L'apprenti architecte

L'apprenti architecte 1908

4.00

Jim's mother brings him to an architect's office to secure a position for him, and he is accepted. After clinging lovingly to his ma, he is induced to abandon his strangle hold, and he is taken into the drafting room. Here two clerks make merry with him, but he managed to even matters unconsciously by leaning on the heavy end of a table, upsetting it and all on it. Now his employers tell him to carry a set of plans, papers and instruments, with which he is to accompany them to a building. In the course of construction, Jim reaches to the top of a closet for some of the papers, upsets it, breaks some more furniture and finally reaches the street, struggling under a mass of paraphernalia, with which he strews his path as he goes.

1908

Hypnotist's Revenge

Hypnotist's Revenge 1908

1

1908 French short silent comedy film by Georges Méliès, which is presumed to be lost. The film was a skit on the popular topic of hypnotism; it featured a magician-hypnotist using his skills to cheat at cards, before being caught at it and pursued in a hectic chase. The film had no French release.

1908

La momie

La momie 1908

1

Reading that a certain dealer has an ancient Egyptian mummy for sale, an antique professor goes out to inspect the curio. It meets with his satisfaction and he purchases it. He begins to carry the thing home, and meets with quite a little trouble; but his will makes the way and he reaches his room safely. Anxious to begin his investigations, he sheds his coat quickly, rolls up his sleeves, and taking his huge carving knife in hand begins to cut the mummy up. His old landlady passes by and sees her boarder at his peculiar work; he is so engrossed in his task that he does not see her, and she, catching a glimpse of a human form, runs out in alarm. With the cry that a man is being cut up in her house, she summons the butcher, the baker, the grocer and a score of women, who follow in wonder.

1908

La Bonne farce

La Bonne farce 1908

1

A quartet are making merry at a feast, and one of them is so full of liquor that he falls from his chair. At this his companions conceive, a clever plan for some fun. Taking a white fur suit from a wardrobe, they put him into it, and finishing the outfit with heavy white gloves and fitting a hollow bear head tightly over his own, they turn him out of the house resembling an intoxicated Polar Bruin.

1908

Love and Fortune

Love and Fortune 1908

5.00

Created by the young but obviously ambitious French production company Lux Film, founded just two years before by pioneer Henri Joly. The film was released in the United States with the title Love and Fortune, in a version which sought to mellow the character of the male protagonist, at least judging by the synopses in the period press: the American Ascanio was always in love with Graziella, and he only lets himself think of wealth in his dreams.

1908

My Expectations in 1908

My Expectations in 1908 1908

5.00

We can see the children of the director playing and dancing, obviously getting told what to do while it happens, and later on his wife knitting with the children around her.

1908

English Royal Couple Visits Stockholm

English Royal Couple Visits Stockholm 1908

1

Actuality film documenting the state visit of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to Stockholm on 26–27 April 1908. The footage shows the English royal couple’s arrival and reception in Stockholm, crowds lining the streets, and ceremonial events. Originally released as part of the compilation newsreel Stockholm i festskrud.

1908

Sweet Dreams Intermingled With Nightmares

Sweet Dreams Intermingled With Nightmares 1908

5.00

A woman falls asleep on a park bench. The Devil appears and summons an imp who takes the woman to his fantastic lair. After a nightmarish episode, the woman awakens only to promptly doze off again. Now a fairy appears who shows the woman a beautiful dreamland.

1908

The Bank Robbery

The Bank Robbery 1908

4.30

A gang of outlaws are planning a bank robbery. After making preparations, they commit the robbery and make their escape amidst a sharp exchange of bullets. They return to their meeting place, and then hurriedly continue onwards, with lawmen close behind them.

1908

Magic Bricks

Magic Bricks 1908

1

A charming example of the Pathe stencil system of colour films, also using superimposition.

1908

A Kind-Hearted Policeman

A Kind-Hearted Policeman 1908

4.00

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.

1908

Honeymoon in a Balloon

Honeymoon in a Balloon 1908

1

The fairest maiden is crowned queen of the May Day festival and the dignitaries of the town, surrounded by the cheering populace, music and decoration, are on the huge platform to do her honor. She is entitled to marry the man of her heart with public celebration. The bridegroom makes his way to the fair grounds and jumps into the basket of a balloon. Just as he is ascending his bride comes to the scene and attempts the hazardous task of joining her loved one, but she is a few seconds too late, for the aircraft goes with a jerk, and she finds herself caught by its dangling anchor, and thus she rides, struggling and squirming as the balloon goes high into the clouds.

1908

A Love Tragedy in Spain

A Love Tragedy in Spain 1908

1

A Spanish dancer, in front of an inn in the Spanish mountains, is courted by a smuggler, who asks her to marry him. She agrees. Later, in the dancer's room, another man enters and declares his love for her. The smuggler, entering unnoticed, hears the declaration of love, and a violent argument breaks out between the two rivals for the dancer's affection. The suitors travel to a remote spot in the mountains and fight to the death; the smuggler wins the fight when the other suitor falls over a precipice. Returning to the dancer's room, the smuggler comes to meet his beloved, but the dancer refuses him when she finds out he killed his rival. The smuggler stabs himself in despair. The dancer, running to his corpse, touches his hands, and is repulsed to find them covered with blood.

1908