A prestidigitator orders his assistant to bring a cabinet, which is displayed piece by piece to the audience. Two gentlemen are then introduced; they enter the cabinet and are securely bound with ropes to the chairs. The doors are closed and immediately the heads of the two men appear through apertures in the doors. The doors are immediately thrown wide open and the men are disclosed bound to the chairs as securely as at first. From this moment the most amusing scenes are enacted without interruption. The poor prestidigitator even loses his head, which is found upon a stool, while his body has been struggling in the most amusing way.
This film is presumed lost.
A short French fantasy film.
A reenactment of a dirigible explosion in Paris.
The Merchant, the Farrier, and the Roman accompany a mysterious woman into a magical cave full of terrors and wonders.
A sleeping apartment of a friend who retires for the night. The rays of the moon are shining upon the bed through the window. He is suddenly awakened by a bug of gigantic proportions crawling over him. This he attacks and destroys, but before again retiring he notices three more climbing up the wall. He lights the candle and applies the flame to each, causing them to explode with fine smoke effect. After this slaughter he retires in contentment and soon sleeps the sleep of the just. A very funny subject.
Showing the interior of a dining room of a modest cottage, whereto enter a young couple to partake in their meal, which is being served up by the maid. Suddenly the legs of the table are extended to three times their height; the dinner being elevated to this extent; in order to reach same they climb into the chairs. The table suddenly vanishes, but makes its appearance in another section of the room. It is practically a chase between them and the table, this finally disappearing altogether, and in its place is seen a gigantic bottle of "Scotch." Further surprising tricks are introduced, making this subject one of unusual interest. (Selig Catalog)
Mephistopheles demands that Faust kill Marguerite.
A magician makes a woman appear and disappear.
An adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy.
A man makes twenty complete changes in two minutes, combining with them dances. The changes are made in full sight of the audience. Biondi, Fregoli and Mons change behind the scenes.
The Jewish ex-officer Alfred Dreyfus's degradation. He stands in a military quadrant and the Adjutant proceeds to tear off his medals; Dreyfus is compelled to pass in front of the troops in disgrace. Star Film catalog #216, this is part of Melies's Dreyfus Affair film series and is the second installment. It is one of two installments that has either been destroyed or never restored, and is thus not currently available to the public.
One of eleven installments of The Dreyfus Affair (L'affaire Dreyfus), a docudrama reconstructing the historical Dreyfus Affair, which was still playing out as the series was being filmed. This film is the last of the 11 installments in the "Dreyfus Affair" film series by Georges Melies. Notable for the fact that this last segment was banned from the public as disputes broke up at the viewing of it, and today it is one of two films that is currently not available to the public.
A human skeleton is placed upon a table by an attendant. When the attendant leaves the room the skeleton begins kicking his legs and throwing his arms about and suddenly turns into a magician. The magician produces an egg, performing several sleight-of-hand tricks, and places it upon the table with the small end downward. He then crudely draws a human face upon the shell, and the egg immediately begins growing larger and larger until it reaches the size of a normal head.
"The picture shows the Devil working at a fire. Two cavaliers appear, and the Devil takes the form of a seer, old, bent and wrinkled. Then he disappears in a cloud of smoke, to reappear shortly as a ghost, whose head comes off and floats around the room. Suddenly the table gets up of itself, and flies up the chimney. All sorts of wonderful things happen. A cannon takes the place occupied by the table, and belches forth flame and smoke. A large cage appears mysteriously in the center of the room, through the bars of which the Devil passes as if it were an open door. By his magic, he makes the cavalier pass through the bars in the same wonderful fashion. Everything is so weird and fantastic, that such a small trifle as a man turning into a donkey excites but passing notice." -Edison catalog
The interior of a trolley car. A menagerie of passengers notices a foul odour, and pinpoint the source of the stench at a cheese saleswoman. The gendarmerie removes her from the trolley and drags her to the precinct.
A reenactment of a scene inside Devil's Island prison.
Four black minstrels turn into white clowns and back again when they hit or kick each other.