annos singulos 1908 - 14

"The angel in this film is a little girl who is struggling hard to keep alive her old mother, who is lying ill on a pile of rags. She tries in various piteous ways to scrape together-enough to keep her parent alive, and one scene shows her on the steps of the church, where are also gathered a number of beggars of various descriptions. As the people leave the church they pass through and give their mite as they will; in this way the girl receives a few coins and with this she purchases some refreshment for her mother. With skipping, joyful steps the little angel goes back to the hovel and bends over the form. But as she reaches down her mother suddenly falls back, and in another moment is dead. The child, dazed and taken completely by terrible surprise, quakes for a few seconds with emotion then loses her reason..." Moving Picture World, March 1908

An early account of Marat's murder, and the subsequent arrest, trial, and execution of Charlotte Corday.

Lost film.

A French silent film directed by Louis Feuillade.

Renée Carl stars in this lively slapstick silent short as a beautiful lady who causes distractions and accidents among the male population as she walks though the streets of Paris.

A frog hops around a magic fountain.

A remarkable early short silent movie that shows what may be achieved with the technology of the day. A woman sits in front of her dressing table mirror, looking at her jewellery and her reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, another woman appears in the mirror. As the woman watches, the image changes to other women. As the woman looks at her jewellery, women's faces begin to appear in the jewellery stones.

Two students at college were friends until a girl appeared and by the workings of fate was beloved by both. The girl has given her heart to one of the classmates, unknown to the other. The youth confesses his love, and is plunged into despair when told that her heart is another's. Coldly the classmates part, when the next day they start on their divergent paths of life. Years later, they meet again and while the trio enjoy a pleasant chat, a message calls the husband away, leaving his wife to entertain. The chum takes advantage of his absence to renew his protestations of love, which are spurned by the wife, who attempts to avoid him. He follows, whereupon the wife sends him reeling down the stairs, just as the husband reenters. The woman's denunciation of the friend brings about a terrific combat.

In this picture we see a man who is vested with authority to enforce the law, but, unlike the usual sort of men occupying the same position, he is so kind-hearted that ofttimes he is governed by his sentiments, and is very indiscreet in meting out just punishment to offenders, He is patrolling in the country, where lawbreakers are not numerous, but once in a while it will happen that somebody is guilty of an act that is not just in keeping with propriety. His first duty is to arrest a pair of lovers whom he catches kissing, but when he comes upon the love-sick couple, and threatens to arrest them, his heart is softened by their tears, so he allows them to go their way with some good advice.

Two pranksters, finding out that a couple is about to apply for a marriage license at the town mayor's office, sneak into the office to pull a practical joke. First they rig up the furniture with string; then they hide in the room, inside some big boxes they put in place of the mayor's desk. When the bridal party arrives for the license, the pranksters go to work, making the chairs and "desk" move of their own accord, foiling the bride's and groom's attempts to sit and the mayor's attempts to write. Finally, the pranksters appear, disguised under white sheets as ghosts. The bridal party rushes in surprise out of the office as the joke comes to a successful close.

This French film isn't that well known today but it will mainly appeal to those film buffs with a thing for early cinema or those wanting to see some fantasy sequences but those there will probably be disappointed. The film runs just a few seconds short of four minutes as several women are dressed up as bees dancing around their hive. The "Queen Bee" goes to take a nap and she's attacked by a spider. The spider sequence is what gets this film a mention by fantasy fans but sadly this scene takes place around the 3:13 mark and lasts just a few seconds.

When his wife dies, knight Svend Dyring gets married to noble Mrs. Guldborg. Little does the good knight know that Mrs. Guldborg is in fact pure evil, and that she and her daughter Ragnhild torment the knight’s children when he’s not home. One day, when Svend Dyring is injured in a hunting accident, the eldest daughter Regitze takes upon herself to take care of her father. Mrs. Guldborg looks on in envy, while the relationship between the father and his daughter is strengthened. She’s secretly planning how to get the daughter off the scene. (stumfilm.dk)

A drunkard has a vision of everything turning into bottles.

1908 French short silent film by Georges Méliès, which is currently presumed lost. Though the plot of the film is unknown, it may have been built around a parody of the famous illusionist Buatier de Kolta, whose name is parodied in the film's title.

A band of musicians stage a fake murder as a practical joke for their grumpy, curious neighbor.

The King has the archbishop murdered, then repents.

1908 French silent comedy film directed by Georges Méliès, which is currently presumed lost.

Barcarola is a 1908 Brazilian film directed by Júlio Ferrez. It was the first "sound" film in Brazil, that is, with actors dubbing themselves live, behind the screen, based on already recorded images. Premiered on September 1, 1908. It was produced by the company William e Cia. The film was inspired by the operetta "Les contes d'Hoffmann", by composer and cellist Jacques Offenbach. The film's synopsis is unknown, but given the name, which references the song "Barcarolle", it is very likely that it is inspired by the third act of Les contes d'Hoffmann. Like many films from this era, Barcarola is considered a lost film, with only one surviving image, taken during the film's production.

A 1908 French short silent film directed by Georges Méliès, which is currently presumed lost.