This Gaston Velle movie from 1904 was a fairly venturesome piece of film-making for the era. First, its credits include Jules Verne: his second after the Méliès TRIP TO THE MOON a couple of years earlier. Second, it uses a dozen cuts, irised lenses -- the balloonists' views through their...
A cook mistakenly throws his kitchen boy into a huge pot while preparing a stew. Distraught, he attempts to make up for his mistake. Alas, Mephisto decides to get involved.
Two housemaids, arguing, start to fight : a houseboy steps in to separate them, and in doing so becomes their target and is literally torn apart. Alarmed by the quarrel, a policeman intervenes. Will order finally be restored?
Gaston Velle's 'Les Fleurs Animées' was screened by the Australian-based Corrick Family Entertainers as part of their variety act. In their advertising the Corricks described the detailed, hand-coloured production as 'The finest "Color" Film of the Twentieth Century'. Simple camera tricks create a...
A boy is put to bed by his mother, but when she leaves the room, he pulls out a book. Dropping off to sleep, he begins to dream. The wall behind him transforms into a screen, with a portrait of Jules Verne. The boy imagines the starry night sky, with comets shooting by. The gondola of a balloon...
A magician enters a café and sets about introducing his act, but a waiter interferes and throws him out the door. Disgruntled, the magician decides to take revenge, and he has more than one trick up his sleeve.
An old astronomer named Nigadimus has been transfixed by a star for a long time. He had but one thought: to travel to it, to declare his love for it! But how? A simple but ingenious solution-- A giant bubble. An Italian production, this is Velle's longer version of his own film for Pathé, released...
The town-crier summons the inhabitants of the town and they read a manifesto which is posted on a wall announcing the fact that at 4 o'clock on that day the Lord Mayor will receive bids for the building of a town clock.
Fantastic Flowers is a compilation of short silent films produced between 1906 and 1920, displaying amazing colours that were applied to each frame using the Pathécolor process, or other similar stencilling techniques. Bonsoir – La Fée aux fleurs (1906) / [Bloemenvelden Haarlem] (1909) / Les...
A woman, in her bedroom, is putting her jewelry away. Alarmed by strange noises at her door, she hides behind her bed. A burglar enters the room and steals her jewelry box. The woman calls for help, a police officer steps in and starts to chase the thief.
Harlequin is walking in a garden with Columbine. As he moves away to the distance and leaves her on her own, Mephisto appears, from inside a well, and tries to woo her. Will Harlequin get back in time and rescue her?
Pierrot woos Columbine, who abandons Harlequin. An old witch hands Harlequin a magical flute that will make his wishes come true, whenever it is played. It is now time for Harlequin to play his tricks.
