All Films

The Martinique Disaster

1902 • 1 min • France

Reproduction of the terrible catastrophe which annihilated the town of St. Peter on May 8, 1902.

The Human Fly

1902 • 2 min • France

This is a moving picture that moves. Positively the greatest magical picture ever offered. A Hindoo magician appears and dances for the entertainment of six pretty maidens. Then, to the astonishment of all, he runs up the wall, dances and turns handsprings in mid-air, introducing many tricks that are entirely new in animated photography. The most puzzling of all the mystical series. (Star Film Catalog)

Hull Fair

1902 • 4 min • United Kingdom

The ornate pavilions of cinematographs, boxing booths and menageries at Hull Fair.

An Impossible Balancing Feat

1902 • 1 min • France

A magician along with three doppelgangers perform an elaborate balancing act.

Interrupted Bathers

1902 • 1 min • United States of America

Three girls are taking a bath in a quiet, shady spot along a beautiful stream. Another young lady in bathing attire reclines on the bank. The latter suddenly discovers two hoboes coming toward the bathers and immediately gives the alarm. They throw water over the hoboes, who gather up the clothes of the fair bathers and make off, compelling the bathers to walk home in barrels. In order to conceal themselves as much as possible they hold the barrels rather high.

Panoramic View on the Great Western Railway: Approach and Passing Through Llangollen

1902 • 1 min

View from the train front as it travels west through the station, Wales, UK. River Dee is on the left.

The Terrible Eruption of Mount Pelee and Destruction of St. Pierre, Martinique

1902 • 1 min • France

This picture depicts the eruption of the volcano by which over 30,000 souls were hurled into eternity. The numerous explosions which took place during the eruption are plain to be seen. Thousands upon thousands of tons of molten lava, sand, rocks and steam are thrown high in the air and descend with crushing force upon the unfortunate inhabitants of the doomed city of St. Pierre. This is the worst calamity which occurred since a similar eruption by Mt. Vesuvius when Pompeii was destroyed. (Lubin Catalog)

The Treasures of Satan

1902 • 3 min • France

The setting of this fantastic scene represents the hall of an old chateau in which a miser has locked up seven large bags containing his wealth. Satan, who has made his way into the chateau, puts the seven bags in a strong box, and makes with his hands some cabalistic motions. The miser comes into the hall and is greatly astonished to find his fortune missing. He opens the coffer and immediately the bags leap out. He gathers them up and puts them back into the coffer. When he opens it again he finds that they have been transformed into seven young girls, who rush out and chase after him, beating him unmercifully. They shut him up in the coffer from which his gold has vanished. The miser pushes open the lid of the coffer, and to his profound despair finds that both young girls and money have disappeared. (This view is most sensational in its mysterious scenes.) (Star Film Catalog)

The Magician and the Imp

1902 • 1 min • France

The magician appears upon the stage with an imp as his assistant. The imp holds a piece of cloth in his hand. At the command of the magician the cloth is suddenly transformed into a beautiful girl, clad in tights. A barrel is then introduced and the girl enters one end.

Panorama of the River Avon to Portishead

1902 • 10 min • United Kingdom

This journey down the Avon gorge was filmed from the riverbank, from a boat and from the Portishead railway. Among views of the estuary, the cargo ship Vera and the fine wooden warship Formidable (then a training ship), Portishead docks and the entrance to the Clifton Rocks Railway. This underground funicular railway linked the town to the riverbank just below the Clifton Suspension Bridge. [BFI]

The Microscopic Dancer

1902 • 2 min • France

“This is an absolutely new and extraordinary subject. A juggler takes in succession about a dozen eggs out of his servant's mouth. He breaks all the eggs into a hat, and after having beaten them up after the manner of a cook, he extracts an egg as large as the hat itself. As soon as he sets this egg on the table there appears a tiny dancing girl, full of life, as big as a baby's doll, and who performs on the table some beautiful stage dances. All of a sudden she increases to the size of a ordinary woman, and jumping on the floor she delights the audience with her turns. The juggler and the dancing girl disappear in the most extraordinary way.” (Méliès Catalog)

Gulliver's Travels Among the Lilliputians and the Giants

1902 • 4 min • France

Georges Méliès' adaptation of Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" is most distinguished, today, for being a color film of the classic story. Color was rare in 1902 (and many years after) as non-tinted color has to be hand painted on the film; this was an arduous task. Also notable is the film's short running time of approximately five minutes. Much of the original work is not covered, but viewers were expected to be familiar with the story, and enjoy the filmed highlights. There are a couple of scenes missing; according to contemporary reports, Gulliver's shipwreck was certainly included. You can do a lot in a few minutes, as Mr. Méliès includes a re-make of his own "Une partie de cartes" (1896), which already looked like something previously covered by the Lumière Brothers.

The Prolific Magical Egg

1902 • 2 min • France

A human skeleton is placed upon a table by an attendant. When the attendant leaves the room the skeleton begins kicking his legs and throwing his arms about and suddenly turns into a magician. The magician produces an egg, performing several sleight-of-hand tricks, and places it upon the table with the small end downward. He then crudely draws a human face upon the shell, and the egg immediately begins growing larger and larger until it reaches the size of a normal head.

Sure Cure for Indigestion

1902 • 5 min

In this film, we show the interior of a doctor's office. A patient enters, and judging from the expression on his face, he is in great pain. The doctor tells him that he is troubled with acute indigestion, and immediately places him upon the operating table. He begins his treatment by cutting off the patient's arms and legs with a huge saw. After removing these members, he takes a large knife and makes an incision in the unfortunate's stomach large enough to put his arm in. He then removes such things as bottles, knives and forks, lamps and other articles of furniture from the patient's body ...

The Return of a Merry Fellow

1902 • 1 min • Poland

First narrative polish film. The janitor sweeps the pavement in front of the tenement house. A carriage comes with a rather solidly inserted young man. He is well-dressed but has lost all his strength. Merry Fellow needs help.

The Coronation of Edward VII

1902 • 6 min • France

King Edward VII's coronation ceremony.

Skiing Scene in Quebec

1902 • 1 min

This short captures the thrill of winter sport in Canada, showing skiers racing downhill at high speed before leaping over a snow-built hurdle. Most of the jumpers tumble into a heap at the bottom, adding humor to the action. Although Thomas Edison has sometimes been mistakenly named as director, he was never credited as director on any films; the actual director of this short is unknown.

Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show

1902 • 2 min • United States of America

Country rube thinks what he sees on the movie screen is real. He jumps out of his seat to try to stop a kissing scene.

Arrival of the Governor General, Lord Minto, at Quebec

1902 • 2 min • United States of America

This film records the arrival of the Governor General of Canada, the Earl of Minto, accompanied by the Countess of Minto and their household, as they cross the river in ice canoes. Upon reaching the Quebec side, the canoes encounter a wide ledge of ice extending from the wharf, over which blanket-clad snowshoers haul the Governor, his wife, and their guests. A vivid glimpse of winter travel and ceremonial pageantry in early 20th-century Canada. Although Thomas Edison has sometimes been mistakenly named as director, he was never credited as director on any films; the actual director of this short is unknown.

Fort-de-France : marché

1902 • 1 min • France

Grandpa's Reading Glass

1902 • 2 min • United States of America

A very clever and interesting picture. A family group composed of grandpa, mamma and several children are seen about a library table. One of the little girls takes a large reading glass, and with the other children looks at various objects about the room. As each object is inspected, it appears on the screen in enlarged form, just as it might look when viewed through a large magnifying glass. Among the objects thus shown are: 1. Little girl playing with kitten; 2. Monkey eating banana; 3. Parrot; 4. Baby's face; 5. Page from comic paper; 6. Mamma's face; 7. Mamma's eye.

Fort-de-France : femmes portant des corbeilles

1902 • 1 min • France

Fort-de-France : négrillons jouant sous les arbres

1902 • 1 min

Robinson Crusoe

1902 • 12 min • France

Georges Méliès adaptation of Robinson Crusoe, the first film adaptation of the story. Filmed in black & white, Méliès would then paint the film by hand to colour it. Originally a 15 minute film, twelve and a half minutes of painted film have been found and have been restored.