.Yl 1900 - 8

A family sits down to enjoy a meal that ends up being fraught with complications.

Directed by Robert W. Paul.

The Phono-Cinéma-Théâtre was a special pavilion at the 1900 Paris World's Fair which featured filmed performances presented with sound via wax cylinder recordings. Many of these short films were also presented in hand-tinted color. The performances ranged from theatre (Coquelin the eldest, Gabrielle Réjane, Sarah Bernhardt, Félicia Mallet), opera & operetta (Mariette Sully, Emile Cossira, Jeanne Hatto, Mily-Meyer, Désiré Pougaud), to café concert & music hall variety (Footit et Chocolat, Mason and Forbes, Little Tich, Brunin, Polin, Jules Moy) and dance (Blanche and Louise Mante from the Paris Opera, Carlotta Zambelli, Michel Vasquez, Rosita Mauri, Jeanne Chasles, Achille Viscusi, Christine Kerf, Cléo de Mérode).

This picture shows an old gentleman seated at his shaving table. The razor is evidently giving him a great deal of trouble...

The scene opens in the interior of an artist's studio. Mephisto appears mysteriously and signals the pictures to come to life. They step down from the frames and walk forward, admiring their costumes. Mephisto then touches the artist on the shoulder, awakening him, and disappears. The artist, after rubbing his eyes, sees the picture on his right hand side and jumps up to embrace her. After embracing her once, he makes a second attempt and she disappears. The artist now wakes up, jumps to his feet, and runs to see if the picture are still in the frames. He examines them and finding that they are still fast on the wall, realizes that the has been dreaming and seeks consolation in the bottle.

This scene opens by showing a pretty cook mixing bread in the kitchen. Jones comes in unexpectedly from a trip and carries a dress suitcase. He inquires for his wife and is told by the cook that she is absent. Jones is hungry and asks for something to eat. The cook is very obliging and Jones becomes unruly, chuckles the cook under the chin. The cook puts her arms around Jones' neck and leaves finger imprints of flour on his back. This is where the trouble commences. (Edison catalogue)

The magician enters upon a stage, and removing a covering from a small table, shakes it before the audience to show that there is nothing whatever concealed inside, places the cloth upon the floor, and when he removes it five large geese are found to be swimming in the water. The magician takes the geese out of the tub, and places them on the stage, and they walk away. He again places the cloth over the tub, and when he removes it the tub disappears and a small boy stands in its place.

George Footit & Rafael Patodos starts fighting.

Woman sings.

Well did you ever? Two women share juicy stories, and enjoyably shocked reaction, over tea.

An early trick film where a car explodes and body parts fall from the sky. A policeman witnesses and attempts to piece the remains back together.

Vittorio Calcina was the official filmographer for the House of Savoy, and as his final act of patronage to King Umberto, his funeral procession was filmed and released.

A conversation between two gents perks up when the see a picture in a magazine. A 'facial' comedy by GA Smith.

Vaudeville comedians Foottit and Chocolat hop and dance around and occasionally fight.

This picture shows the remains of one of the docks, several freight cars being piled one upon the other, while the most interesting part of the picture shows two schooners literally smashed one into the other, forming a most picturesque mass of wreckage.

1900 Gaumont version of the ubiquitous Serpentine dance, this one hand tinted. Filmmaker anonymous. (not to be mistaken with Alice Guy-Blaché's version with Madame Ondine, from the same year and company)

Taken from an automobile. This picture was taken during the fashionable driving hour, making a complete circle of the Place de la Concorde, passing hundreds of carriages and busses. The beginning of the picture shows the historical church of the Madeleine in the background, the picture ending by approaching and running under the main entrance to the Paris Exposition.

A client has trouble listening to the photographer's instructions.