Author Archive: Retro

In a traditional “magician” attire, the wizard of illusion and jump cuts, Georges Méliès, says the magic words and conjures up wonders from a plain wooden box.

An astronomer of age, wealth, and erudition conducts classes in his home. His students are not always respectful, and he suffers their pranks and high jinks. Then, at noon, everything darkens and the astronomer hurries upstairs to his telescope. It is an eclipse of the sun, and through his glass, he sees a female moon coming toward a masculine sun, flirting as they move closer to what becomes a consummation. The heavens erupt with showers of stars that become women. In his excitement, the astronomer loses what little dignity he has left.

A man opens the big gates to the Lumière factory. Through the gateway and a smaller doorway beside it, workers are streaming out, turning either left or right. Most of them are women in long dresses and big hats, but some are men. Suddenly a man with a long apron rushes out through the crowd, followed by a big dog. At last some men on bikes leave the gateway. When all workers have left the factory, the doorkeeper starts closing the gates again.

In what is considered to be the first remake in the history of cinema, the grand French director, Georges Méliès, directs his very first short film, influenced by the Lumière Brothers’ original story in “Partie d’écarté (1896)”.

The prospector had taught the Indian boy the doctrine of peace. When his tribe resisted the attack of another tribe the boy did not take part. The din of the battle, as the horsemen circled them again and again, the moans of men caught under falling horses struck terror in the boy’s heart The incensed warriors cast him from the tribe with the brand of a coward. It was then that his opportunity came to follow the white man’s wonderful doctrine. “Big love man lay down life for friend,”

Princess Angela’s father, the King, had been so indiscreet as to select for her a husband in the person of a Prince of the neighboring domain, which alliance the King ardently wished, as it meant relief in his present impecuniosity. Well, it was the old story, the arrangement was, of course, repugnant, inasmuch as she desires to make her own choice, hence she will not even deign to look at the Prince, and no amount of persuasion or threats will induce her to change her mien. The condition is most discouraging to the King, whose affairs would have been immeasurably improved by the match. The Cardinal, however, understanding the whims and foibles of womankind, hits upon a scheme to bring about a successful issue in spite of the Princess’ stubbornness. He induces the Prince, with the aid of his barber, to change his facial appearance, although it was hardly necessary, as the Princess had not [...]

Boss Tim Crogan starts out to perforate the person of one cartoonist “Peters.” who had grossly insulted him by drawing and publishing what he considered scurrilous cartoons of him during the campaign. These caricatures have been growing more and more odious to him until his suppressed rage bursts forth and he seizes a pistol and makes his way to the newspaper office to transform the aforesaid cartoonist into a human sieve, with the gentle hut decisive percolation of bullets, but, as Hamlet says, “enterprises of great pith and moment their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action.” So it was with Crogan, who rushes, gun in hand, into the editorial sanctum of the “Daily Bugle.” throwing the editor and reporters into a tumultuous panic, in his search for the offending “Peters.” Reaching the art department, he espies a screen with a placard reading “Peters’ Corner.” With an invective he hurls the screen aside, [...]