The earliest films, produced between 1895 and 1909, present the Irish as comical buffoons. Paddy, the ignorant ill-tempered laborer, and Bridget, the incompetent bawdy domestic, predominate during this period.

These characters, and the stock situations in which they operate, were borrowed from largely from the vaudeville stage and tended to reflect Anglo-American anxieties over the great influx of Irish immigration.

The majority of these films run less than a minute (or approximately 100 feet) in lenght. However, by 1900, films began to expand in runtime. 12-15 minutes (or 1-reel) became commonplace and by 1910 longer, multi-reel, films were regularly being produced.

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How Bridget Made the Fire (Biograph, 1900)

How the Cook Made Her Mark (Biograph, 1904)

Drill Ye Tarriers, Drill (Biograph, 1900)