All Films

Le mitron

1904 • 1 min • France

The Clever Baker, shows a not so clever baker baking.

Indians and Cowboys

1904 • 8 min • France

A captured Indian marauder is beaten by a gang of cowboys. Seeking vengeance, the Indians attack a stagecoach and abduct its passengers. The cowboys ride in pursuit and successfully rescue the captives.

A Fire in a Burlesque Theatre

1904 • 1 min • United States of America

This short, otherwise unremarkable feature is of some interest because of the way that it unabashedly caters to the tastes that it perceived in its audiences. Besides combining the elements of the risqué 'blue' movies of the era with the popularity of movies about fires, it also attempted to use the combination to get extra mileage out of it. The movie's title summarises the setup, and most of the footage shows firefighters using ladders to rescue stage girls, clad in portions of their costumes, from an upper level. Although it all seems pretty tame by today's standards, it no doubt provided its male viewers with some brief moments of excitement as the various women hurried down the ladders with their costumes in disarray.

Crossing Ice Bridge at Niagara Falls

1904 • 3 min • United States of America

The severe cold of the winter of 1903-04 allowed the rapids of Niagara Falls to freeze over, allowing the brave tourists to enter the chasm and cross to the other side over the formed ice bridge.

The Chicken Thief

1904 • 10 min

Two black men are stealing chickens and get chased by the white farmers.

Court Ladies Bathing

1904 • 1 min • France

Through an invisible keyhole, the viewer peeps at the leisure activities of a carefree group of noblewomen who enjoy the water, as well as a hearty slice of emancipation.

Children in the Surf at Coney Island

1904 • 4 min • United States of America

"Children in the Surf, Coney Island" is a very short documentary with Billy Bitzer behind the camera.

Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machines

1904 • 1 min • United Kingdom

It's one on those thingies you see at amusement parks. You get into a small gondola, the machine starts whirling about, and centrifugal force lifts the gondolas up in the air.

Skirmish Between Russian and Japanese Advance Guards

1904 • 10 min • United States of America

Renactment of a skirmish that was likely to have occurred in the Russo-Japanese War. Opens with an establishing scene entitled "A Japanese outpost on the Yalu River," which shows the Japanese soldiers of the infantry outpost doing rifle drills and raising the flag. Following scenes are entitled "The Attack," "The Capture," and "The Retreat". In them, the Japanese fire their cannon; the Russian infantry demolish the camp, replace the Japanese flag with their own, and then fire their rifles at the enemy; and the Japanese recapture the outpost and once again run up their flag. Photographed from a single camera position.

Railroad Smashup

1904 • 1 min • United States of America

A staged crash between two outmoded locomotives given to the Edison Co. by the Pennsylvania Railroad for the express purpose of destroying them.

The Hero of Liao-Yang

1904 • 18 min • United States of America

Several Japanese youths are playing various games and enjoying some refreshments outdoors when a military courier arrives. The messenger asks for one of the young men, and gives him his orders. The young man puts on his uniform, leaves home, and reports to a unit in the field, where preparations are being made for a battle against the Russians. The young soldier is then sent on a dangerous but important mission.

The Nest Robbers

1904 • 3 min • France

A group of naughty boys steal a bird's nest and are pursued by game wardens.

Nervy Nat Kisses the Bride

1904 • 2 min • United States of America

A tramp gets involved in mischief on a train.

The Moonshiner

1904 • 13 min • United States of America

A mountaineer loads a shipment of moonshine whiskey onto his horse-cart, then goes to make a delivery. After he leaves, a revenue agent comes to the mountaineer's house to stake it out, and he soon observes some whiskey being traded for corn. The agent at once goes to alert other revenue officers, who arm themselves with rifles and then begin an immediate search for the moonshiner's still.

Bold Bank Robbery

1904 • 6 min • United States of America

A gang of criminals plans and executes the robbery of a bank in Philadelphia. However, the police are alerted and a chase through the city's streets ensues.

The Heathen Chinese and the Sunday School Teachers

1904 • 3 min • United States of America

A couple of Sunday school teachers invite Chinese laundry workers to their session. In return the Chinese invite them to an opium den, where the devout schoolmarms quickly abandon their morals!

Execution of Li-Tang the Chunchus Chief of the Manchurian Bandits

1904 • 2 min • United Kingdom

Newsreel footage of an execution by beheading of Li-Tang, the Chinches chief of a band of Manchurian bandits. Shot during the Russo Japanese war by the Charles Urban Trading Company. Charles Urban was formerly a partner with the Warwick Trading company who shot many newsreels of the day.

Token of Love

1904 • 1 min • France

Several dogs copiously "water" a rose on a lawn. A young lover arrives, delicately picks the flower and offers it to his beloved.

The Trade Guilds' Parade

1904 • 1 min

Trade Guilds' Parade at Christiansborg Ridebane in 1904.

European Rest Cure

1904 • 13 min • United States of America

An over-the-hill American tourist has a terrible time on his European "rest cure" vacation.

The Escaped Lunatic

1904 • 7 min • United States of America

A deranged man who believes he is Napoleon escapes the asylum and leads his keepers on a wild chase.

The Wrong Door

1904 • 2 min • France

A man with some sense of intestinal urgency needs to find the right door at a railroad station. He chooses... the wrong door.

Barnum's Trunk

1904 • 4 min • France

A magician and some assistants put up a series of posters of music hall acts in a frame. Then the magician brings each poster to life.

The Great Train Robbery

1904 • 12 min • United States of America

A remake of Edwin S. Porter's film of the same title.