Fifty Million Years Ago

Fifty Million Years Ago 1925

1

A German animated film about dinosaurs that was repackaged in the United States during the Scopes Monkey Trial. The opening scenes depicting the formation of the earth, and early marine life, employ such simple means of simulating movement as a moving camera and sliding cels and overlays. One primal, insect-like creature is pictured by means of an elaborate jointed cutout, its legs and antennae manipulated frame by frame—a technique favored by some early animators. Most of the creatures in this film pose sedately before painted backdrops or simple settings; the effect is that of museum dioramas come to life.

1925

Hot Dogs

Hot Dogs 1925

1

A Krazy Kat short.

1925

The Fascinating Widow

The Fascinating Widow 1925

1

The Fascinating Widow is a 1925 adaptation of the musical comedy written by Otto Hauerbach as a vehicle for the female impersonator Julian Eltinge.

1925

Sealed Lips

Sealed Lips 1925

1

Directed by Tony Gaudio. With Dorothy Revier, Cullen Landis, Lincoln Stedman, Scott Turner.

1925

[Lavagna – Rowing. Diving]

[Lavagna – Rowing. Diving] 1925

1

A silent amateur film with a runtime of 1 minute and 20 seconds (DCP from 9.5mm reversal, 16 fps), presented without intertitles. Preserved by Fondazione Home Movies – Archivio Nazionale del Film di Famiglia, Bologna, the film captures scenes of rowing and diving during the summer of 1925 in Lavagna. It forms part of a larger collection of 9.5mm films discovered in 2006 in the cellar of Villa Rocca by Lavello’s grandson, Enrico Vassallo, and donated to the archive in 2007. Restored in 2025 using a 2K wet scanning process to mitigate damage from fungal mould, the footage reflects the technical limitations of manual camera operation, including occasional acceleration due to uneven crank rotation. As noted by Michele Manzolini, the film contributes to a broader visual record of informal leisure and early amateur cinematography in interwar Italy.

1925

Valadião, o Cratera

Valadião, o Cratera 1925

1

A Brazilian style Western inspired by the young director's fondness for American films.

1925

Bonzoby

Bonzoby 1925

1

Bonzo, a mischievous dog, takes the place of Toby in a Punch and Judy show. Bonzo's Pekinese sweetheart, Cheekee, is captivated by the acrobatics of Toby in a Punch and Judy show. Bonzo, jealous, reads a book on acting, then lures Toby into a public house.

1925

Bonzo No. 2

Bonzo No. 2 1925

1

Bonzo makes a pie, which explodes.

1925

Suerte y azar

Suerte y azar 1925

1

"The plot of the film, although it has no local color, as it would have been to our liking, is something very human that happens quite frequently in this century full of vanities, of a life of useless sacrifices to appear to have a wealth that one is far from possessing". (Diario del Comercio. August 25, 1926).

1925

Felix Full o' Fight

Felix Full o' Fight 1925

1

Felix goes on a dangerous treasure hunt to prove his bravery.

1925