James Stuart Blackton (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American film producer and director of the silent era.

[2] He worked as a reporter and illustrator for the New York Evening World, and performed regularly on stage with conjuror Albert Smith.

He even starred in some of his films, playing the comic strip character "Happy Hooligan" in a series of shorts.

According to Albert Smith, one day the crew was filming a complex series of stop-action effects on the roof while steam from the building's generator was billowing in the background.

On playing the film back, Smith noticed the odd effect created by the steam puffs scooting across the screen and decided to reproduce it deliberately.

In 1906, Blackton directed Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, which uses stop-motion as well as stick puppetry to produce a series of effects.

Most of the effects are also live-action (wires and such), but one scene of a dinner making itself was done using stop-motion, and was presented in a tight close-up that allowed budding animators to study it for technique.

Stuart Blackton believed that the US should join the Allies involved in World War I overseas and in 1915 produced The Battle Cry of Peace.

Former President Theodore Roosevelt was one of the film's staunchest supporters and convinced Gen. Leonard Wood to loan Blackton an entire regiment of marines to use as extras.

[5] Blackton died August 13, 1941, a few days after he suffered a fractured skull[1] after being hit by a motorist while crossing the street with his son.