12 Book Review V I D E O A G E October 2022 Depending on who you ask or where you are in the world, you might hear a different story about the true origins of the motion picture. In the United States, Thomas Edison is often credited with paving the path toward motion pictures with the Kinetoscope, his 1894 peep-show device. Meanwhile, in France, the brothers Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas Lumière and Louis Jean Lumière patented the Cinématographe in 1895, and they debuted their own productions, beginning with Arrivée d’un Train en Gare de la Ciotat, also in 1895. Edison and the Lumière brothers are seen as larger than life in the history of motion pictures, but what about the contributions of another Frenchman, Louis Le Prince? Author Paul Fischer explores the life and experiments of Le Prince in his new book, The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and The Movies (416 pgs., Simon & Schuster, 2022. U.S. $28.99). Le Prince is recognized for developing an early motion-picture device that used a singlelens camera to capture a short sequence of movement. Le Prince’s groundbreaking invention was patented in early 1888, although he spent the next three years perfecting it. Just before unveiling it to the world, Le Prince vanished without a trace. His story is one of great ambition and bitter tragedy. In his book, Fischer presents a compelling read about the French artist and innovator, and dives into all available information to offer the fullest picture. Fischer is both an accomplished writer and film producer. His first book, A Kim Jong-Il Production, came out in 2015. It looks at how the former North Korean leader ordered the kidnapping of South Korean actress Choi Eun-Hee and her filmmaker ex-husband Shin Shang-Ok, and their subsequent plan of escape. His first feature screenplay, The Body, was produced as an episode of the horror anthology series Into the Dark for Hulu. Fischer has also written for several publications, including The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. His latest book continues to see him draw on fascinating true stories from the history of cinema, while conveying the cultural and social impact that these stories have on the world at large today. Born in Metz, France, Louis Le Prince was the son of a respected upper-middle-class family. He enjoyed a well-rounded education in the arts, followed by further graduate study at the University of Leipzig. “His passion lay in the arts and, more precisely, in the intersection of arts and technology, the science of light and its interactionwith the human eye”, writes Fischer. A college friend, Jack Whitley, would invite Le Prince to Leeds, England, where he would join the Whitley family’s brass founding firm. Le Prince would also be introduced to Jack’s sister, Elizabeth Whitley, who went by Lizzie. In 1869, the two were married. There is plenty in Le Prince’s life that stands out as striking and relevant to his future. One such example comes from Le Prince’s childhood, when his father introduced him to Louis Daguerre, who was one of the fathers of early photography, having developed the daguerreotype process of photography. It’s episodes like this that show how capable Fischer is at describing how early forms of photography worked. Throughout the book, these technical moments of explanation are complemented by poetic observations about the life Le Prince might have lived and what he thought. The excitement of The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures certainly lies in the mystery at the heart of its story. Much is unknown about the story of Le Prince’s disappearance. Thankfully, Fischer has done an admirable job of sharing what is known. In 1890, Louis went to Dijon, in the northeast region of France, to visit his brother Albert. After three days with Albert and his children, Le Prince was set to take the train to Paris, where he would meet with his friend Richard Wilson, then sail to England so that he could pick up his motion picture device in Liverpool before heading to the U.S., where he lived in New York with Lizzie and his children. But, as Fischer suggests, “Somehow, somewhere between Dijon and Paris, he had vanished.” There were numerous theories as to what happened to Le Prince, and Fischer delves into some of those, such as a conspiracy that Le Prince’s wife imagined. A series of coincidental events led Lizzie to suspect that Edison had a hand in her husband’s disappearance. Shortly after Le Prince disappeared, the announcement of Edison’s Kinetograph, another invention of his, deeply upset her. She is quoted as saying: “It was my husband’s invention of moving pictures!” In his epilogue to the book, Fischer even hints at the possibility of Albert Le Prince’s having something to do with his brother’s disappearance. And yet, Fischer is honest when it comes to whether anything more will be learned about what happened to Le Prince. “It’s hard enough to solve any centuryold mystery. It’s almost impossible when there is so little to go on in the first place.” The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures is a stirring tale about a lesser-known figure in cinematic history. The book also succeeds in offering insight into Le Prince’s ambitions for his own creation. As if having access to Le Prince’s deepest wishes, Fischer writes, “Imagine being able to experience the life of a person from the opposite side of the planet: to see how he exis-ted, and to understand the rhythms of his world… Imagine such a tool being used in education, entertainment, science, and diplomacy. Was that not certain to revolutionize the human experience, as drastically as the railroad and telephone had?” Author Paul Fischer explores the life of Louis Le Prince, an early innovator in the history of the moving image, who mysteriously disappeared. Did Thomas Edison Kill Louis Le Prince, Presumed Inventor of the Motion Picture? By Luis Polanco Much is unknown about the story of Le Prince’s disappearance. Thankfully, Fischer has done an admirable job of sharing what is known.
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