How a Mosquito Operates (1912)

A hungry mosquito spots and follows a man on his way home. The mosquito slips into the room where the man is sleeping, and gets ready for a meal. His first attempts startle the man and wake him up, but the mosquito is very persistent.

Director:

Winsor McCay

Writers:

Winsor McCay (comic strip "Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend"), Winsor McCay (screenplay)

Storyline

What is a mosquito's nature? A large man enters his flat; a mosquito in top hat with valise follows, entering through the window above door. The man goes to sleep; the mosquito lands next to him, opens the valise, and takes out a grinding wheel to sharpen his proboscis. Methodically, the mosquito gets one, two, then three drinks as the man tosses, slaps, turns, covers himself, and rubs the wounds. After a fourth drink, the mosquito is so full he can barely right himself. Still he has more. Bloated, he can only hover above the sleeping man's face. Suspense builds: can he launch? He's atop his victim's nose. He jettisons his valise. Will he now be light enough to escape?

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Plot Keywords:

mosquito | sleeping man | top hat | bald man | climbing through transom | 

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

January 1912 (USA)

Also Known As:

Winsor McCay and His Jersey Skeeters

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vitagraph Company of America

Technical Specs

Runtime:

6 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

User Reviews

Charming Short with Nice Laughs

How a Mosquito Operates (1912)

*** (out of 4)

Winsor McCay film has an overweight man being followed home by a mosquito but things just get worse as the man tries to go to bed. Once in the bed the mosquito begins to attack him in order to get his blood. HOW A MOSQUITO OPERATES isn't a pure masterpiece or anything like that but you can't help but be entertained by his good nature and charm. I think my favorite bits are when the mosquito is having to come up with clever ways to stick the man who after a couple previous times decided to get up under the covers. The animation is extremely good and this includes a sequence where we see the mosquito sticking the man and drawing out the blood. The scene where the mosquito sticks the man's nose is quite painful to watch but it really brings the film to life. What struck me most about the film is the way it's animated but McCay is able to make everything appear so real that you're drawn into the film just like it was live action. The animation looks incredibly good and the two characters are likable in their own way.