The classic tale of Dante's journey through hell, loosely adapted from the Divine Comedy and inspired by the illustrations of Gustav Doré. This historically important film stands as the first feature from Italy and the oldest fully-surviving feature in the world, and boasts beautiful sets and special effects that stand above other cinema of the era.
The story begins with a scientist creating a device shaped like a man that can be remote-controlled by a machine. The mechanical man possess super-human speed and strength. The scientist is killed however by a gang of criminals, led by a woman named Mado, who wish to get the instructions for building the mechanical man. The criminals are captured before they are able to get them and are brought to trial and condemned. Mado manages to escape and kidnaps the scientist's niece whom she forces to give her the instructions which she uses to build a mechanical man.
Framed by scenes of Shakespeare himself telling the story to his friends, this is a three-reel adaptation of the Bard of Avon's magical late-period romance about Leontes, a jealous king who banishes his daughter out of fear that she might not be his child.
The documentary was entirely filmed in the province of Burgos, containing monuments and architecture considered emblematic of Spanish heritage. Color was added to the film at a later date, by hand. Burgos is a fine example of the timeless beauty of hand-stenciled film, as well as sound actuality filmmaking by two cinematic pioneers.
From a window in Fabiola's house, Sebastian watches the Christians being taken to their cells, and as he listens to the shrieks and curses of the multitude his heart is stirred with pity. Later Sebastian is denounced to the Emperor as a Christian, and he is condemned to die by the swords of the Numidian guards. The news is brought to Fabiola, who sends one of her slaves to the chief of the Numidians. Heis brought to her house, and rich bribes are offered to him not to fulfil the Emperor's command. Sebastian is taken to the place of execution, and the chief commands his followers to shoot with their arrows, but not to kill. Dangerously wounded, Sebastian is carried to Fabiola's house, where she tenderly nurses him back to health. But Sebastian, partially recovered, sets out to meet the Emperor, and reproaches him for his cruelty towards the Christians.
Travel film about Florence which includes: the cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore or Duomo) with the tower (Torre di Giotto or Campanile) and the dome (Brunelleschi), Piazza and Palazzo della Signoria.
Short comedy about Cocciutelli (Krause) who is pressured by his uncle to look for a job.
Monthus gets a job as a billposter, but every time he tries to put one up, some one stops him. A bicyclist runs into him, or a cop chases him off, or some other disaster, usually causing him to take a prat fall.
