This is a cute and simple little film from 1910 about a magic moving company. The film begins with some unseen persons opening a letter and learning about a family that needs their furniture moved. Instead of seeing the movers, the belongings seem to move themselves and decorate the new apartment! This is actually achieved using stop-motion cinematography--literally starting and stopping the film probably thousands of times and slightly moving each object. Once the film is run, the objects appear to move on their own. This sort of work was later popularized in KING KONG and the Ray Harryhausen films of the 50s-80s. Here, it's a little crude, but very effective and amazing for the era.
UPDATE: I recently bought a DVD collection ("Saved From the Flames") and was surprised to learn that this film is actually a knock-off of an earlier film by Émile Cohl! So, because of that, I really can't give this newer film a score since like many films of the era, it's a pirated story--virtually identical in every way.
UPDATE: I recently bought a DVD collection ("Saved From the Flames") and was surprised to learn that this film is actually a knock-off of an earlier film by Émile Cohl! So, because of that, I really can't give this newer film a score since like many films of the era, it's a pirated story--virtually identical in every way.