The Four Troublesome Heads

The Four Troublesome Heads 1898

7.14

One of the greatest of black art pictures. The conjurer appears before the audience, with his head in its proper place. He then removes his head, and throwing it in the air, it appears on the table opposite another head, and both detached heads sing in unison. The conjurer then removes it a third time. You then see all three of his heads, which are exact duplicates, upon the table at one time, while the conjurer again stands before the audience with his head perfectly intact, singing in unison with the three heads upon the table. He closes the picture by bowing himself from the stage.

1898

The Merry Skeleton

The Merry Skeleton 1898

6.14

A skeleton dances joyously, often collapsing into a heap of bones and quickly putting itself back together.

1898

Divers at Work on the Wreck of the

Divers at Work on the Wreck of the "Maine" 1898

5.90

Divers go to work on a wrecked ship (the battleship Maine that was blown up in Havana harbour during the Spanish-American War), surrounded by curiously disproportionate fish.

1898

Adventures of William Tell

Adventures of William Tell 1898

5.62

The scene opens in an artist's studio where the unfinished statue of William Tell stands upon a pedestal. A clown appears and sticks a clay arm and clay head on the statue, thus completing it. He places a large brick on top of the head to make it stick. When he turns his back the statue turns into a living representation of William Tell. (Edison Catalog)

1898

Santa Claus

Santa Claus 1898

6.20

Santa arrives at a house on Christmas Eve to deliver his presents for the children.

1898

The Temptation of St. Anthony

The Temptation of St. Anthony 1898

5.80

St. Anthony is tempted by visions of women, including one that is transformed from the image of Jesus Christ Himself!

1898

Disappearing Act

Disappearing Act 1898

4.80

An illusionist makes a woman disappear in thin air.

1898

Come Along, Do!

Come Along, Do! 1898

4.78

Come Along, Do! is an 1898 British short silent comedy film, produced and directed by Robert W. Paul. The film was of 1 minute duration, but only forty-some seconds have survived. The whole of the second shot is only available as film stills. The film features an elderly man at an art gallery who takes a great interest in a nude statue to the irritation of his wife. The film has cinematographic significance as the first example of film continuity. It was, according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, "one of the first films to feature more than one shot." In the first shot, an elderly couple is outside an art exhibition having lunch and then follow other people inside through the door. The second shot shows what they do inside.

1898

Little Mischief

Little Mischief 1898

3.20

Papa is reading his newspaper and his little girl tickles his neck with a long straw. Thinking it is a fly papa "shoos" away the supposed fly with his hand…

1898

The Magician

The Magician 1898

6.17

In this scene is shown a magician behind an ordinary table, upon which he suddenly and mysteriously causes to appear a large box, into which he leaps. The sides of the box fall to the ground, but instead of containing the magician a lively clown steps forth who further mystifies the audience by causing the box to disappear, and in its place is seen a fully laid table with a smoking dinner, to which the clown applies himself. The table, however, suddenly disappears much to the astonishment of the clown, who is confronted by the magician in the garb of Mephistopheles. This he suddenly changes to that of a sculptor, and in the background is seen a pedestal with the bust of a young lady, which comes to life as the sculptor applies the mallet and chisel.

1898

Shooting Captured Insurgents

Shooting Captured Insurgents 1898

4.43

“A file of Spanish soldiers line up the Cubans against a blank wall and fire a volley. The flash of rifles and drifting smoke make a very striking picture.” (Edison film catalog)

1898

Ella Lola, a la Trilby

Ella Lola, a la Trilby 1898

4.40

A young, dark-haired woman performs a dance inspired by George du Maurier's character Trilby, in an early modern dance style reminiscent of Isadora Duncan. She dances barefoot without stockings and is dressed in a long, flowing gown bound across the bosom in Grecian style, with inside fringe and a draped cape hooked to her wrist. She also wears what appears to be a garland headpiece. Holding her gown with one hand throughout, the dancer performs a series of kicks and turns with leg kicks front and back, rocking, and round de jambe.

1898

An Execution by Hanging

An Execution by Hanging 1898

1

A depiction in the hanging of Edward Heinson, an assumed criminal assault convict in Jacksonville, Florida.

1898