Movie Details
Theatrical Release:January 1st, 1898
Original Language:English
Production Companies:Vitagraph Company of America
Battle of Santiago Bay (1898)
Audience Score
DirectorJ. Stuart Blackton
Plot
Vitagraph’s Battle of Santiago Bay (1898) blended real Spanish–American War footage with tabletop trickery. Albert E. Smith’s authentic San Juan material looked underwhelming, so he and partner J. Stuart Blackton staged the naval clash on a miniature set: cardboard ships afloat in shallow water, firecracker “explosions,” and clouds of smoke from cigars and cigarettes. Spliced together, the hybrid film was embraced as genuine by audiences and became one of the most popular war films of its day.
