Gore 1908 - 12

If a violin was actually broken here we don't get to see it. Sadly this is one of many Georges Melies films that are only available in a fragment. Hopefully one day a complete print will turn up but until then at least we have this. The film starts off in some sort of bakery as the boss starts giving orders and then a bit later we see a young man pull out a violin he has been hiding and start to play it. The film then flashes to another location but this is where it cuts off so I'm not certain where the story went from here.

A tour of the city of Camagüey divided into three segments - "A visit to Camagüey", "Typical scenes", and "Farewell Camagüey".

Mack Sennett appears as a Confederate soldier and a Union soldier in this film produced by the Biograph Company.

For a short comedy of rare merit this subject is unexcelled. A chalk line series of grotesque caricatures enacted in the land of puppets. A fickle maiden gets herself into numerous embarrassing complications with her host of admirers, but the artist with lightning rapidity overcomes all obstacles and brings the maiden out victorious.

Partially lost film. One of the kings of ancient Thebes enters the abode of an astrologer and demands that he be told his future. The former utterly refuses to forecast the coming events of his sovereign, even under the pain of death; but he brings forth a priestess who possesses the powers of divination. This priestess is introduced in a wonderful way: a throne is brought forward, and then a box from which the pieces of a statue are removed and piled up in regular order; the statue suddenly becomes animated. The king implores the latter to foretell his life. She commands him to look through a telescope toward the side of the room. A vision appears. (Moving Picture World)

Nell, the boss's daughter, uses Sherlock Holmes' detective work, to choose between the two suitors at her dad's broker's office.

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

Three woman playing a game of catch leads to one of them exposing herself as she gets stuck whilst peering out the window.

Female magicians turn people into origami roosters and vice versa.

An emaciated youth calls upon a physician who pumps air into his lungs until his chest is abnormal in size. With the power of the compressed air within him, the fellow swaggers about town, blowing signs off buildings, helping out many people from difficulties where strength is required, and finding numerous opportunities for his great lung power.

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.

The goddess Minerva is jealous of the young Arachne who is more clever it in weaving. Out of spite, Arachne Minerva rushed into hell, then transforms into a spider that will forever spinning its web.

Some jubilant young men have decided to end their evening of pleasure by taking supper in a restaurant after having passed a few hours at a masquerade ball. When they have regaled themselves they order a Hungarian orchestra to come and play for them so that they may continue the joys of the dance. Unfortunately, one of the men conceives the idea of speaking to the serving woman at the counter. In his excitement, he seizes the counter and shoves it over, sending to the floor everything on it, including the glasses, plates, cups and saucers. They all fall and break with a terrific noise. The police, summoned by the proprietor, arrest the ringleaders and carry them off to the police station. During the hearing of their complaints, the two prisoners escape, one by the window, the other through the door. The police dart into the street during a snowstorm in pursuit.

Footage of the Mainz carnival procession.

Leah, a Jewish woman fleeing persecution in Hungary, arrives in the town and captures the heart of Rudolf, the local magistrate's son. They plan to marry and escape to America for a better life, agreeing to meet at a cross in the forest. However, the schoolmaster, Nathan, an apostate Jew who harbors his own secrets, overhears their plan. He inflames the villagers' fears and tricks Rudolf into believing Leah will betray him for gold, leading Rudolf to renounce her. A heartbroken Leah, now forsaken, bestows a curse upon Rudolf and his future children before retreating into exile.

A nightmare, sketched out upon a living blackboard.

The first scene presents before the astonished eyes of the spectators a solid piece of marble, which the minute it is placed on a table seems to take life, and one can follow a snake-like line branding on the polished face of the stone the name of the house of Pathé Frères. As soon as this stone has been engraved, as by magic, a handsome young lady appears with a huge lump of clay covered with a cloth. As soon as the cloth is removed from the soft mass it starts whirling and turning as if stricken mad, and one is asking one's self what all the contentions are going to lead to, when the vague shape of an animal not yet discernible seems to appear, and before one has time to make one's mind as to the category of brutes to which it belongs one sees the form of a remarkably well made orang-utan modelled out of the clay, who calmly smokes his pipe. Then the statue is removed by the same winning young lady and another covered block of the same substance is carried forward.

A comedic short about a clumsy valet.

An office worker takes desperate measures in an attempt to get up on time in the morning.