Author Archive: Retro

On a warm and sunny summer’s day, a mother and father take their young daughter Dollie on a riverside outing. A gypsy basket peddler happens along, and is angered when the mother refuses to buy his wares. He attacks mother and daughter but is driven off by the father. Later the gypsy sneaks back and kidnaps the girl. A rescue party is organized but the gypsy conceals the child in a 30 gallon barrel which he precariously places on the tail of the wagon. He and his gypsy-wife make their getaway by fording the river with the wagon. The barrel, with Dollie still inside, breaks free, tumbling into into the river; it starts floating toward the peril of a nearby waterfall .

A woman appears on a stage and conjures up several large eggs. When each egg is opened a dancing midget or midgets is revealed to be inside, and in turn each midget does a brief dance. To end the act the woman turns the eggs into babies.

The old carpenter Geppeto manufactures in his workshop a wooden puppet that will soon come alive. For an hour the doll will live a thousand and one adventures: he will be judged, hanged, swallowed by a whale, taken prisoner by the Indians, saved by Canadian soldiers and, even, returned home mounted on a cannonball that flies through the sky.

Dr. Fletcher, while on a professional visit, finds a young girl homeless and penniless. Her father, a poor laborer, had just died. He offers her home and protection which she thankfully accepts. A year has passed. The new ward has found her way to the heart of the doctor. He finds that she is more to him than a child. He proposes marriage and is accepted. The doctor’s busy life keeps him much away from his young wife which time she uses for a little innocent flirtation. Some evening one of her admirers hands her a note and asks her to see him after her husband has retired. She reads the note and laughingly hides it in her bosom, never intending of taking the flirtation serious. The company has gone. The doctor decides to work before retiring while his young wife stays in his office until he had finished his work. She lays down upon [...]

Seven toy teddy bears of varying sizes suddenly come to life, getting in all sorts of merry misadventures.

In a medium close-up shot of the first kiss ever recorded on screen, two fervent lovers cuddle and talk passionately at hair’s breadth, just before the love-smitten gentleman decides to give his chosen one an innocent peck.