James H. White

Canadian actor and director

James H. White
James H. White, circa 1900
Born	James Henry White March 1872 Nova Scotia
Died	1944
Occupation(s)	film director, actor
Years active	1894-1902
Spouse	Pauline A. Dede

James Henry White (March 1872 – 1944) was a Canadian film pioneer, who worked as a director, producer, and cinematographer. He also appeared as an actor in several films. He was employed by the Edison Manufacturing Company as Production Head from 1896 to 1902, and directed over 500 short films, both fictional and documentary.^[1]^[2] With no functional story or script, just scenes or vignets, White proved prolific and tried to be lyrical in some of his short films i.e. Return of a Lifeboat (1897) and A Storm at Sea (1900) the latter of which was shot on a passenger ship with the camera catching some of the glimmer from the sun.

Filmography

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (May 2023)

1896

Watermelon Contest
Interrupted Lover
Going to the Fire
Lone Fisherman
Edison Drawn by World Artist
Mess Call
Irish Way of Discussing Politics
Little Egypt
Herald Square
Fatima's Coochee-Coochee Dance
The Bad Boy and the Gardener
Sea Beach Scene
Scene on Surf Ave., Coney Island
Shooting the Chutes
Passaic Falls, New Jersey
Feeding the Doves
A Morning Bath
The Burning Stable
Mounted Police Charge
A Morning Alarm
Black Diamond Express
American Falls from Above, American Side^[3]

1897

Serpentine Dance - Annabelle
The First Sleigh-Ride
Chicken Thieves
Police Patrol Wagon
Fifth Avenue, New York
Seminary Girls
Black Diamond Express, No. 1
Husking Bee
Mr. Edison at Work in His Chemical Laboratory
Giant Coal Dumper
Armour's Electric Trolley
Philadelphia Express, Jersey Central Railway
Free-for-All Race at Charter Oak Park
Corner Madison & State Streets, Chicago
Buffalo Police on Parade
Buffalo Stockyards
Sheep Run, Chicago Stockyards
Falls of Minnehaha
Cattle Driven to Slaughter
Sutro Baths, No. 2
Cupid and Psyche
Arrest in Chinatown, San Francisco, Cal.
Capsize of Lifeboat
Leander Sisters
S.S. Coptic Sailing Away
Return of the Lifeboat
First Avenue, Seattle, Washington, No. 8
The Sea Lions' Home
Boxing for Points
Sutro Baths, No. 1
Lurline Baths
Surf at Monterey
Buffalo Fire Dept. in Action
Fisherman's Wharf
Stanford University, California
Hotel Del Monte
Launch of Life Boat
Horses Loading for the Klondike
Fishing Smacks
Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamilton, Cal.
S.S. Queen Leaving Dock
Loading Baggage for Klondike
S.S. Williamette Leaving for Klondike
S.S. Coptic at Dock
S.S. Coptic in the Harbor
Hotel Vendom, San Jose, Cal.
Southern Pacific Overland Mall
Boat Wagon and Beach Cart
S.S. Queen Loading
Fast Mail, Northern Pacific Railroad

1898

Ella Lola, a la Trilby
Sunday Morning in Mexico
Japanese Sampans
Ostriches Running, No. 1
Mexican Rurales Charge
Street Scene, San Diego
Chinese Procession
Eagle Dance, Pueblo Indians
Wash Day in Mexico
Going Through the Tunnel
Indian Day School
South Spring Street, Los Angeles, Cal.
Sunset Limited, Southern Pacific Ry.
Calf Branding
Cattle Leaving the Corral
California Limited, A.T. & S.F.R.R.
Lassoing a Steer
Mount Tamalpais R.R., No. 1
Bull Fight, No. 3
After Launching
Parade of Chinese
Mount Tamalpais R.R., No. 2
Freight Train
Launch of Japanese Man-of-War Chitosa
Native Daughters
Union Iron Works
Procession of Floats
Launching No. 2
S.S. Coptic Running Against the Storm
Mount Taw R.R., No. 3
Troops Embarking at San Francisco
Troop Ships for the Philippines
Kanakas Diving for Money (Honolulu), No. 2
Shooting Captured Insurgents
Cuban Ambush
Victorious Squadron Firing Salute
Farmer Kissing the Lean Girl
Statue of Liberty
Close View of the Brooklyn Naval Parade
The Fleet Steaming Up North River
Observation Train Following Parade
Reviewing the Texas at Grant's Tomb
Turkish Dance, Ella Lola
Fighting the Fire

1901

President McKinley Inauguration Footage (attributed)^[4]

References

^ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0924920/ ^{[user-generated source]}
^ Georges Sadoul, Histoire générale du cinéma. Tome 2. Les pionniers du cinéma (Denoël, 1947), p. 441.
^ https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/30136
^ Eagan, D.; Board, N.F.P. (2010). America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-8264-2977-3. Retrieved June 29, 2023.