Palace of Electricity

Palace of Electricity 1900

5.33

A panoramic shot, making a full circle, at the 1900 Paris Exposition. It begins and ends looking at the front of the Palace of Electricity. As it pans, first we see a workman hosing down the promenade. Men and women walk past, all wearing hats. We see the base of the Eiffel Tower, which the Palace faces. A couple strolls. A mother and daughter walk passed, father is slightly ahead wearing a boater. Three men in uniform walk toward the camera as it comes to a stop facing the Palace.

1900

Hooligan Assists the Magician

Hooligan Assists the Magician 1900

4.30

This is a new adventure in which our friend, Mr. Hooligan, appears in an entirely new capacity. On a stage a professor of magic is performing some wonderful experiments, and when he requests some assistance Happy Hooligan immediately volunteers his services and climbs upon the platform.

1900

Paris exposition films

Paris exposition films 1900

5.00

White’s camera offers several 360-degree pans of views of the fairground, then amazes by tilting up and down the Eiffel Tower, and concludes with a stunning tracking shot to the highest point above Paris. Exhibitors freely grouped films into nascent narratives such as those displayed here. - Bruce Posner

1900

Kitty Mahone

Kitty Mahone 1900

3.00

Walter Gibbons was one of Britain's most forward-thinking film entrepreneurs, and deeply entranced by the music hall. In 1900 he launched his 'phono bio tableaux', which synchronised songs recorded by famous music stars on disc with a film of the performance. Sadly, all but one of the films are lost, making this last survivor a unique record of a major Victorian music hall star in sound and vision, as well as the oldest British 'sound film', nearly thirty years before the 'talkies' arrived. Lil Hawthorne, who performs this song, was a well-known American singer, often adopting a male persona, although she was not strictly a male impersonator.

1900

An Animated Luncheon

An Animated Luncheon 1900

5.00

The scene takes place in a fashionable cafe. A well dressed couple enter, and after a careful perusal of the menu, conclude on an order of boiled eggs and Welsh rarebit.

1900

An Artist's Dream

An Artist's Dream 1900

4.80

The scene opens in the interior of an artist's studio. Mephisto appears mysteriously and signals the pictures to come to life. They step down from the frames and walk forward, admiring their costumes. Mephisto then touches the artist on the shoulder, awakening him, and disappears. The artist, after rubbing his eyes, sees the picture on his right hand side and jumps up to embrace her. After embracing her once, he makes a second attempt and she disappears. The artist now wakes up, jumps to his feet, and runs to see if the picture are still in the frames. He examines them and finding that they are still fast on the wall, realizes that the has been dreaming and seeks consolation in the bottle.

1900

A Raid on a Chinese Opium Joint

A Raid on a Chinese Opium Joint 1900

1

A Chinese man lures a white girl into his den and teaches her to smoke opium. Police raid the place in a nick of time and arrest him.

1900

Uncle Josh's Nightmare

Uncle Josh's Nightmare 1900

4.00

Poor Uncle Josh is trying to get to sleep, but being constantly bedevilled by a fellow in red long underwear with horns. A short early trick editing film using a stationary camera much more valuable for its historical, rather than entertainment value.

1900

China Versus Allied Powers

China Versus Allied Powers 1900

1

A magician presents a circular piece of paper from which he removes the flags of the allies. Then from each flag he produces a soldier from the respective country, and finally he produces a Chinaman. But hardly have the allies seen the latter than they pounce on him and try to cut him into pieces. The funniest part of our story is that the Chinaman escapes in a balloon, with an expression of childish innocence on his face as the allies try to cut him up.

1900

Grandma and the Bad Boys

Grandma and the Bad Boys 1900

5.80

Two bad boys enter the kitchen. One climbs to the kitchen table and takes down the old lamp, the other goes to the flour barrel and scoops out some flour, pouring it into the chimney until it is filled to the top. The lamp is then replaced in the bracket. Grandma enters, scratches a match, removes the lamp chimney, when the flour falls upon her head. It sticks in her hair and fills her eyes, but this is where she turns the tables.

1900

Ching Ling Foo Outdone

Ching Ling Foo Outdone 1900

4.30

The magician enters upon a stage, and removing a covering from a small table, shakes it before the audience to show that there is nothing whatever concealed inside, places the cloth upon the floor, and when he removes it five large geese are found to be swimming in the water. The magician takes the geese out of the tub, and places them on the stage, and they walk away. He again places the cloth over the tub, and when he removes it the tub disappears and a small boy stands in its place.

1900