Mondo Knows Facts
30 Movies & TV Facts, Each One Checked and Sourced
Film history, television firsts and what happened behind the camera.
30 facts on this shelf, each with a named source and a link onward to something to play or use on the same theme.
30 facts in Movies & TV
Movies & TVThe oldest surviving film is about two seconds longLouis Le Prince shot Roundhay Garden Scene in Leeds in 1888Movies & TVThe first paid film screening was in Paris in 1895The Lumière brothers showed short films to a paying audience on 28 DecemberMovies & TVThe Jazz Singer brought sound to feature filmsWarner Bros. released it in 1927 with synchronised songs and speechMovies & TVThe Hollywood sign once said HOLLYWOODLANDIt was an advertisement for a housing development, put up in 1923Movies & TVThe first Oscars ceremony lasted about 15 minutesIt was held on 16 May 1929 and the winners were announced months beforeMovies & TVThe Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot back to back in New ZealandFilming began in October 1999 and Hobbiton was built near MatamataMovies & TVOnly three films have won 11 OscarsBen-Hur, Titanic and The Return of the King share the recordMovies & TVWalt Disney has won more Oscars than anyone elseHe took home 22 competitive awards and four honorary onesMovies & TVSnow White was the first full-length American cel-animated filmDisney's 1937 gamble took three years to makeMovies & TVIndia makes more films than any other countryThe industry releases well over 1,500 features a year in many languagesMovies & TVPsycho's shower scene took 78 camera setupsThe sequence runs about 45 seconds and has roughly 52 cutsMovies & TVStar Wars' Tatooine is named after a real townGeorge Lucas took the name from Tataouine in TunisiaMovies & TVDoctor Who is the longest-running sci-fi TV seriesIt first aired on the BBC on 23 November 1963Movies & TVThe Simpsons is the longest-running American scripted primetime showThe series premiered in December 1989 and continues todayMovies & TVThe BBC began the world's first regular TV service in 1936Broadcasts started from Alexandra Palace on 2 November 1936Movies & TVParasite was the first non-English film to win Best PictureSouth Korea's Parasite won four Oscars at the 2020 ceremonyMovies & TVKatharine Hepburn won four Best Actress OscarsNo other performer has won as many in a lead acting categoryMovies & TVMeryl Streep has been nominated for 21 OscarsIt is the most for any performer, with three winsMovies & TVCharlie Chaplin got a 12-minute standing ovationIt came at the 1972 Oscars and was the longest in the ceremony's historyMovies & TVJohn Logie Baird demonstrated television in 1926He showed moving images to a small audience in a London atticMovies & TVSpirited Away was the first anime to win an OscarStudio Ghibli's film won Best Animated Feature in 2003Movies & TVJaws was the first film to earn $100 million in the USThe mechanical shark, nicknamed Bruce, kept breaking downMovies & TVThe Cannes Film Festival began in 1946A planned 1939 edition was cancelled when the Second World War beganMovies & TVThe M*A*S*H finale was watched by about 106 million peopleIt held the US record for most-watched broadcast for 27 years
All 30 Movies & TV facts
- The oldest surviving film is about two seconds long
- The first paid film screening was in Paris in 1895
- The Jazz Singer brought sound to feature films
- The Hollywood sign once said HOLLYWOODLAND
- The first Oscars ceremony lasted about 15 minutes
- The Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot back to back in New Zealand
- Only three films have won 11 Oscars
- Walt Disney has won more Oscars than anyone else
- Snow White was the first full-length American cel-animated film
- India makes more films than any other country
- Psycho's shower scene took 78 camera setups
- Star Wars' Tatooine is named after a real town
- Doctor Who is the longest-running sci-fi TV series
- The Simpsons is the longest-running American scripted primetime show
- The BBC began the world's first regular TV service in 1936
- Parasite was the first non-English film to win Best Picture
- Katharine Hepburn won four Best Actress Oscars
- Meryl Streep has been nominated for 21 Oscars
- Charlie Chaplin got a 12-minute standing ovation
- John Logie Baird demonstrated television in 1926
- Spirited Away was the first anime to win an Oscar
- Jaws was the first film to earn $100 million in the US
- The Cannes Film Festival began in 1946
- The M*A*S*H finale was watched by about 106 million people
- Sesame Street began in 1969 as an educational experiment
- Steamboat Willie entered the public domain in 2024
- Netflix began by mailing DVDs
- Weta Workshop makes film props in Wellington
- Jane Campion was the first woman to win the Palme d'Or
- Toy Story was the first fully computer-animated feature film
Test what you know
Turn these facts into a quiz: Movies & Television trivia questions, with an explanation after every answer.
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Questions people ask
- How many movies & TV facts are there?
- 30, each with a named source and a link to it. Film history, television firsts and what happened behind the camera.
- Where do these facts come from?
- Mostly primary sources: NASA, the ESA, museums, universities and peer-reviewed papers. A fact is only published here once a source can be linked, and the wording is written fresh rather than copied.
- Can I read them in one sitting?
- The page lists the newest first and the search box narrows by word. Every fact links onward to a quiz, game or calculator on the same subject, so it works as a browse or as a jumping-off point.