Arts: This was the week that was

Today On this day in 1893 Edison}s $Black Maria$ in New Jersey, the first film studio was completed, at a total cost of $637. Covered in black roofing-paper, it saved on artificial lighting by twirling round to face the sun. 1929 saw another film landmark: The Broadway Melody from MGM premiered in Hollywood, the first musical with an original score. [OPTCUT]It launched the American luvviesU anthem, $Give My Regards to Broadway$.[OPTCUTENDS]

Tomorrow And another movie milestone from 1893: the first close-up. [OPTCUT]Shot in the $Black Maria$,[OPTCUTENDS] the film entitled Fred Ott}s Sneeze featured a moving scene in which Fred Ott sneezes. in 1709 Alexander Selkirk was rescued after four years on a desert island, little knowing that he would be reincarnated in Daniel Defoe}s Robinson Crusoe, which in turn led to literally hundreds of sequels in books (such as Dog Crusoe) and films (Robinson Crusoe on Mars).

Wednesday Composed by 16-year-old Euphemia Alten under the masculine pseudonym Arthur de Lull, the finger-exercising $Chopsticks$ was registered in 1877 under the title of $The Celebrated Chop Waltz$. In 1958 the unfortunate Paavo Berglund was conducting a piano concerto by Usko Merilainen when he broke his neck through shaking his head with too much brio.

Thursday In 1928 there were fierce protests by Nazis in Munich against US singer Josephine Baker on the incontrovertible grounds that she was black; a year later she was banned for $indecent behaviour$ (ie, she was still black).

Friday 12-year-old Charles Dickens began his first day job: sticking labels on bottles.

Saturday Christopher Marlowe, who lends a hand to Will in Shakespeare in Love, was born in 1564.

Sunday Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was awarded a swingeing U Certificate in 1938: the witch was judged to be too scary for a U. Adolphe Sax, Belgian inventor who designed both the saxophone and a mortar which could fire a 550-ton shell, died in 1894.