Bedtime for the Bride

Bedtime for the Bride 1896

4.70

A newlywed couple in front of their wedding-bed after their wedding. The woman undresses in front of her husband. A French erotic short film considered to be one of the first erotic films made.

1896

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat 1896

7.09

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

1896

The Cabbage-Patch Fairy

The Cabbage-Patch Fairy 1896

5.20

A brief fantasy tale involving a strange fairy who can produce and deliver babies coming out of cabbages. This film is lost or never existed. Copies of it online are actually the 1900 remake.

1896

The Haunted Castle

The Haunted Castle 1896

6.42

In a medieval castle, a dark magician thought to be Mephistopheles conjures up a series of bizarre creatures and events in order to torment a pair of interloping cavaliers.

1896

The Kiss

The Kiss 1896

5.22

They get ready to kiss, begin to kiss, and kiss in a way that brings down the house every time.

1896

The Vanishing Lady

The Vanishing Lady 1896

6.21

Georges Méliès makes a woman disappear, then reappear.

1896

A Heavy Sea

A Heavy Sea 1896

2.00

The rough sea crashing upon rocks.

1896

A Nightmare

A Nightmare 1896

6.00

A man has a fantastical nightmare involving, among other things, a grinning malevolent moon.

1896

Playing Cards

Playing Cards 1896

4.90

Three friends are playing cards in a beer garden. One of them orders drinks. The waitress comes back with a bottle of wine and three glasses on a tray. The man serves his friends. They clink glasses and drink. Then the man asks for a newspaper. He reads a funny story in it and the three friends burst out laughing while the waitress merely smiles.

1896

Sunderland

Sunderland 1896

1.00

Poor pedestrian, horse drawn carts, wagons and bus travel across bridge at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.

1896

Negro Street Dancers

Negro Street Dancers 1896

4.20

Five black and white minstrels dancing and playing musical instruments in Rupert Street, London.

1896

Lion, London Zoological Gardens

Lion, London Zoological Gardens 1896

5.20

A male lion, right next to bars that are about 6 or 8 inches apart, keenly watches a uniformed zoo attendant toss small morsels of food into the cage. The lion alternates between finding the food on the cage floor and reaching through the bars to swipe at the man, who stays alarmingly close to the beast. In the background are the large rocks and brick wall at the back of the lion's habitat.

1896

A Terrible Night

A Terrible Night 1896

5.10

A man tries to get a good night's sleep, but is disturbed by a giant spider that leaps onto his bed, and a battle ensues in hilarious comic fashion.

1896

The Mechanical Butcher

The Mechanical Butcher 1896

5.70

A butcher puts a full-grown live pig into his large box-like machine. Moments later, he draws out a full range of pork products, many already packaged for sale.

1896

Demolition of a Wall

Demolition of a Wall 1896

6.30

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.

1896

Children playing with skipping rope

Children playing with skipping rope 1896

4.00

A group of children are encouraged to play in a park by two men. Some play a skipping game. One of the other children refuses and eventually runs away. Another child is fascinated by the camera and stares at it throughout, even when encouraged by one of the men to play. IN the background, traffic passes and pedestrians stroll past behind a railing on an upper level. The children wear sunhats, indicating the weather is very sunny.

1896