Review of The Great Train Robbery

What do these famous persons have in common: Buffalo Bill, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Charlie Siringo, Frank James, Annie Oakley, Cole Younger, and "Yellowstone" Kelly? They were still alive in 1903, and they had a lot of living to do. Perhaps they saw this wonderful movie, which was inspired by a Wyoming train robbery by Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch in 1900. The Great Train Robbery, produced by the Edison Studios, was filmed in the wilds of New Jersey. The title sums up the feature, but the train bandits get their comeuppance within twelve minutes. It is only fitting that the historic first motion picture in America was a western. A bandit shoots at the audience at the beginning or end of the feature, depending upon the prints (which vary). "Broncho Billy" Anderson, who regularly acted for almost two decades, had several roles. He may have been the first American movie "star," in the loose sense of the term. Great fun!