Movies: Pathe Freres

An oppressive droning score makes this rendering of the Faust legend quite disturbing to watch. The film itself consists of a number of impressive ‘appearing out of thin air’ effects, some lavish costumes, sets and backdrops. A climactic sword fight ...

The story of two men, one married, the other the lover of the other's wife, who meet in the trenches of the First World War, and how their tale becomes a microcosm for the horrors of war....

A Japanese-set magic show. There is a lot of visual trickery on display, ending with an amazing effect using reverse footage and superimposing/projecting images on top of one another....

The story of Jesus Christ, from the proclamation of His Nativity to His Ascension into heaven. Impressive staging and beautiful hand-coloring distinguish the film from its Passion-play counterparts; Its scale and dynamic crowds prelude the Italian ep...

A diver jumps into a body of water-- and then comes right back out! This film should not be confused with Segundo de Chomón's remake "Plongeur fantastique" (The Fantastic Diver, 1905)....

Based on the story of "Sleeping Beauty" by Charles Perrault. Titles read: The Christening of the Princess; The Good Fairies Fatal Prediction; The Royal Edict; The Princess is Sixteen Years Old; Searching for the Princess; The Prediction Comes True; ...

A group of travellers go into a house for protection. Little do they know, it is filled with ghosts who make unusual things happen to them....

A man is trying to shave, but grotesque faces keep appearing in his mirror....

A moon-woman shakes a Pierot costume and manifests a Pierot clown. She does this four more until there are five Pierots crowded on the ledge of the moon. They fall to the earth and dance like tops turning one by one into Columbine maidens....

A pregnant woman steals things from others on account of her cravings....

An enthusiastic young couple is astounded with modern technology's giant leaps in the fascinating field of electricity....

Rare stencil-coloured images of early 20th century Delhi during a Muslim festival....

This is a mesmerising little short that employs a peculiar bird’s eye view of a mischievous devil who dances around, performing strange tricks and making sexy ladies appear out of nowhere. The colourful visual effects are very impressive for the time...

Three young children set up a table, and on the table is placed a miniature stage. The stage curtain opens, a carpet appears, and then the carpet unrolls by itself. Two puppet figures then come out and begin to perform a series of routines....

Many of the scenes of this split-reel short about a bizarre group of tramp musicians who disappear into and out of drums, beach umbrellas and whatnots were shot in the street and the others were on stages decorated to look realistic....

A sorcerer draws signs on the sand making charming young women....

Denton, an anthropologist of note, meets by accident a new neighbor, an attractive girl, whose father insists upon her marriage to a man whom he favors because of his wealth. Denton and the girl are mutually attracted and to Denton comes a vague but ...

When the entire kitchen staff falls asleep from exhaustion, a dwarf appears and animates various objects via stop motion -- including their hands, which he cuts off while they snooze -- to do their work....

The stages that a caterpillar goes through, from larvae to chrysalis, to become a butterfly....

Young lovers separate, she to a career on the stage and he to remain in the small village in which they grew up. Years pass and he is hired to be a porter for a theater company and finds her, a far different woman who does not recognize him....