The Movies Begin - A Treasury of Early Cinema 1894-1913
by bderoes | created - 23 Mar 2012 | updated - 14 Dec 2017 | PublicKino 5-disk set, released Feb 2002
http://www.kinolorber.com/video.php?product_id=694
27.Apr.2015 update to make corrections documented by Trent Allgood (thank you!), to add menu information for various titles, and, best of all, to add the 10 'unadvertised bonus' titles found on Volume 2 (right arrow on 2nd menu; they are NOT included in the Play All option!) [minor rant: I hope Easter Eggs have been abandoned in home video production by now.]
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1. Homage to Eadweard Muybridge (1994)
Not Rated | 2 min | Short
David Hanson edits together 11 separate photo series done between 1877 and 1885 by Eadweard Muybridge to make 11 short films. Most are of women moving: upstairs, downstairs, setting down a ... See full summary »
Director: Eadweard Muybridge
Votes: 141
Volume 1, Series Photography 1880s
2. The Kiss (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Romance
In a medium close-up shot of the first kiss ever recorded on screen, two fervent lovers cuddle and talk passionately at hair's breadth, just before the love-smitten gentleman decides to give his chosen one an innocent peck.
Director: William Heise | Stars: May Irwin, John C. Rice
Votes: 3,672
Volume 1, Edison Shorts 1894-97
3. Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
Annabelle (Whitford) Moore performs one of her popular dance routines. She uses her dance steps and her long, flowing skirts to create a variety of visual patterns.
Directors: William K.L. Dickson, William Heise | Star: Annabelle Moore
Votes: 2,403
Volume 1, Edison Shorts 1894-97
4. Sandow: The Strong Man (1894)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
Eugen Sandow, who claims to be the strongest man in the world, appears in the Edison Company's film studio.
Director: William K.L. Dickson | Star: Eugen Sandow
Votes: 1,231
Volume 1, Edison Shorts 1894-97
5. Glenroy Brothers (Comic Boxing) (1894)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short, Sport
The Glenroy Brothers perform a portion of their vaudeville act, "The Comic View of Boxing: The Tramp & the Athlete", which depicts a boxer with a classic style trying to contend with an opponent who uses a very unorthodox approach.
Director: William K.L. Dickson | Star: The Glenroy Brothers
Votes: 850
Volume 1, Edison Shorts 1894-97
6. Cock Fight (1896)
1 min | Documentary, Short
Two roosters fight while two men make bets in the background. No (onscreen) deaths of the animals involved.
Votes: 325
Volume 1, Edison Shorts 1894-97
7. The Barbershop (1893)
1 min | Documentary, Short
Customer gets a lightning-fast shave.
Directors: William K.L. Dickson, William Heise
Votes: 1,207
Volume 1, Edison Shorts 1894-97
8. Feeding the Doves (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Documentary
A woman and a young girl each carry containers of bird feed, and they toss occasional handfuls to the chickens and doves in the farmyard. Most of the chickens stay nearby, but the doves occasionally fly off and then return to eat more.
Director: James H. White
Votes: 909
Volume 1, Edison Shorts 1894-97
9. Seminary Girls (1897)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
"A number of young ladies, in their night robes, are having a frolic, and are interrupted by a teacher. One girl makes herself *very* conspicuous by crawling under a bed."
Director: James H. White
Votes: 926
Volume 1, Edison Shorts 1894-97
10. The Sea (1895)
1 min | Documentary, Short
Several little boys run along a pier, then jump into the ocean.
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 1,506
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
11. Children Digging for Clams (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Documentary
One toddler and about ten children, not yet adolescents, use a shovel, rakes, and nets to scour an eddy by the sea as fully-dressed women (hats and all) and a few men look on and give ... See full summary »
Director: Alexandre Promio
Votes: 444
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
12. Loading a Boiler (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Documentary
A stationary camera placed amidships looks toward the round end of a 10- or 12-foot boiler that's been loaded onto the open deck. Three men climb down from atop the boiler and then remove ... See full summary »
Votes: 374
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
13. Dragoons Crossing the Sâone (2016)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
A stationary camera looks across Burgundy's River Sâone toward a small military encampment. Four horsemen enter the water in the foreground, each riding his horse as it swims across toward ... See full summary »
Votes: 623
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
14. Promenade of Ostriches, Paris Botanical Gardens (1896)
1 min | Short, Documentary
Fin de siécle elegance. A parade of sorts passes in front of a stationary camera. An ostrich pulls a cart in which two well-dressed girls sit, two mules pull a large cart full of children, ... See full summary »
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 629
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
15. Childish Quarrel (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
"Two babies are shown seated in high chairs and apparently enjoying themselves. Suddenly one snatches a toy from the other, and they indulge in hair-pulling."
Director: Louis Lumière | Stars: Andrée Lumière, Suzanne Lumière
Votes: 961
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
16. Lion, London Zoological Garden (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Documentary
A male lion, right next to bars that are about 6 or 8 inches apart, keenly watches a uniformed zoo attendant toss small morsels of food into the cage. The lion alternates between finding ... See full summary »
Director: Alexandre Promio
Votes: 709
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
17. Photographe (1895)
1 min | Documentary, Short, Comedy
A photographer has his camera all set up to take a gentleman's picture. The subject checks his face in a hand mirror, and the photographer poses him. Just as the photographer is about to ... See full summary »
Director: Louis Lumière | Stars: Auguste Lumière, Clément Maurice
Votes: 537
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
18. Transformation by Hats, Comic View (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
The transformation of the same character in six different characters. A vision of the act of transformation.
Director: Louis Lumière | Star: Félicien Trewey
Votes: 1,238
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
19. Carmaux, défournage du coke (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Documentary
Carmaux is in south-central France, near the Tarn River. As a brick of coke, about four feet high and three feet wide, is gradually pushed out of a smelter into a yard, one worker sprays it... See full summary »
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 810
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
20. Poultry-Yard (1896)
1 min | Short, Documentary
Two young girls feed a flock of domesticated ducks while an adult woman walks by and watches them.
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 577
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
21. Arab Cortege, Geneva (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
A stationary camera looks across a busy corner toward a store front marked "The Divan." The words "des fees" are beneath. A cortege of Arabs, about 20 persons in the party, walk past; the ... See full summary »
Director: Alexandre Promio
Votes: 388
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
22. New York, Brooklyn Bridge (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Documentary
A stationary camera is set at a curve in the train tracks, with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. From the bridge, a four-car streetcar approaches and turns to he viewer's left. As it ... See full summary »
Director: Alexandre Promio
Votes: 398
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
23. New York: Broadway at Union Square (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Documentary
Short film depicting New York's Broadway and Union Square that gives an insight of everyday life and traffic at that time.
Director: Alexandre Promio
Votes: 722
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
24. Chicago Police Parade (1897)
1 min | Documentary, Short
Walking four abreast, in groups of six rows, 144 of Chicago's finest parade past a stationary camera. Each of the six groups that pass is escorted by an officer. All are men, all are white,... See full summary »
Director: Alexandre Promio
Votes: 573
Volume 1, Auguste & Louis Lumiere 1895-96
25. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
TV-G | 13 min | Short, Action, Adventure
A group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon, Brunnet
Votes: 55,775
Volume 1
26. William McKinley at Canton, Ohio (1896)
1 min | Documentary, Short
"This view was taken upon Mr. McKinley's lawn at his home in Canton, Ohio. Mr. McKinley appears walking across the lawn in company with his Secretary, who hands him a telegram, which he ... See full summary »
Stars: William McKinley, George B. Cortelyou, Ida McKinley
Votes: 579
Volume 1, Actualities
27. Burro Pack Train on the Chilcoot Pass (1898)
1 min | Documentary, Short
During the Alaska gold rush, one way to reach the Klondike was over the Chilkoot Pass. A stationary camera is placed to see a ways down the curving trail. A pack train comes into view and ... See full summary »
Director: Thomas Crahan
Votes: 517
Volume 1, Actualities
28. Skyscrapers of New York City, from the North River (1903)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Documentary
This short film shows a panoramic view of Manhattan Island, as it appeared in 1903. The island is viewed from the North River (Hudson River), and the view moves down the west side of the ... See full summary »
Director: J.B. Smith
Votes: 588
Volume 1, Actualities
29. The Georgetown Loop (Colorado) (1903)
3 min | Short, Documentary
Georgetown is a silver-mining town at 8,500 feet near the crest of the Rockies. Hooked somehow to the rear of a four-car passenger train is a camera that pans the scenery and, when the ... See full summary »
Votes: 271
Volume 1, Actualities
30. San Francisco: Aftermath of Earthquake (1906)
1 min | Documentary, Short, History
Footage shot not long after the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco is edited together so that more than one scene and more than one vantage are included. We see fire raging. We see burned-out... See full summary »
Director: Robert K. Bonine
Votes: 596
Volume 1, Actualities
31. The Dog and His Various Merits (1908)
Not Rated | 2 min | Short, Documentary
We see a working dog, a beggar's dog, a shepherd's dog, and a milkman's dog. The working dog is locked inside a large wire wheel; the dog runs inside the wheel, turning it to run a machine.... See full summary »
Votes: 462
Volume 1, Actualities (and 2nd menu)
32. Moscow Clad in Snow (1909)
7 min | Short, Documentary
This is another one of our famous scenic films which is a revelation of the beauties of the historic Russian city, showing it clad in a blanket of snow and giving us a good view of the many... See full summary »
Director: Joseph-Louis Mundwiller
Votes: 559
Volume 1, Actualities (and 2nd menu)
33. Aeroplane Flight and Wreck (Piloted by M. Cody) (1910)
4 min | Short, Documentary
Mr. Cody arrives by carriage, walks to a barn, and slides open the doors to reveal a large biplane. He pulls it out of the hanger. One man checks the engine while another starts the ... See full summary »
Star: M. Cody
Votes: 432
Volume 1, Actualities (and 2nd menu)
34. A Fire in a Burlesque Theatre (1904)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Drama
A man runs out the stage door of a burlesque theater, followed by billowing smoke. Firefighters run up. One places a ladder up to a second-story window beside the door, and he helps several... See full summary »
Votes: 272
Volume 1, Biograph BLUE Films 1903-05
35. Airy Fairy Lillian Tries on Her New Corsets (1905)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
A very large woman, wearing a shift, stands beside a bed and tries to put on a corset. After failing to get it around her, she calls her husband in. He stands behind her holding the corset ... See full summary »
Votes: 277
Volume 1, Biograph BLUE Films 1903-05
36. From Show Girl to Burlesque Queen (1903)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short
A woman in fancy dress enters a dressing room and begins to disrobe. She removes a coat, a top, and her skirt. As she starts to remove her chemise in front of the camera, she thinks the ... See full summary »
Director: A.E. Weed
Votes: 380
Volume 1, Biograph BLUE Films 1903-05
37. Troubles of a Manager of a Burlesque Show (1904)
Not Rated | 2 min | Short, Comedy
Facing a stationary camera, sitting at a desk, a man works busily. Posters of burlesque queens are on the wall behind him. A single woman, followed later by later two others, comes into the... See full summary »
Votes: 241
Volume 1, Biograph BLUE Films 1903-05
38. The Great Train Robbery (1903)
TV-G | 11 min | Short, Action, Adventure
A group of bandits stage a brazen train hold-up, only to find a determined posse hot on their heels.
Director: Edwin S. Porter | Stars: Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson, A.C. Abadie, George Barnes, Justus D. Barnes
Votes: 20,994
Volume 1
39. The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog (1905)
Not Rated | 5 min | Short, Comedy, Family
The Whole Dam Family and The Dam Dog is a popular fad which has been widely advertised by lithographs and souvenir mailing cards, and has recently been made the subject of a sketch in a New... See full summary »
Director: Edwin S. Porter | Stars: William Courtenay, Frank Daniels, May Irwin, Charlotte Walker
Votes: 749
Volume 1
40. The Golden Beetle (1907)
Not Rated | 3 min | Short, Fantasy
A sorcerer tosses an iridescent little beetle into a flaming ceremonial cauldron, and much to his amazement, a six-winged fairy in the body of a beautiful young woman emerges. Is his sorcery potent enough to tame her?
Directors: Segundo de Chomón, Ferdinand Zecca
Votes: 928
Volume 1
41. Leaving the Factory (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
Workers leaving the Lumière factory for lunch in Lyon, France in 1895; a place of great photographic innovation and one of the birth places of cinema.
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 7,552
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
42. Baby's Meal (1895)
1 min | Documentary, Short
As part of a maiden public film screening at the Salon Indien, on December 28, in Paris, Auguste Lumière pivots the centre of attention around his baby daughter, as he tries to feed her from a spoon.
Director: Louis Lumière | Stars: Auguste Lumière, Mrs. Auguste Lumiere, Andrée Lumière
Votes: 3,513
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
43. Demolition of a Wall (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
Auguste Lumière directs four workers in the demolition of an old wall at the Lumière factory. One worker is pressing the wall inwards with a jackscrew, while another is pushing it with a ... See full summary »
Director: Louis Lumière | Star: Auguste Lumière
Votes: 2,770
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
44. The Waterer Watered (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
An impudent child plays a prank on a gardener innocently watering his plants.
Director: Louis Lumière | Stars: François Clerc, Benoît Duval
Votes: 5,843
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
45. The Photographical Congress Arrives in Lyon (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
The photographers who need to participate in the congress of Lyon get off a boat in Neuville-sur-Saône, dividing to the right and left.
Director: Louis Lumière | Stars: Auguste Lumière, P.J.C. Janssen
Votes: 1,963
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
46. The Arrival of a Train (1896)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
A train arrives at La Ciotat station.
Directors: Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière | Stars: Madeleine Koehler, Marcel Koehler, Mrs. Auguste Lumiere, Jeanne-Joséphine Lumière
Votes: 12,871
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
47. The Messers. Lumière at Cards (1896)
1 min | Documentary, Short
Two men play cards, as a third watches and a waiter brings drinks. The third man pours drinks as the waiter laughs.
Director: Louis Lumière | Stars: Antoine Féraud, Antoine Lumière, Félicien Trewey, Alphonse Winckler
Votes: 1,607
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
48. Départ de Jérusalem en chemin de fer (1897)
1 min | Documentary, Short
A train is leaving a railway station at the outskirts of Jerusalem. From the very end of the train a barren, rocky landscape is seen, and some ruins of very old buildings,. Five men walk ... See full summary »
Directors: Auguste Lumière, Alexandre Promio
Votes: 1,048
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
49. Bataille de neige (1897)
1 min | Documentary, Short, Comedy
People start a snowball fight on a street in Lyons, France.
Director: Louis Lumière
Votes: 1,995
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
50. Pompiers à Lyon (1896)
1 min | Documentary, Short
In the foreground, smoke billows. Four horse-drawn fire wagons approach and pass in front of a stationary camera. Two horses draw each wagon, and each wagon carries from two to eight ... See full summary »
Votes: 483
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
51. Les chutes (1897)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
A stationary camera looks west across Niagara Falls from the United States' side (the Niagara River rushes toward the falls from right to left). Virtually overlooking the falls and ... See full summary »
Director: Alexandre Promio
Votes: 489
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
52. Spanish Bullfight (1900)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Sport
With a crowded arena in the background, a stationary camera records a bull charging a picador astride his horse. An attendant on foot throws stones at the rump of the horse to get it to ... See full summary »
Votes: 381
Volume 2, Auguste and Louis Lumiere
53. Rough Sea at Dover (1895)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short
The sea is quite rough, and at Dover a series of heavy waves pounds against a pier and along the adjacent shoreline. The scene then shifts to a different view of flowing water, and shows a heavy current from a point along a riverbank.
Directors: Birt Acres, Robert W. Paul
Votes: 892
Volume 2, Birt Acres
54. Come Along, Do! (1898)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
A couple look at a statue while eating in an art gallery.
Director: Robert W. Paul
Votes: 574
Volume 2, R.W. Paul
55. The Derby (I) (1896)
1 min | Documentary, Short, Sport
The Derby is an 1896 British short black-and-white silent documentary film, produced and directed by Birt Acres for exhibition on Robert W. Paul's Kinetoscopes, featuring the end of the 29 ... See full summary »
Director: Robert W. Paul
Votes: 411
Volume 2, R.W. Paul
56. The Countryman's First Sight of the Animated Pictures (1901)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
A satire on the way that audiences unaccustomed to the cinema didn't know how to react to the moving images on a screen - in this film, an unsophisticated (and stereotypical) country yokel ... See full summary »
Director: Robert W. Paul
Votes: 779
Volume 2, R.W. Paul
57. A Chess Dispute (1903)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
A stationary camera looks on as two dapper gents play a game of chess. One drinks and smokes, and when he looks away, his opponent moves two pieces. A fight ensues, first with the squirting... See full summary »
Director: Robert W. Paul | Star: Alfred Collins
Votes: 729
Volume 2, R.W. Paul
58. An Extraordinary Cab Accident (1903)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
A man and a woman talk beside a street near a corner where a cop stands. Just as a horse-drawn cart rounds the corner, the man backs off the sidewalk saying good-by to his companion. The ... See full summary »
Directors: Walter R. Booth, Robert W. Paul
Votes: 554
Volume 2, R.W. Paul
59. Rum vs. Cherries (1904)
4 min | Short, Drama
A barmaid plies a swell with smiles and with cherries from a box that's just been delivered. When she refuses a cherry to a roughly-dressed tradesman who runs a tab at the bar, he pays off ... See full summary »
Director: Robert W. Paul
Votes: 413
Volume 2, R.W. Paul, listed as 'Buy Your Own Cherries'
60. The '?' Motorist (1906)
3 min | Fantasy, Short, Comedy
A British trick film in which a motorist ends up driving around the rings of Saturn.
Director: Walter R. Booth
Votes: 1,281
Volume 2, R.W. Paul
61. The Miller and Chimney Sweep (I) (1897)
1 min | Comedy, Short
In front of a flour mill, two men fight. One is the miller, and he's swinging a bag of flour in the scuffle. The other is a chimney sweep, and he's swinging what may be a bag of flour, but ... See full summary »
Director: George Albert Smith
Votes: 588
Volume 2, George Albert Smith
62. A Kiss in the Tunnel (I) (1899)
1 min | Short, Comedy, Romance
A humorous subject intended to be run as a part of a railroad scene during the period in which the train is passing through a tunnel.
Director: George Albert Smith | Stars: Laura Bayley, George Albert Smith
Votes: 1,697
Volume 2, George Albert Smith
63. Let Me Dream Again (1900)
1 min | Short, Comedy
A man dreams he is flirting with an attractive young lady, then he wakes up in bed next to his wife.
Director: George Albert Smith | Stars: Laura Bayley, Tom Green
Votes: 838
Volume 2, George Albert Smith
64. Grandma's Reading Glass (1900)
2 min | Short, Family
A boy looks through glasses at various objects, seen magnified.
Director: George Albert Smith | Star: Harold Smith
Votes: 1,371
Volume 2, George Albert Smith
65. As Seen Through a Telescope (1900)
1 min | Short, Comedy
An elderly gentleman in a silk hat sits on a stool in front of a store on the main street of town. He has a telescope that he focuses on the ankle of a young woman who is a short distance ... See full summary »
Director: George Albert Smith
Votes: 900
Volume 2, George Albert Smith, listed as 'As Seen Through a Telescope'
66. The Sick Kitten (1903)
1 min | Short, Comedy, Family
A girl gives a spoonful of medicine to a kitten.
Director: George Albert Smith
Votes: 1,154
Volume 2, George Albert Smith
67. Mary Jane's Mishap (1903)
4 min | Short, Comedy
Smith casts his wife as a sluttish housewife who is mutilated by lighting her oven with paraffin.
Director: George Albert Smith | Star: Laura Bayley
Votes: 1,040
Volume 2, George Albert Smith
68. Daylight Burglary (1903)
5 min | Short, Crime, Drama
A thief jumps a fence and removes the shutter from a house. He enters, but a lad who's witnessed the crime runs off to hail the coppers.
Director: Frank S. Mottershaw
Votes: 449
Volume 2, Sheffield Photo. Co.
69. The Poachers (1903)
3 min | Short, Action, Crime
Three hunters surprise two poachers in the act. The hunters take umbrage and give chase over fences and through fields. The hunters fire away, but the poachers have guns as well, and a ... See full summary »
Director: William Haggar | Stars: Sid Griffiths, Will Haggar Jr., Walter Haggar
Votes: 437
Volume 2, Haggar and Sons, as 'Desperate Poaching Affray'
70. The Kiss in the Tunnel (II) (1899)
1 min | Short, Comedy, Romance
Similar to A Kiss in the Tunnel (1899), this remake omits the phantom ride scenes and chooses to portray a significantly steamier, more prolonged, and more explicit passion between a young couple. Surely, this is a kiss to remember.
Director: James Bamforth
Votes: 459
Volume 2, Bamforth and Co.
71. Ladies' Skirts Nailed to a Fence (1899)
1 min | Short, Comedy
Two women in long skirts, wearing hats, and carrying umbrellas, gossip beside a fence. Two men on the other side of the fence reach through from underneath and nail the women's skirts to ... See full summary »
Director: James Bamforth
Votes: 436
Volume 2, Bamforth and Co.
72. The Biter Bit (1899)
Not Rated | 1 min | Comedy, Short
Two men work in a large garden, one of them watering with a hose and wearing a boater. A young man in apron and cap sneaks into the scene, hides behind a bush, and kinks the hose. The man ... See full summary »
Director: James Bamforth
Votes: 376
Volume 2, Bamforth and Co.
73. Rough Sea (I) (1900)
1 min | Short
The camera is positioned so that it looks out to sea on a day when the waters are rough and the waves are high. As the waves come towards the shore, they are partially broken up by some ... See full summary »
Votes: 296
Volume 2, Bamforth and Co.
74. Attack on a China Mission (1900)
4 min | Short, Action, Crime
The titles tell us this film is based on an incident in the Boxer Rebellion. A man tries to defend a woman and a large house against Chinese attackers. They attack with swords, guns, and ... See full summary »
Director: James Williamson | Stars: Mr. James, Mr. Lepard, Florence Williamson
Votes: 680
Volume 2, James Williamson
75. A Photographic Contortion (1901)
1 min | Comedy, Short
A man, objecting to being filmed, comes closer and closer to the camera lens until his mouth is all we see. Then he opens wide and swallows camera and cinematographer. He steps back, chews, and grins.
Director: James Williamson | Star: Sam Dalton
Votes: 2,092
Volume 2, James Williamson, listed as 'The Big Swallow'
76. Stop Thief! (1901)
Not Rated | 2 min | Short, Action, Comedy
A hungry vagabond snatches a wrapped leg of lamb and jumps into a large wooden barrel to hide. Will he get away scot-free?
Director: James Williamson | Star: Sam Dalton
Votes: 658
Volume 2, James Williamson
77. Fire! (1901)
5 min | Short, Action, Drama
Firefighters ring for help, and here comes the ladder cart; they hitch a horse to it. A second horse-drawn truck joins the first, and they head down the street to a house fire. Inside a man... See full summary »
Director: James Williamson
Votes: 790
Volume 2, James Williamson
78. An Interesting Story (1904)
Not Rated | 4 min | Short, Comedy
The adventures of an inattentive man. He's at his kitchen table, reading. A woman brings his hat and points to the clock. He continues reading and pours coffee into his hat. He leaves, ... See full summary »
Director: James Williamson
Votes: 719
Volume 2, James Williamson
79. One Girl Swinging (1897)
Short
In this 17-second short, a young woman is sitting on a swing and two other women alternate pushing her.
Votes: 92
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
80. The Interrupted Bathers (1902)
Not Rated | 1 min | Comedy, Short
Three girls are taking a bath in a quiet, shady spot along a beautiful stream. Another young lady in bathing attire reclines on the bank. The latter suddenly discovers two hoboes coming ... See full summary »
Directors: George S. Fleming, Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 222
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
81. The Draped Model (1902)
Short
A photographer takes pictures of a woman in a leotard, who is draped with a light sash. The film survives as a paper print.
Votes: 65
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
82. Shooting Captured Insurgents (1898)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, War
"A file of Spanish soldiers line up the Cubans against a blank wall and fire a volley. The flash of rifles and drifting smoke make a very striking picture." - from the Edison Catalog
Directors: George S. Fleming, Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 338
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
83. Execution of a Spy (1900)
1 min | Short, Drama
Shows a dramatic picture of a brutal execution of a spy by firing squad.
Votes: 87
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
84. Execution of Czolgosz with Panorama of Auburn Prison (1901)
4 min | Short, Drama, History
This early docudrama shows Auburn Prison and recreates the electrocution of Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of President McKinley of the United States. Some versions offer additional footage at... See full summary »
Director: Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 386
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
85. The Burlesque Suicide, No. 2 (1902)
Not Rated | 1 min | Comedy, Short
A despondent-looking man sits behind a table that holds a drink and a gun. He hesitates, thinks things over, starts to take a drink, and then puts down the glass. Then he picks up the gun, raises it to his temple, and ...
Directors: George S. Fleming, Edwin S. Porter
Votes: 207
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
86. Electrocuting an Elephant (1903)
Not Rated | 1 min | Documentary, Short, Horror
The execution of Topsy, a female elephant, in a publicity stunt advertising the opening of Luna Park on Coney Island. Topsy was originally owned by Forepaugh Circus where she killed a ... See full summary »
Director: Edwin S. Porter | Stars: Carl Goliath, Topsy
Votes: 1,931
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
87. Discovery of Bodies (1903)
2 min | Short, Adventure
In the next scene all that is left of the cabin is a smoldering ruin. A company of trappers come rapidly out of the forest and discover the bodies of the unfortunate man and woman. With ... See full summary »
Votes: 60
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
88. The Bold Bank Robbery (1904)
6 min | Crime, Short
A gang of criminals plans and executes the robbery of a bank in Philadelphia. However, the police are alerted and a chase through the city's streets ensues.
Director: Jack Frawley
Votes: 122
Volume 2, unadvertised bonus (rt arrow on 2nd menu)
89. How It Feels to Be Run Over (1900)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
In one glorious point-of-view shot, a vehicle dashes full-speed into an ill-starred passer-by.
Director: Cecil M. Hepworth | Stars: May Clark, Cecil M. Hepworth
Votes: 974
Volume 3, Hepworth Mfg Co.
90. The Delights of Automobiling (1900)
Not Rated | 1 min | Short, Comedy
As two couples enjoy their evening promenade in a nice but rickety open motor car, without notice, an explosion blows the vehicle to smithereens.
Director: Cecil M. Hepworth | Stars: Cecil M. Hepworth, Henry Lawley
Votes: 1,009
Volume 3, Hepworth Mfg Co.
91. Rescued by Rover (1905)
Not Rated | 7 min | Short, Crime, Drama
A dog leads its master to his kidnapped baby.
Directors: Lewin Fitzhamon, Cecil M. Hepworth | Stars: Blair, May Clark, Barbara Hepworth, Cecil M. Hepworth
Votes: 1,320
Volume 3, Hepworth Mfg Co.
92. Over the Hedge (1905)
Not Rated | 2 min | Short, Comedy
A young couple are having a picnic with a chaperone who is determined to keep them separated. When she falls asleep, they see their chance to be together. They do this with the help of a trick that makes use of a nearby hedge.
Director: Lewin Fitzhamon
Votes: 318
Volume 3, Hepworth Mfg Co.
93. That Fatal Sneeze (1907)
Not Rated | 6 min | Short, Comedy, Fantasy
As an older man and a youth are eating at the table, the older man decides to amuse himself by using pepper to make the boy sneeze. Later, the boy retaliates by sneaking into the older ... See full summary »
Director: Lewin Fitzhamon | Stars: Thurston Harris, Gertie Potter
Votes: 623
Volume 3, Hepworth Mfg Co.
94. A Visit to Peek Frean and Co.'s Biscuit Works (1906)
Not Rated | 12 min | Short, Documentary
A look at typical activities taking place in the Peek Frean factory: First, the workers get up steam, as supplies of milk and flour arrive. Sheets of dough are rolled, then cut, shaped, and... See full summary »
Votes: 309
Volume 3, Cricks and Martin
95. A Day in the Life of a Coal Miner (1910)
9 min | Short, Documentary
A coal miner says good-bye to his wife and children, and heads off to work. He reaches the mine, prepares his lamp, and then descends into the mine along with some other workers. As he and ... See full summary »
Votes: 295
Volume 3, Kineto Prod. Co.
96. What Is Seen Through a Keyhole (1901)
2 min | Short, Comedy
A hotel porter tries in his spare time to find out the secrets of the guests in looking through the keyholes of the different rooms. He must see very funny things, judging from his facial expressions.
Director: Ferdinand Zecca
Votes: 598
Volume 3, Pathe Freres
97. History of a Crime (1901)
5 min | Short, Crime, Drama
A burglar is arrested for a murder. He is condemned to death. Before his execution the murderer dreams of his past, of how he was a bank clerk, then turned to crime. The criminal is then ... See full summary »
Director: Ferdinand Zecca | Stars: Jean Liézer, Bretteau, Ferdinand Zecca
Votes: 781
Volume 3, Pathe Freres (and 2nd menu)
98. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1907)
Not Rated | 13 min | Short, Drama, Fantasy
The legend of Ali Baba and the forty thieves: Ali Baba discovers a hidden cave where a band of thieves have stored their enormous treasure. Cassim also learns about the cave, but he is ... See full summary »
Director: Segundo de Chomón
Votes: 247
Volume 3, Pathe Freres
99. Rêve et réalité (1901)
1 min | Comedy, Short
A well-dressed middle-aged man is enjoying a drink at a table with a pretty young woman. He flirts with her, and she seems not to mind his attentions. But is it all too good to be true?
Director: Ferdinand Zecca
Votes: 507
Volume 3, Pathe Freres (and 2nd menu)
100. Revolution in Russia (1906)
Not Rated | 4 min | Drama, Short
A dramatization of the uprising in Odessa, Russia in 1905: A ship's crew, tired of being mistreated, mutinies and takes over their ship. When they reach land, a sailor who died during the ... See full summary »
Director: Lucien Nonguet
Votes: 346
Volume 3, Pathe Freres
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