Cinematic Era: 1908 Vintage

A comedic short about a clumsy valet.

Mack Sennett appears as a guest and a man in the fight in this film produced by the Biograph Company.

William Thompson and John Smith occupied offices in the same New York skyscraper, and both being seized with an irrepressible desire to cut loose and paint things crimson, arranged it as follows in this Biograph picture. Thompson sent a message to his wife that his friend Smith was ill, and it was his duty to perform that spiritual work of mercy, "comfort the afflicted," hence he would not have her wait up for him as he might be late. Smith did likewise, using Thompson as the object of his humane consideration. This done, they start off to make a night of it. First they visit the gilded throne room of a temple of Bacchus, where they moisten their parched spirits with dry Martinis. They are soon in a most glorious condition. Smith suggests the show where "Amateur Night" is on. - Written by Moving Picture World synopsis

Segundo de Chomón's remake of Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon.

A thug accosts a girl as she leaves her workplace but a man rescues her. The thug vows revenge and, with the help of two friends, attacks the girl and her rescuer again as they're going for a walk. This time they succeed in kidnapping the rescuer. The girl runs home and gets help from several neighbors. They track the ruffians down to a cabin in the mountains where the gang has trapped their victim and set the cabin on fire.

Images from Grängesberg's mines. The ore is loaded onto trains and transported to the port of Oxelösund.

A Saxon prisoner rescues his Viking's captor's daughter, resulting in his freedom and their marriage.

In Civil War days, a soldier is seen leaving his home to join the Union army. Later he and a group of soldiers are captured and imprisoned by the Confederates. In the Southern prison, whenever the guards' backs are turned, members of the group work at tunneling their way out. Ultimately they finish the tunnel and take fight. The Confederate forces pursue the fugitives and kill some of them, but others escape. At the end, the soldier from the film's opening returns to his home and family.

Mack Sennett appears as a man in the bar in this film produced by the Biograph Company.

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; Thou Shalt Sleep for a Hundred Years; A Hundred Years later the Prince Charming Goes Hunting; Prince Charming Dismisses His Escort; The Castle of Sleep; The Guard's Hall; You Have Been a Long Time Coming, prince; The Wedding of the Sleeping Beauty to Prince Charming.

A woman who is filled with romantic ideas is making no secret of her eagerness to find a husband. Her father decides to help her by pressuring and threatening an eligible bachelor, who reluctantly allows wedding plans to be made.

French silent short film by Georges Méliès, presumed to be lost.

Acting on the Darwin theory, that man descended from a monkey, a scientist experiments towards turning man back to the monkey stage. He inoculates a number of persons with the preparation and after the subjects reach their homes the reversing process begins, and they become monkified. Their antics are uproariously funny. The scientist is unable to turn them back to human beings again, so they are collected in a large cage and places on exhibition. Here they are visited by an ape dressed in human attire. (Moving Picture World)

Signed by neurology professor Camillo Negro and cinematographer Roberto Omegna for the Società Anonima Ambrosio of Turin, Neuropathology is one of the first and most significant scientific documentaries in the history of cinema. Premiering in Italy on February 17, 1908, this film meticulously records a series of clinical cases of patients with various pathologies of the nervous system observed at the Cottolengo Hospital and neuropathological clinics in Turin between 1906 and 1908. The material includes studies of convulsions, spasms, ocular paralysis, ataxia, epileptic seizures, and other neurological disorders, presented with a didactic and scientific objective for physicians and neurology students.

A family goes to a photographer. The photographer pushes the boy around, and no one seems to care. The boy gets his revenge.

A poorly compensated bank clerk is, we may say, to that trying position of "Tantalus" in sight of tons of money but not a dollar of his own. This became more torturing as time went on, until at last, when the bank was arranging to ship a large quantity of cash to the West to relieve the recent money stringency, he made up his mind to heed the solicitude of that specter which had haunted him. Listening to the instructions given to the bank's messenger as to the shipment of the funds, he hustles off to a gang of crooks in whose company he had fallen.

1908 French short silent film by Georges Méliès, which is currently presumed lost. Though the plot of the film is unknown, it may have been built around a parody of the famous illusionist Buatier de Kolta, whose name is parodied in the film's title.

Jose, a handsome young Mexican, leaves his home in the Sierra Madre Mountains to seek his fortune in the States. On leaving, his dear old mother bestows upon him her blessing, presenting him with a pair of gauntlets, upon the dexter wrist of which she has embroidered a Latin Cross.

This is an incomplete fragment of a longer film, so doesn’t make much sense, but it’s very beautiful and colourful with plenty of fireworks, flames and fountains as well as the customary fairies, magic and dancing.

An elderly actor, once an audience favorite, goes to a talent agency for work, but is told he is too old to be hired. Going home, he tells the bad news to his wife. They pawn most of their possessions, and end up begging on the streets. There they happen to come across a familiar face: a star performer, who rose to fame after getting valuable advice from the older actor. The star, finding his mentor impoverished, offers his home as a place to live.

Two hunters set out on safari with their African guide. They observe zebras, an ostrich, and a hippopotamus, capture a monkey, and camp for the night. After a lion kills their goat and horse, they shoot it by the water’s edge and later kill a second. The animals are skinned, and the hunters relax with cigarettes beside their trophies. (Note: Produced by Nordisk Film in 1907, Løvejagten gained notoriety because founder Ole Olsen purchased lions from Copenhagen Zoo, released them on an island, and filmed their killing. Supplemented with zoo footage to simulate Africa, the film caused public outrage yet drew huge audiences, establishing Nordisk’s reputation worldwide.)

Kinemacolor

A young boy's adventure takes him to the domain of the Genie of the Cathedral Bell, where he finds a fortune to enrich his family. The film is currently presumed lost.

Everyman Coupeau's attempts to stop drinking are routinely thwarted by the wicked and vengeful Virginie. Based on Zola's novel, Capellani's film is about the free fall of a group of working-class French folk into degradation and tragedy due to carelessness, jealousy, and alcohol abuse. At the time of its release, L'Assommoir was hugely successful.

After receiving a scolding for falling asleep on the job, Cupid is sent out in search of potential lovers to unite. While flying over a city, he finds a ballroom dance and identifies a likely couple. He is successful in getting them to meet, but many obstacles still stand in the way of Cupid achieving his goal for them.

Two rag-pickers enter their hovel with their bags of scraps. After a little preliminary comedy they set up a white sheet. One of the rag-pickers now takes a handful of scraps from the bag and throws them in confusion on the sheet. They immediately begin to dance and hop about on the white background and when they stop they have made a complete likeness of the King of England. The scraps are taken off and another handful thrown on, which in some manner resolve themselves into the likeness of the President of France.

Pretty Miss Chrysanthemum has but little to say as to the disposal of her heart, at least, such is the custom in Japan. Her parents attend to that for her. However, pretty little O Yama Sum had a will of her own, and casting tradition to the winds, insisted upon making her own choice. The Grand Daimio has long loved the pretty O Yama and presents himself before her mother in quest of her hand. His offer is scorned by O Yama, for she loves another, a low-born but worthy warrior.

Mack Sennett appears as a barbarian in this film produced by the Biograph Company.

Although it is very near Christmas, when everybody should rejoice, a sailor bound for a dangerous expedition takes leave of his wife, and the poor woman is seen following with dim eyes the departing ship, her heart apparently heavy with grief. After having cried and prayed on a cross, the grass-widow returns to the farm to resume her duties and takes a sack of wheat to the next mill. The miller, knowing of the sailor's departure, and finding the lass very agreeable and charming, after having seen to the wheat bag, gives his whole attention to the young woman, and he does not seem to mind very much the clumsy advances made by the workingman. They part after a rather excited confab, and have evidently made an appointment for the evening at the church, for it is a Christmas celebration. We follow the two young people in the chapel, then to a bonfire dance, and lastly we see them both driving away in a country cart.

A young couple are enjoying a romantic interlude in the young woman's home, when her father discovers them and angrily chases the young man out of the house. They thus decide to elope, and they make plans accordingly. But as they are leaving, a thief discovers their plans, and he decides to turn the situation to his own advantage.

Two noblemen fight over a lady.

It depicts the notorious criminal incident that had occured in Rio de Janeiro.

In a saloon in a Mexican border town, a group of cowboys, including a Mexican named Pedro, play poker. One man is discovered cheating, and is shot dead by Pedro, who is wounded as he attempts to escape. Pedro is followed home by the local sheriff, who proves the next victim of Pedro's quick temper and pistol. Pedro's wife, Juanita, is thrown into jail, but he manages to break her out. They head for the border, unaware that a posse is waiting for them.

There's a scene in a village, then there's a scene out in the wilderness with what appear to be gods, and a giant crab, and a giant frog... then there's another scene in the village... and that's it.

Two feuding houses are united with the marriage and eventual death of their children.

An actor tries to get to a show on time. Many mishaps along the way.

Some jubilant young men have decided to end their evening of pleasure by taking supper in a restaurant after having passed a few hours at a masquerade ball. When they have regaled themselves they order a Hungarian orchestra to come and play for them so that they may continue the joys of the dance. Unfortunately, one of the men conceives the idea of speaking to the serving woman at the counter. In his excitement, he seizes the counter and shoves it over, sending to the floor everything on it, including the glasses, plates, cups and saucers. They all fall and break with a terrific noise. The police, summoned by the proprietor, arrest the ringleaders and carry them off to the police station. During the hearing of their complaints, the two prisoners escape, one by the window, the other through the door. The police dart into the street during a snowstorm in pursuit.

On a warm and sunny summer's day, a mother and father take their young daughter Dollie on a riverside outing.

A Boer woman and her daughter are captured by Zulu warriors.

A nightmare, sketched out upon a living blackboard.

Pompeii 79AD, mere days before the Vesuvian eruption. Glaucus and Jone are in love with each other. Arbaces, the Egyptian High Priest, is determined to conquer Jone. Glaucus purchases Nydia, the blind and long-suffering slave. Nydia falls in love with Glaucus and asks Arbaces for his help. He gives her a potion to make Glaucus fall in love with her-- In fact, a poison which will cause violent insanity.

A woodsman leaves a hut followed by a woman with their baby. Nearby some men chop down a tree. The baby is left outside the hut, but an eagle flies away with it.

During the recent Olympic games, held in the city of Loudon. Pathe was granted sole rights to take pictures for the cinematograph of the national games, and the success with which they met in obtaining a clear view of the principal events can easily be judged by those who are fortunate enough to see this film. The first picture shows the grand stand, crowded to its capacity with thousands of enthusiastic fans. In the royal box is the King and Queen, who appear to take a lively interest in the different events. It is an inspiring scene to see the parade of athletes at the opening of the games as each country represented marches by the reviewing stand flying their national colors and saluting their majesties.

A chef comes into the kitchen and throws a lot of rags on the floor: he then casts a spell over them, and immediately they take the form of human beings, and dance a wild saraband around the place. After performing many unique tricks they disappear into space, and are replaced by a group of knives and forks, pans, kettles and spoons. (Moving Picture World)

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.

Mack Sennett appears as a Native American in this film produced by the Biograph Company.

A pumpkin vendor returns with her loaded car. Two pranksters overturn the car, and what follows is a truly hilarious and eventful pumpkin hunt. (Nouveautés Cinématographiques, February 3, 1908)

Two couples, one old and one young, have blind dates at the same meeting place. The arrival of the wrong people at different times makes a fun confusion.

An Italian adaptation of Shakespeare's play.

A rich merchant, Antonio is depressed for no good reason, until his good friend Bassanio comes to tell him how he's in love with Portia. Portia's father has died and left a very strange will: only the man that picks the correct casket out of three (silver, gold, and lead) can marry her. Bassanio, unfortunately, is strapped for cash with which to go wooing, and Antonio wants to help, so Antonio borrows the money from Shylock, the money-lender. But Shylock has been nursing a grudge against Antonio's insults, and makes unusual terms to the loan. And when Antonio's business fails, those terms threaten his life, and it's up to Bassanio and Portia to save him.

Mack Sennett appears as a charity worker in this film produced by the Biograph Company.

This is not only a colored film of great beauty, but one showing a series of clever trick pictures in which great ingenuity on the part of the operator is exhibited.

At a political club, the members debate whose bust will replace that of Theodore Roosevelt. Unable to agree, each goes to a sculptor's studio and bribes him to sculpt a bust of the individual favorite. Instead, the sculptor spends their fees on a dinner with his model during which he becomes so inebriated that he is taken to jail. There he has a nightmare, wherein three busts are created and animated from clay (through stop-motion photography) in the likenesses of Democrat William Jennings Bryan and Republicans Charles W. Fairbanks and William Howard Taft. Finally an animated bust of Roosevelt appears.

The first cinematic depiction of Jesse James

A handful of short tales of love, framed by leaf masks.

1908 French silent comedy film directed by Georges Méliès, which is currently presumed lost.

A short documentary about industrial whaling. The surviving footage runs for approximately 12 minutes.