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IMDbPro

Georges Méliès(1861-1938)

  • Director
  • Actor
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès was a French illusionist and film director famous for leading many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema.

Méliès was an especially prolific innovator in the use of special effects, popularizing such techniques as substitution splices, multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves, and hand-painted color.

His films include Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902) and Le voyage à travers l'impossible (1904), both involving strange, surreal journeys somewhat in the style of Jules Verne, and are considered among the most important early science fiction films.

Méliès died of cancer on 21 January 1938 at the age of 76.

In 2016, a Méliès film long thought lost, Match de prestidigitation (1904), was discovered in a Czechoslovak film archive.
BornDecember 8, 1861
DiedJanuary 21, 1938(76)
BornDecember 8, 1861
DiedJanuary 21, 1938(76)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 2 wins

Photos50

Victor André, Bleuette Bernon, Jehanne d'Alcy, Delpierre, Georges Méliès, Brunnet, Farjaux, and Kelm in Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902)
Georges Méliès in Nuit de carnaval (1922)
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès

Known for:

À la conquête du pôle (1912)
À la conquête du pôle
6.9
Short
  • Director
  • 1912
Mlle. Bodson in L'éclipse du soleil en pleine lune (1907)
L'éclipse du soleil en pleine lune
6.4
Short
  • Director
  • 1907
Le manoir du diable (1896)
Le manoir du diable
6.7
Short
  • Director
  • 1896
Faust aux enfers (1903)
Faust aux enfers
6.2
Short
  • Director
  • 1903

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Director

  • Le voyage de la famille Bourrichon (1913)
    Le voyage de la famille Bourrichon
    5.0
    Short
    • Director
    • 1913
  • Le chevalier des neiges (1912)
    Le chevalier des neiges
    5.7
    Short
    • Director
    • 1912
  • À la conquête du pôle (1912)
    À la conquête du pôle
    6.9
    Short
    • Director
    • 1912
  • Cendrillon ou La pantoufle merveilleuse (1912)
    Cendrillon ou La pantoufle merveilleuse
    5.8
    Short
    • Director
    • 1912
  • Les Aventures du baron de Münchhausen (1911)
    Les Aventures du baron de Münchhausen
    6.3
    Short
    • Director
    • 1911
  • Le vitrail diabolique (1910)
    Le vitrail diabolique
    5.4
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910
  • Un homme comme il faut (1910)
    Un homme comme il faut
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910
  • Si j'étais le roi (1910)
    Si j'étais le roi
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910
  • Les sept barres d'or (1910)
    Les sept barres d'or
    4.8
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910
  • L'homme aux mille inventions (1910)
    L'homme aux mille inventions
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910
  • Guérison de l'obésité en 5 minutes (1910)
    Guérison de l'obésité en 5 minutes
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910
  • Galatée (1910)
    Galatée
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910
  • Le conte du vieux talute (1910)
    Le conte du vieux talute
    4.8
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910
  • Apparitions fantomatiques (1910)
    Apparitions fantomatiques
    5.8
    Short
    • Director (uncredited)
    • 1910
  • Georges Méliès and Manuel in Les illusions fantaisistes (1910)
    Les illusions fantaisistes
    6.3
    Short
    • Director
    • 1910

Actor

  • Le chevalier des neiges (1912)
    Le chevalier des neiges
    5.7
    Short
    • Devil (uncredited)
    • 1912
  • À la conquête du pôle (1912)
    À la conquête du pôle
    6.9
    Short
    • Le professeur Mabouloff
    • ou Maboul
    • 1912
  • Cendrillon ou La pantoufle merveilleuse (1912)
    Cendrillon ou La pantoufle merveilleuse
    5.8
    Short
    • Le Messager du Prince
    • 1912
  • Apparitions fantomatiques (1910)
    Apparitions fantomatiques
    5.8
    Short
    • Le Roi des médiums (uncredited)
    • 1910
  • Georges Méliès and Manuel in Les illusions fantaisistes (1910)
    Les illusions fantaisistes
    6.3
    Short
    • The Magician (uncredited)
    • 1910
  • Hydrothérapie fantastique (1910)
    Hydrothérapie fantastique
    5.6
    Short
    • 1910
  • Le papillon fantastique (1909)
    Le papillon fantastique
    6.1
    Short
    • The magician
    • 1909
  • Fortune Favors the Brave (1909)
    Fortune Favors the Brave
    Short
    • Gnome (uncredited)
    • 1909
  • Fin de réveillon (1909)
    Fin de réveillon
    6.6
    Short
    • The Drunkard
    • 1909
  • Charles Claudel and Georges Méliès in Le locataire diabolique (1909)
    Le locataire diabolique
    7.2
    Short
    • Le Locataire diabolique (uncredited)
    • 1909
  • Épreuves ou les malheurs d'un savetier (1908)
    Épreuves ou les malheurs d'un savetier
    5.2
    Short
    • The Roman (uncredited)
    • 1908
  • L'avare (1908)
    L'avare
    5.1
    Short
    • The Beggar Man
    • The Villager who returns the money chest (uncredited)
    • 1908
  • Le nouveau seigneur du village (1908)
    Le nouveau seigneur du village
    5.3
    Short
    • Caesar's Ghost (uncredited)
    • 1908
  • La civilisation à travers les âges (1908)
    La civilisation à travers les âges
    7.2
    Short
    • Druid
    • Judge in the Spanish Inquisition (uncredited)
    • 1908
  • Anaïc ou Le balafré (1908)
    Anaïc ou Le balafré
    4.9
    Short
    • The Old Farmer (unconfirmed, uncredited)
    • 1908

Producer

  • Le Monstre (adapted)
    Short
    • producer
    • 2019
  • À la conquête du pôle (1912)
    À la conquête du pôle
    6.9
    Short
    • producer
    • 1912
  • Fortune Favors the Brave (1909)
    Fortune Favors the Brave
    Short
    • producer
    • 1909
  • The Count's Wooing (1909)
    The Count's Wooing
    Short
    • producer
    • 1909
  • The Hypnotist's Revenge (1909)
    The Hypnotist's Revenge
    Short
    • producer
    • 1909
  • For Sale: a Baby
    Short
    • producer
    • 1909
  • Cinderella Up-to-Date (1909)
    Cinderella Up-to-Date
    Short
    • producer
    • 1909
  • For the Cause of Suffrage
    Short
    • producer
    • 1909
  • The Stolen Wireless
    Short
    • producer
    • 1909
  • Charles Claudel and Georges Méliès in Le locataire diabolique (1909)
    Le locataire diabolique
    7.2
    Short
    • producer
    • 1909
  • Le nouveau seigneur du village (1908)
    Le nouveau seigneur du village
    5.3
    Short
    • producer
    • 1908
  • La bonne bergère et la mauvaise princesse (1908)
    La bonne bergère et la mauvaise princesse
    5.3
    Short
    • producer
    • 1908
  • Anaïc ou Le balafré (1908)
    Anaïc ou Le balafré
    4.9
    Short
    • producer
    • 1908
  • Georges Méliès in Photographie électrique à distance (1908)
    Photographie électrique à distance
    5.7
    Short
    • producer
    • 1908
  • Le Magicien
    8.0
    Short
    • producer
    • 1907

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Geo. Melies
  • Born
    • December 8, 1861
    • Paris, France
  • Died
    • January 21, 1938
    • Paris, France(cancer)
  • Spouses
      Jehanne d'AlcyDecember 10, 1925 - January 21, 1938 (his death)
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Biographical Movies
    • 13 Print Biographies
    • 4 Portrayals
    • 1 Interview
    • 11 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    While shooting one of his life scenes in the Place de l'Opera in Paris, the camera jammed. It took about a minute to clear the problem and resume shooting. When the film was processed and screened, Méliès saw a bus suddenly turn into a hearse; people in the scene suddenly appeared or disappeared. This accident led to his discovery of stop motion trickery which became his first filmic special effects technique. This stop motion technique had previously been discovered and used by Thomas A. Edison, but Méliès made extensive use of it in his short films.
  • Quotes
    [in 1932] My best satisfaction in all is to be sure not to be one day without bread and home!

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