Faust

Faust 1909

1

Faust, an aged philosopher and magician who has grown weary of life and has sought in vain for the secret of eternal youth, decides, after a night's long vigil, to call forth from the realms of darkness the evil one to aid him. Mephistopheles appears and offers him his services in return for Faust's soul. The aged philosopher refuses to accept until the devil shows him a vision of Marguerite in all her maiden simplicity and beauty. Faust agrees to accept the compact providing Mephistopheles will give him youth, wealth and love.

1909

Pranks

Pranks 1909

2.50

Tom and Ethel separately decide to go bathing in a river. Pranksters switch their clothes and they each have to dress up as the opposite sex.

1909

Shanghaied

Shanghaied 1909

1

Shanghaied is a 1909 dramatic short.

1909

The Life of Moses

The Life of Moses 1909

1.00

Released in five parts (The Persecution of the Children of Israel by the Egyptians, Forty Years in the Land of Midian, The Plagues of Egypt and the Deliverance of the Hebrews, The Victory of Israel, The Promised Land), 4 December 1909 to 19 February 1910. A Vitagraph advertisement in the Moving Picture World (31 Dec. 1909) refers to The Life of Moses as a "Biblical Film-de-Luxe". It is preserved in the Library of Congress collection.

1909

The Hostage

The Hostage 1909

1

A young man sentenced to death manages to postpone his execution because of the impending wedding of his poor sister, who is to be married off. His best friend vouches for his return. After taking care of his sister, the young man hurries back, but is delayed by numerous unexpected obstacles. Nevertheless, he continues the journey, determined to join his now-presumably dead friend.

1909

Invisibility

Invisibility 1909

1

A man buys a magic powder that makes him invisible.

1909

Tag Day

Tag Day 1909

1

The custom of young women "tagging" men on the public streets (on a day specially set aside and called "Tag Day") to secure funds for various charitable purposes is the basis for this Comedy short.

1909

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream 1909

4.74

An early film adaptation of the Bard's comic fantasy-- and perhaps the first screen adaptation of a Shakespeare play.

1909

The Renunciation

The Renunciation 1909

4.40

Two miners are fighting over a woman, and one is about to murder the other in his sleep. At the critical moment, the woman introduces her fiancé from the city.

1909

Burnham Beeches

Burnham Beeches 1909

8.00

First film of Burnham Beeches, the famous beauty spot and ultimate film location.

1909

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) 1909

1

The only known moving-image footage of the author, filmed at his home, Stormfield, in Redding, Connecticut. The silent short shows Twain walking about his estate, relaxing indoors with his daughters Clara and Jean. No known voice recording survives. Part of this footage has been associated with Edison’s The Prince and the Pauper (1909). Although Thomas Edison has sometimes been mistakenly named as director, he was never credited as director on any films; the actual director of this short is unknown.

1909

King Lear

King Lear 1909

4.20

An impressively tactile, if slightly over-ambitious, adaptation of King Lear from Vitagraph Studios.

1909

To Demonstrate How Spiders Fly

To Demonstrate How Spiders Fly 1909

2.00

Charming animated illustration of one of nature's wonders from Britain's most inventive pioneer of wildlife filmmaking.

1909

In the Sultan's Power

In the Sultan's Power 1909

3.00

Jack Thornton, an American traveler, while touring Europe meets the daughter of an old French nobleman and falls in love with her. He is persistent in his suit for her hand, but outside of a seemingly cordial friendship the lady apparently does not return his affections. There is a reason for this. Osman Bey, a Turkish nobleman, desires the hand of this charming girl.

1909

Ben's Kid

Ben's Kid 1909

6.00

Buck Minor was the most detested man in Wolf Hollow, partly because he was quarrelsome and treacherous, partly because he abused and neglected his little wife, Molly, whom all the camp adored, and for whose sake it tolerated Buck.

1909

To Save Her Soul

To Save Her Soul 1909

5.20

Agnes, a singer in a country church, is practicing one day when a vaudeville manager hears her and offers her a job. Over the objections of the curate who loves her, she accepts the offer and goes to the city. Later the curate goes to hear Agnes perform and, fearing that her soul is being corrupted by show business, he asks her to return to the small town with him. When she refuses, he is prepared to kill her in order to protect the purity of her soul. This brings about her change of heart, and together they return to the little church.

1909