Although not the first feature-length animated film, as is sometimes thought, it was the first cartoon to feature a character with an appealing personality. The appearance of a true character distinguished it from earlier animated "trick films", such as those of Blackton and Cohl, and makes it the predecessor to later popular cartoons such as those by Walt Disney. The film was also the first to be created using keyframe animation.
Marion, the telephone switch operator in a large factory, sticks to her post, notifying the different departments during the burning of the building. The fire department, of which Jack Watson, to whom Marion is engaged, is a member, received the alarm. Hastily the fire laddies get into their clothes and rush to the scene of conflagration. Everyone has escaped except Marion. Jack hears this, and tears himself away from his comrades, at the peril of his life, he dashes into the building and rescues his sweetheart. He drops with his precious and unconscious burden, exhausted, to the ground. They are each taken to their homes. When both are conscious, they are allowed to telephone each other, and their wedding day is set.
A hungry mosquito spots and follows a man on his way home. The mosquito slips into the room where the man is sleeping, and gets ready for a meal. His first attempts startle the man and wake him up, but the mosquito is very persistent.
Cartoon figures announce, via comic strip balloons, that they will move - and move they do, in a wildly exaggerated style. Also known as "Winsor McCay, the Famous Cartoonist of the N.Y. Herald and His Moving Comics".
A cartoonist draws faces and figures on a blackboard - and they come to life.
A widower becomes infatuated with his daughter's governess, to the displeasure of the child and her nurse.
Larry falls afoul of wanted criminal Gentleman Joe, who runs a saloon full of tough guys and gunslingers.
Newly married Thomas and Mary MacGregor attend the village fair on their honeymoon. The balloon ascension is advertised for the afternoon. Everything is in readiness and Mary induces Thomas to enter the basket of the balloon. Some mischievous boys cut the ropes holding the balloon and it rises, taking the pair on a honeymoon trip entirely unexpected. They travel fast and long until the balloon collapses upon a desert island, among a tribe of cannibals, who think the couple are gods descended from the skies. Thomas deposes the king and runs things with a high hand. The natives, however, as they become better acquainted with Thomas and Mary, realize that they are only human beings like themselves. They decide to put an end to their reign and begin preparations for their execution and cooking. The night before the day they are to be put to death, Thomas and Mary escape to the seashore, where they hail a passing vessel, which lands a boat loaded with men, who rescue the terrified couple.
A young girl is struck and seriously injured by a wealthy society matron's car. The woman brings the girl back to her house. Later, a hardened thief is told by the girl of a goblet, that could be the Holy Grail, which has healing powers and could help her. The thief, touched by her predicament, sets out to steal the goblet and bring it to her.
A smoker falls asleep, and two mischievious fairies play with his pipe. He discovers this, and imprisons them in a cigar box. He removes a flower from the box, which contains a fairy smoking a cigarette. Next, he leaves briefly while his smoking paraphenalia clears itself from the table and the flower reassembles itself into a cigar. He lights the cigar, then breaks a bottle containing the fairy, who interacts with him in various ways reeling from his cigar smoke, building a bonfire that he extinguishes, etc.
The story takes place three years into the future. Events represented take place in 1914 when supposedly there is a war between the United European States and the United States of America. The hero is commissioned to fly over the enemy's fleet in a war aeroplane and destroy them. This he does by dropping bombs. He is then told to spy upon their land forces, but his aeroplane is brought to earth by a portable gun of the enemy that shoots directly into midair.
The master crook steals the sweetheart of Sherlock, a great detective. Sherlock undertakes to recover her.
This domestic comedy depicts a woman who stops her husband's gambling habit by having her cousin stage a fake police raid on the weekly poker game.
A traveler stays the night at a rural inn, but gets no rest as he is tormented by various spectres and mysterious happenings.
In order to make money, a man hires a bum to pretend to be a mummy, so he can sell the "body" for scientific experiments.
Diantha Ebberly travels with her parents to the edge of the Sahara to meet her longtime betrothed, Herbert Medford, whom she has never seen. She is rescued from a swarm of beggars by an "Arab," then meets him again when she slips out at night in native dress. They fall in love, but Diantha is abducted by Sheik Amud, then returned safely home by the "Arab." The next morning Diantha discovers her fiancé and lover to be one and the same.
Haywood, a suitor for the hand of Elida Rumsey, is severely reprimanded by her for not enlisting when President Lincoln calls for volunteers. Being deeply interested in the cause, Elida goes and helps Mrs. Pomeroy minister to sick and wounded soldiers. She becomes a favorite with the men, for she frequently sings to them. This attracts the attention of Lincoln
An early film adaptation of the Bard's comic fantasy-- and perhaps the first screen adaptation of a Shakespeare play.
The incidents of this story are some of those preceding and leading up to the Civil War in 1861 and the Declaration of Emancipation. The central figure in the drama is Uncle Tom, a slave initially in the possession of the Shelbys of Kentucky. A 1927 re-release of this film cut the original runtime in half, and in its extant, fragmentary state, it runs 14 minutes.
Lupin is the lover of Joan of the Apaches. She is attracted by Paul de Gafilet, nobleman and sculptor. She visits him in his studio and resolves to abandon her underworld career for his sake. Lupin vows revenge but is frustrated by Joan. The latter's affection for Paul turns to rage when she sees him embracing another woman. Joan joins with her confederates to steal some jewels from a statue of the Madonna in a church. She learns that the woman she is jealous of is Paul's sister, attempts to halt the robbery but fails. Paul is injured by the thieves and Joan held captive.
