For a short comedy of rare merit this subject is unexcelled. A chalk line series of grotesque caricatures enacted in the land of puppets. A fickle maiden gets herself into numerous embarrassing complications with her host of admirers, but the artist with lightning rapidity overcomes all obstacles and brings the maiden out victorious.
The Proposal: The gentleman burglar walking with his lady love. They admire the grandeur and beauty of nature. He proposes and she accepts. She does not suspect his occupation. Turning Over a New Leaf: The thieves' den. The gang drinking and playing cards. The gentleman burglar arrives. Announces his coming wedding. Apprises them of his decision to quit his life of crime. He bids them good-bye and departs. Engaged to Another: Reception hall of the girl's home. A rival lover sues for her hand. She informs him of her engagement to another. He leaves her in sadness. Two Years Later: The gentleman burglar returns with his bride to her father's house.
An animated film by French auteur Émile Cohl, one of the earliest examples of hand-drawn film animation. Drawing inspiration from J. Stuart Blackton and the Incoherents of club Hydropathes, the film, with all its wild transformations, sees our protagonist materialize a movie theatre, meet an elephant and escape from jail; A morphing, stream-of-consciousness delight.
A stop-motion film from Émile Cohl with tin soldiers, children's drawings and cannibals.
At the Crossroads of Life is a typically Victorian-style melodrama in which a girl's wishes to be an actress are condemned by her stern father, a man of the cloth who has no time for those in the acting profession.
Segundo de Chomón's remake of Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon.
A one-armed street peddler notices that a well-to-do man has dropped his ring. He returns it to him. The wealthy man is very grateful and, to show his appreciation, takes the peddler to a 'Limb Store', where he buys him a new arm. The recipient soon discovers that this new arm has a will of its own - causing him considerable embarrassment.
Based on the story of "Sleeping Beauty" by Charles Perrault. Titles read: The Christening of the Princess; The Good Fairies Fatal Prediction; The Royal Edict; The Princess is Sixteen Years Old; Searching for the Princess; The Prediction Comes True; Thou Shalt Sleep for a Hundred Years; A Hundred Years later the Prince Charming Goes Hunting; Prince Charming Dismisses His Escort; The Castle of Sleep; The Guard's Hall; You Have Been a Long Time Coming, prince; The Wedding of the Sleeping Beauty to Prince Charming.
Based on Shakespeare's play. Petruchio courts the bad-tempered Katharina, and tries to change her aggressive behavior.
A woodsman leaves a hut followed by a woman with their baby. Nearby some men chop down a tree. The baby is left outside the hut, but an eagle flies away with it.
There's a scene in a village, then there's a scene out in the wilderness with what appear to be gods, and a giant crab, and a giant frog... then there's another scene in the village... and that's it.
A family goes to a photographer. The photographer pushes the boy around, and no one seems to care. The boy gets his revenge.
A moon-woman shakes a Pierot costume and manifests a Pierot clown. She does this four more until there are five Pierots crowded on the ledge of the moon. They fall to the earth and dance like tops turning one by one into Columbine maidens.
The opium fiend is seen in a den, puffing on this terrible narcotic. He then falls fast asleep and dreams that he is at home with his wife. He asks for something to drink and he is given wine, which he does not care for, and he is finally given some bottled beer and a glass, but he complains that the glass is too small and he gets a very large sized glass receptacle, into which his wife and maid servant pour the contents of the bottle. As he is about to drink the glass passes from his hand mysteriously, sailing through the room and out of the window to the moon…
Prospero and his daughter Miranda must take refuge on an enchanted island. There Prospero, who himself has magical powers, releases the spirit Ariel from a spell, and also meets the savage Caliban. Then Prospero uses his powers to create a tempest that shipwrecks some of the persons who caused his exile.
A castaway returns home after years lost at sea, to the wife and child he left behind. Has she waited faithfully or has she moved on?
And here is an early success as he puts the viewer in the mood of a little boy, playing with his toys, running them through the paces of his little circus.
This film from George Melies is sadly one that's only available in fragments. The film starts off with a title card stating that a drunk man has just thrown his family out a window. We see a couple of them landing on the ground and then we go back to the room where the drunk is now trying to kill himself.
During the recent Olympic games, held in the city of Loudon. Pathe was granted sole rights to take pictures for the cinematograph of the national games, and the success with which they met in obtaining a clear view of the principal events can easily be judged by those who are fortunate enough to see this film. The first picture shows the grand stand, crowded to its capacity with thousands of enthusiastic fans. In the royal box is the King and Queen, who appear to take a lively interest in the different events. It is an inspiring scene to see the parade of athletes at the opening of the games as each country represented marches by the reviewing stand flying their national colors and saluting their majesties.
The film portrays the events on the day King Henri III of France arranged for Duke Henri de Guise to be murdered.
