Gore 1908 - 20

Released the same week than Selig's version, they both were the first film versions of the popular play, adapted from Ellen Wood's 1861 novel.

Policemen singing a song.

A thief hides inside a huge fake crocodile and crawls away, creating fear wherever he goes.

For the benefit of those who are not fortunate enough to travel and enjoy the beauties and customs of different countries, a film of this kind is an innovation, for it takes us on a boat down the beautiful Imperial Canal of China. If we were there in reality it could not be much more enjoyable than this picture, which favors us with a wonderful view of the famous wall of China as it stands to-day in a stage of decay, a monument to a famous fanatical nation.

The King has the archbishop murdered, then repents.

The Magistrate's Conscience - A drama from Pathé Frères.

The story follows an absurdly calm and indifferent man whose every action is extreme yet executed with total composure. When his doorbell breaks, he shoots a mirror to summon his valet. On a walk, he shoots down a window that drops on a man’s head, lights a cigarette in front of an oncoming car, and hijacks a cab at gunpoint. At a hotel, he breaks dishes, tips a waiter who spills soup on him, and leaves wearing another guest’s coat. Even when stabbed by robbers, he calmly removes the dagger and hands it to a policeman. Returning home, he shoots open his door, but his composure is finally tested by mosquitoes. His valet catches and powders each insect, astonishing his otherwise unflappable master.

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

Four sturdy moving men are busy at work taking down huge cupboards, trunks, beds, etc., and are feeling very hot and thirsty, when all at once the lid of a badly fastened basket giving way, they discover a snug nest of bottles of wine.

Pierrot and his Columbine are seated at a little feast with another friend, when Pierrot becomes jealous of his friend's attentions to the girl and orders him from the room. The friend complies promptly and the lover, in despondence, begins to drink until he is almost helpless. In this condition he wanders out.

“A musician is given an invitation to a party, but finds that he has no dress suit to wear. He visits a friend, an artist, to see if he can borrow one, but he too does not have one. However, the artist is about to paint a portrait of a man in the dress of a Roman soldier; when the man arrives he is wearing a dress suit and has to change into his costume. The musician dons the suit and goes to the party. The other man, when his portrait is finished, discovers that his suit is missing and follows the musician to the party; he find the musician playing the piano, recognises his suit, and throws the wearer to the floor.” - BFI.

Early swedish film.

Documentary short showing recovery footage of a boat accident in Göta älv (Göta River)

During an effort to repair a horse carriage a boy grabs the wheel and gives it a push down the hill and towards the city. The wheel turns and turns and causes one accident after the other until everybody runs after it to stop the mayhem. Bizzarrie di una ruota is a slapstick film in love with an object out of control and the confusion it can cause, over and over again in endless variations.

A 1908 short film

Mrs. Neverrest is a very energetic woman and is passionately fond of sports of every description, and being blessed with a large fortune indulges freely in all her different sporting proclivities.... She goes to the top of a high mountain with great ease and there awaits her panting servant, who not being a thorough sportsman like his mistress suffers severely from all this exertion.... [After various activities,] the indefatigable woman returns to her dwelling, dresses for dinner and has still enough energy left to receive her various admirers and enjoy their society. —Moving Picture World