La Bohème

The Commune

"La Commune" ( The Commune ) (1914) is a good example of Herr Guerra's peculiarities. It was produced by "Cinéma Du Peuple" ( People's Cinema ), a fil

1914

The Seven Castles of the Devil

An unhappy woodcutter is temped by the devil with riches and honors. They visit seven castles, as the man acquires the Seven Capital Sins these castle

1901

Fire!

Firefighters ring for help, and here comes the ladder cart; they hitch a horse to it. A second horse-drawn truck joins the first, and they head down t

1901

A Railway Collision

The scene is a railroad track on the side of a steep mountain, with a tunnel in the background, toward which a train is running at a high rate of spee

1900

dik

A six year old boy brings home a piece of schoolwork that provokes his parents to question his sexual orientation, and their own, with disastrous and

2011

Two AM; or, The Husband's Return

Husband comes home late and wakes the wife. Based on a popular stage play.

1896

A Society Sensation

A wealthy society playboy falls in love with the daughter of a poor fisherman. After Valentino shot to fame, A Society Sensation was cut down to a mee

1918

Danse macabre

The Black Death is ravaging Spain. As Camille Saint-Saëns's "Danse Macabre" plays on the soundtrack, a mix of animation and acted scenes tells the sto

1922

Buy Your Own Cherries

A barmaid plies a swell with smiles and with cherries from a box that's just been delivered. When she refuses a cherry to a roughly-dressed tradesman

1904

Grandma's Reading Glass

A child borrows his grandmother's magnifying glass to look at a newspaper ad for Bovril, at a watch, and then at a bird. The child shows grandma what

1900

Attack on a China Mission

The titles tell us this film is based on an incident in the Boxer Rebellion. A man tries to defend a woman and a large house against Chinese attackers

1900

A Fire in a Burlesque Theatre

This short, otherwise unremarkable feature is of some interest because of the way that it unabashedly caters to the tastes that it perceived in its au

1904

Execution of Czolgosz with Panorama of Auburn Prison

This early docudrama shows Auburn Prison and recreates the electrocution of Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of President McKinley of the United States.

1901

The Little Match Seller

A short melodrama based on Hans Christian Andersen's harrowing tale. A poor little girl tries to sell matchsticks in the freezing December cold. She l

1902

The Terrible Eruption of Mount Pelee and Destruction of St. Pierre, Martinique

This picture depicts the eruption of the volcano by which over 30,000 souls were hurled into eternity. The numerous explosions which took place during

1902

Tragic Error

When he goes to Paris an aristocrat steps into a cinema and is shocked by something he sees on screen.

1913

The Train Wreckers

A romance between a railroad engineer and the switchman's daughter is nearly ruined by train wreckers who knock out the girl and leave her on the trac

1905

King John

Based on Shakespeare's play, Act V, Scene vii: King John is in torment, and his supporters fear that his end is near. As he writhes in agony, he is at

1899

The Good Luck of a 'Souse'

This film from George Melies is sadly one that's only available in fragments. The film starts off with a title card stating that a drunk man has just

1907

The Tempest

Prospero and his daughter Miranda must take refuge on an enchanted island. There Prospero, who himself has magical powers, releases the spirit Ariel f

1908