 Initially advertised as Mrs. Carrie Nation and Her Hatchet Brigade , Kansas Saloon Smashers was distributed by Edison Studios and first released on March 16 , 1901 . A unique publicity still was created for the film , a rare occasion at the time . Upon release , the film was screened at <unk> 's Ninth and Arch Street Museum in Philadelphia , where it received an entire bill . Nevertheless , the short made Nation and her followers incensed , and Nation found the view of saloons Porter 's film offered to be " disturbing " . 
