The Black Viper

The Black Viper 1908

4.10

A thug accosts a girl as she leaves her workplace but a man rescues her. The thug vows revenge and, with the help of two friends, attacks the girl and her rescuer again as they're going for a walk. This time they succeed in kidnapping the rescuer. The girl runs home and gets help from several neighbors. They track the ruffians down to a cabin in the mountains where the gang has trapped their victim and set the cabin on fire.

1908

The Last Days of Pompeii

The Last Days of Pompeii 1908

4.90

Pompeii 79AD, mere days before the Vesuvian eruption. Glaucus and Jone are in love with each other. Arbaces, the Egyptian High Priest, is determined to conquer Jone. Glaucus purchases Nydia, the blind and long-suffering slave. Nydia falls in love with Glaucus and asks Arbaces for his help. He gives her a potion to make Glaucus fall in love with her-- In fact, a poison which will cause violent insanity.

1908

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast 1908

1

An old merchant gets lost in the forest and arrives at a magnificent garden where he sits and picks some magnificent roses. Suddenly, the hideous Beast emerges from the ground in a burst of flames and condemns him to death unless one of his three daughters agrees to marry him.

1908

Whimsical People

Whimsical People 1908

5.50

A moon-woman shakes a Pierot costume and manifests a Pierot clown. She does this four more until there are five Pierots crowded on the ledge of the moon. They fall to the earth and dance like tops turning one by one into Columbine maidens.

1908

Whaling Afloat and Ashore

Whaling Afloat and Ashore 1908

6.00

A short documentary about industrial whaling. The surviving footage runs for approximately 12 minutes.

1908

Betrayed by a Handprint

Betrayed by a Handprint 1908

2.90

Mrs. Wharton, a dashing widow, gives a party at her beautiful villa in honor of the presentation to her of a handsome diamond necklace by her fiancé. During the evening bridge participated in by a number of the guests, among whom is Myrtle Vane. Miss Vane is playing in wretched luck, and is advised several times by Mrs. Wharton to desist, but she still plays on in the vain hopes of the tide of fortune turning, until at last, in the extreme of desperation, she stakes her all and loses. Shame and disgrace stare her in the face. What can she do to recoup her depleted fortune? As one of the guests there is Professor Francois Paracelsus, the eminent palmister, who of course, was called upon to read the palms of those present. Sheets of paper were prepared and each imprinted their hand on a sheet to be read by the erudite soothsayer at his leisure, and so were left on the drawing room table.

1908

L'Assommoir

L'Assommoir 1908

5.60

Everyman Coupeau's attempts to stop drinking are routinely thwarted by the wicked and vengeful Virginie. Based on Zola's novel, Capellani's film is about the free fall of a group of working-class French folk into degradation and tragedy due to carelessness, jealousy, and alcohol abuse. At the time of its release, L'Assommoir was hugely successful.

1908

The Story of Treasure Island

The Story of Treasure Island 1908

1

The first scene shows part of Flint's old pirate crew, with one-legged John Silver in the lead. They have discovered the hiding place of Billy Bones, the mate of Flint's ship, the "Walrus," and they send Black Dog, one of the crew, to tip Billy Bones to the "black spot" at the Admiral Ben Bow Inn; but Billy Bones drives Black Dog away, and will have nothing to do with him.

1908

The Indian Sorcerer

The Indian Sorcerer 1908

5.30

A sorcerer turns a small egg into a bigger one and keeps repeating this trick until the egg is large enough to do other things including delivering children.

1908

A Visit to the Seaside

A Visit to the Seaside 1908

6.40

The first successful motion picture in natural color, filmed with Kinemacolor. It is an 8 minute short film directed by George Albert Smith of Brighton, showing people doing everyday activities. It is ranked of high historical importance. Kinemacolor later influenced and replaced by Technicolor, which was used from 1916 to 1952.

1908

Long Distance Wireless Photography

Long Distance Wireless Photography 1908

5.20

Into a photography studio full of large fantastic machines steps an elderly couple. The bearded proprietor explains the equipment and gives them a demonstration: he starts machines whirring, and projects a painting of three women onto a large screen; suddenly the women begin to move. The customers are impressed. First the women sits in the special seat: she's projected onto the screen, and her good nature comes out in the laughing image. Then it's the man's turn, but the machine discloses a vastly different nature in him. Will his reaction threaten our proprietor's inventions?

1908

The Christmas Burglars

The Christmas Burglars 1908

2.00

Mack Sennett appears as one of character Mike McLaren's assistants in this film produced by the Biograph Company.

1908