Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) Practice Exam

Which statement about American movies and the Motion Picture Industry is not true?

1. Thomas Edison was the first American to patent and market a commercial motion picture camera

2. Non-English speaking immigrants had lower attendance rates than middle class, native born Americans

3. The US Supreme Court ruled that movies' contents were not protected by the 1st amendment

4. The first talking movie debuted during the 1920s

The correct answer is: Non-English speaking immigrants had lower attendance rates than middle class, native born Americans

The statement that non-English speaking immigrants had lower attendance rates than middle class, native-born Americans is not true. Historically, immigrant communities, including non-English speakers, were often enthusiastic moviegoers. The rise of the motion picture industry in the early 20th century coincided with an influx of immigrants to the United States, many of whom found movies to be an accessible form of entertainment that required little understanding of the English language. Movies, especially silent films, transcended language barriers and served as a universal form of entertainment. In contrast, the other statements are factual. Thomas Edison did play a key role in the development and commercialization of motion picture technology, notably patenting one of the earliest motion picture cameras. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that films, especially in their content, were considered as subject to regulation and not fully protected by the First Amendment until later court cases began to shift that view. Additionally, the first talking movie, "The Jazz Singer," debuted in 1927, marking a significant technological advancement in the film industry. These historical contexts validate the other statements while underscoring the inaccuracy of the statement regarding immigrant attendance rates.