Iwan Serrurier facts for kids

Iwan Serrurier (born September 21, 1878 – died 1953) was a clever engineer from the Netherlands who moved to America. He is famous for inventing the Moviola, a machine that changed how movies were made.

Early Life and Moving to America

Iwan Serrurier was born in Leiden, Netherlands. His father, Lindor Serrurier, was in charge of a museum there. In 1903, Iwan married Catharina Damme. Soon after, they moved to the United States. They settled in Pasadena, California. Their son, Mark, was born there in 1904. Before his big invention, Iwan worked selling houses and as a designer for a railroad company.

Inventing the Moviola

In 1917, Iwan came up with an idea for a machine that could show movies at home. He called it the "Moviola." He hoped it would be as popular in homes as the Victrola, which played music.

From Home Projector to Editing Tool

When the Moviola first went on sale in 1923, it cost about $600. That was a lot of money back then, like $10,400 today! Because it was so expensive, not many people bought it for their homes.

But then, something important happened. An editor at Douglas Fairbanks Studios had a great idea. They suggested that Iwan change the Moviola so that movie editors could use it. Editors needed a way to look at film strips closely and cut them.

Iwan listened to this advice. He changed his invention, and in 1924, the Moviola became a special machine for editing movies. It helped editors put movie scenes together in the right order.

Moviola's Success and Legacy

After the Moviola became an editing tool, Iwan's company grew. He continued to work on and improve the Moviola until he retired in the 1940s.

Iwan Serrurier passed away in 1953. Years later, in 1979, his son Mark accepted a special award. It was an Academy Award for Technical Achievement. This award honored both Iwan and Mark for their amazing work. Their invention made a huge difference in how movies are edited, helping filmmakers create the stories we see on screen.