made rude sound or a more polite sound.
4 - Did Edison even bother to say "Bless you"?
Because the sneeze is silent, I wonder did Edison at least say "Bless you" or not? Mysteries that will never have an answer. Bet you didn't think a sneeze hid so many mysteries.
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