Author Archive: Retro

A magician conjures up a mermaid while fishing.

A down-at-heal ex-convict undergoes an epiphany as he experiences the love of a good woman for the first time.

Georges Melies’ best-known film, A Trip to the Moon, is inspired by Jules Verne’s “From the Earth to the Moon” and H.G. Wells’ “First Men on the Moon”. In 1908, Segundo de Chomon made An Excursion to the Moon, an imitation of Melies’ work, which is preserved with the original Pathe Freres stencil color.

Big Boy’s father takes his son and new dog to his firehouse. His chief, however, has just posted a notice that children and pets are forbidden, so this decent but episodic Jack White comedy turns into a series of narrow escapes from authority and a flea circus.

A young woman’s plan to trick an old rich Scot out of his money backfires.

A poor hat-check girl loses her job and is forced to get a job as a dancer at a roadhouse. There she falls in love with the son of a rich businessman. The boy’s father, believing her to be after the family’s money, determines to embarrass her and show his son what she really is.

Auguste Lumière directs four workers in the demolition of an old wall at the Lumière factory. One worker is pressing the wall inwards with a jackscrew, while another is pushing it with a pick. When the wall hits the ground, a cloud of white dust whirls up. Three workers continue the demolition of the wall with picks.

A scientist pours water into a tub. Flames rise up, then the scientist takes out some dresses, which are draped upon statues. The statues change into a bevy of dancing girls who perform a dance routine.