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- Here is a picture that is extremely laughable. An old man is indulging in a dream, which dream is demonstrated in the picture. It shows him in a restaurant partaking of a sumptuous meal and a bottle of wine with a soubrette. There is a sudden awakening, however, and in an apparently disgusted mood, he finds himself in his own bed and his wife endeavoring to induce him to get up and build the fire.
- The execution of Topsy, a female elephant, in a publicity stunt advertising the opening of Luna Park on Coney Island. Topsy was originally owned by Forepaugh Circus where she killed a drunken spectator who burned the tip of her trunk with a cigar. She was sold to Sea Lion Park in 1902 which was then sold to new owners who turned it into Luna Park. After they decided they could no longer handle her, the owners of Luna Park announced they would hang Topsy, leading to an outcry by the ASPCA. The owners then decided they would electrocute the elephant, with a backup plan of feeding her cyanide-laced carrots and strangling her with a cable.
- Much to our amazement, an elegant and masterful illusionist detaches his own head effortlessly from his shoulders for a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
- A fireman rushes into a carriage to rescue a woman from a house fire. He breaks the windowpanes and carries the woman to safety; after dangerous and uncertain moments he also saves the woman's son.
- A man, objecting to being filmed, comes closer and closer to the camera lens until his mouth is all we see. Then he opens wide and swallows camera and cinematographer. He steps back, chews, and grins.
- A woman being fitted for shoes exposes her ankle to the shoe clerk, who is intrigued. He kisses her, but her chaperone hits him with her umbrella.
- Porter's sequential continuity editing links several shots to form a narrative of the famous fairy tale story of Jack and his magic beanstalk. Borrowing on cinematographic methods reminiscent of 'Georges Melies', Porter uses animation, double exposure, and trick photography to illustrate the fairy's apparitions, Jack's dream, and the fast growing beanstalk.
- In front of a flour mill, two men fight. One is the miller, and he's swinging a bag of flour in the scuffle. The other is a chimney sweep, and he's swinging what may be a bag of flour, but when it breaks open, it's clearly something else. Well into the havoc, spectators gather and give chase to the flour-covered sweep and the "well-sooted" miller.
- A great feature of the Pan-American Exposition, as unanimously conceded by all visitors, was the electric illumination of the Exposition grounds at night. After a great deal of experimenting and patience, we succeeded in securing an excellent picture of the buildings at the Pan-American as they appeared when lighted up at night. All the buildings from the Temple of Music to the Electric Tower are shown, including the Electric Tower itself. The emotional and sensational effects were also secured by starting the panoramic view by daylight and revolving the camera until the Electric Tower forms the center of the field of the lens. Our camera was then stopped and the position held until night, when we photographed the coming up of the lights, an event which was deemed by all to be a great emotional climax to the Pan-American Exposition. Immediately the lights are burning to their fullest brilliancy, the camera is againt set in motion and revolved until the Temple of Music is reached. The motion is then reversed and the camera goes back until it rests on the Electric Tower, thus supplying the climax to the picture. The great searchlights of the Tower are being worked during the entire time the picture is being exposed, and the effect is startling. This picture is pronounced by the photographic profession to be a marvel of photography.
- A vignette of a barroom/liquor-store in the West, no plot per se. However this short is usually regarded as the first "Western" in the sense that it depicts a western scene.
- An elderly gentleman in a silk hat sits on a stool in front of a store on the main street of town. He has a telescope that he focuses on the ankle of a young woman who is a short distance away. Her husband catches the gent looking. What will the two men now do?
- Marguerite is seated before the fireplace, Faust standing by her side. Mephistopheles enters and offers his sword to Faust, commanding him to behead the fair Marguerite. Faust refuses, whereupon Mephistopheles draws the sword across the throat of the lady and she suddenly disappears and Faust is seated in her place.
- A winner and sure to please. In front of one of the largest newspaper offices is a hot air shaft through which immense volumes of air are forced by a blower. Ladies in crossing this shaft often have their clothes slightly disarranged. A young man is escorting a young lady and talking very earnestly. They walk slowly along until they stand directly over the air shaft. The young lady's skirts are suddenly raised to an almost unreasonable height, greatly to her horror and much to the amusement of the newsboys, bootblacks, and passersby.
- The entire story of Christmastide is here depicted. The scene opens in a large boudoir of an apparently wealthy man's home. His children, assisted by their governess, are about to retire. Before lying down they hang up their stockings on the edge of the bed. The picture changes and night appears. We see the housetops of the town and angels are flying about depositing packages in each of the chimneys. Santa Claus is also busy and furnishes our little friends with numerous presents. Again a change in the picture and we see the corridor of the old village church. The sexton, an old grey haired man, stands by, while a number of lusty boys pull the rope attached to the great bell in the belfry. The bell tolling in the steeple bursts into view, after which the interior of the church is seen with the full choir accompanied by the organist and choir boys singing the Christmas hymn. Another change and the boudoir is again before us and the children are looking over their presents while their parents are receiving the congratulations of their friends who have come to visit them. The picture changes into that of the great dining hall with the guests sitting around the table and the beggar is brought in and given a place at the table. The conclusion of this beautiful subject is a pretty tableau. We cannot speak too highly of the dissolving effects of this film. One picture dissolves into the other and thus the story is continuous from beginning to the end. Artistically beautiful.
- 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.
- "The Reading's [Pennsylvania] pitcher has just let a Newark [New Jersey] batsman walk to first. Our camera is stationed about twenty feet from the bag, and the satisfied grin of the runner is great as he touches first and gets up on his toes for second. Next man cracks first ball pitched for a two-bagger, and races for the base with a wonderful burst of speed. First baseman just misses a put out. Very exciting. Man on the coaching line yells, and umpire runs up and makes decision. Small boy runs past back of the catcher close to the grand stand, where there is great commotion. A most excellent subject, treated brilliantly."
- An ancient tower, in which is seated the magician, occupies the centre of the stage. On either side of the tower is a statue. The magician waves his hands and the tower and both statues disappear. He then removes his coat and seats himself upon a chair. On one side of the chair, two figures, each an exact counterpart of himself, appear. On the other side a third figure, also an exact counterpart of himself, appears. The figures then run up the wall, one of them balancing itself upon the head of the magician, and the others stand on their heads in the palms of his hands. The figures are then turned into flags, which the magician waves and throws aside as he makes his exit.
- "The picture shows the Devil working at a fire. Two cavaliers appear, and the Devil takes the form of a seer, old, bent and wrinkled. Then he disappears in a cloud of smoke, to reappear shortly as a ghost, whose head comes off and floats around the room. Suddenly the table gets up of itself, and flies up the chimney. All sorts of wonderful things happen. A cannon takes the place occupied by the table, and belches forth flame and smoke. A large cage appears mysteriously in the center of the room, through the bars of which the Devil passes as if it were an open door. By his magic, he makes the cavalier pass through the bars in the same wonderful fashion. Everything is so weird and fantastic, that such a small trifle as a man turning into a donkey excites but passing notice."
- Right in front of our very eyes, two attractive and feminine women metamorphose into two professional wrestlers who begin a no-holds-barred wrestling match.
- One of the most realistic train pictures ever offered. Taken on the Auburn division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, and shows one of the company's largest rotary snowplows, propelled by three powerful engines, plowing through an immense drift of snow.
- An old proprietor is startled by the sudden appearance of a skull. Just as he draws back from the uncanny object, the doors of a mediaeval wardrobe fly back and a hand prods him with a sword. He turns to confront his assailant when it vanishes, and at the same instant the skull flies to the other end of the room. He clutches at the skull, when it turns into the half form of a girl from the waist up, suspended in mid-air. As he gazes in amusement, the other half of the girl, fully dressed from her waist down, walks across the room, and the two halves of the figure join, making a girl complete. In an amorous fashion the old man folds his arms around the girl's waist with the intention of stealing a kiss, but the girl immediately changes into an old woman, who grins in evident delight at the old man's discomfort. In great anger he throws her into the wardrobe and locks the door. Unseen by him, the woman has again become a girl. A great effect is here produced. Through the doors, which are solid and closed, the form of the girl appears through the woodwork. Hastily opening the door, the old man is then confronted by an Egyptian mummy. Other strange things happen. As the pawnbroker flies from the room a large and grotesque head arises from the smoke and slowly advances toward the spectators. Larger and larger the head grows until it fills the entire picture, and appears as though it would swallow the whole audience. A most laughable and mystifying scene.
- The conjurer appears at a blackboard and shows the head of a knight on it. He seizes the picture of the head, removes it from the blackboard, and it turns into life and bows and smiles apparently with a body being attached to it. The conjurer then seizes a sword and runs it completely through the head, entering at the neck and going right through the top of the skull. He then takes the head and places it upon a camera, which is mounted upon a tripod; then throwing a cloak around the legs of the tripod, the young lady to whom the head belongs appears instantly the cloak is removed, with head properly attached to her body. The conjurer then runs toward a door which stands in the middle of the wall, and making a jump in the air, vanishes into space.
- One of the principal features at the Pan-American Exposition is the Alaskan or Esquimaux Village. In this most interesting exhibit, scenes are enacted just as they take place in the far away frozen North. In this subject we depict a large number of Esquimaux clothed in their native costumes and seated on their sleds, which are drawn by spans of four Esquimaux dogs. They are engaged in a race and are to be seen running over the ice and snow at a high rate of speed. There is a pond in the foreground of the picture, on the shores of which the home stretch of the race takes place. The picture is perfect photographically, and the figures stand out clear and sharp, throwing a most perfect reflection on the pond.
- The Whole Dam Family and The Dam Dog is a popular fad which has been widely advertised by lithographs and souvenir mailing cards, and has recently been made the subject of a sketch in a New York Vaudeville Theatre. The Edison Manufacturing Co., with their usual up-to-date methods, have illustrated this popular subject in a most novel and original way in Motion Pictures. The picture opens with a close view of the individual members of the family. Each goes through a very amusing performance. Mr. I.B. Dam is seized with a severe fit of sneezing. Herself relieves her mind through woman's sole weapon. Jimmy Dam shows how a cigarette should be smoked. Miss U.B. Dam is very proud of the marcel wave in her hair. Annie Dam, in a large picture hat, tries to look very shy and demure. Lizzie Dam chews gum in a most artistic manner. Baby Dam gives a sample of his ability at crying. A family group is seated at dinner, with the Dam Dog seated at the head of the table. Mr. I.B. Dam enters and kicks the Dam Dog out of the chair. The Dam Dog waits until the soup has been served, and then returns and drags the table cloth and all the dishes on to the floor. The final scene is most amusing. Different portions of the Dam Dog's body appear from all directions. They finally arrange themselves in shape, showing a dilapidated looking cur sitting up on his haunches. Presently his tail joins his body by piecemeal, the end having two tin cans tied to it. The tail and tin cans begin to wag in a most comical way. The picture has made the biggest kind of a hit, and is one of the best humorous pictures ever offered.
- On the roof of an ancient palace appear a young Knight and his lady. While they are making love an ugly old witch appears and is rather troublesome. The Knight commands her to leave, and when he is about to force her away she sits on her broom and rises to the moon. After disappearing she causes various hob-goblins to haunt the pair, the last of them stealing away the lady while the Knight's back is turned. The Knight, frantic with grief, is suddenly confronted by a Fairy, who presents him with a magical sword, and tells him that he can use it to regain the young woman.
- Atop a wonderful central pedestal, a happy clown puts the finishing touches on a William Tell's incomplete model, assembling the mannequin limb by limb with the intention of shooting a target off of its head with a potent crossbow.
- Two enterprising Dutchmen are at work at their sausage mill. A constant stream of boys and men are coming into the sausage factory and depositing with the butchers, dogs, cats and various other animals, which are thrown into the sausage machine by one of the Dutchmen, while the other turns the handle, and grinds out yard after yard of finished sausage. A Chinaman finally appears with a dog and cat for sale. The Chinaman becomes curious about the inside workings of the machine, and stands leaning over the mechanism. The Dutchmen slip around behind John and tip him head foremost into the machine. They then proceed to grind him up, and out comes a long string of rats instead of sausages. This forms a very ludicrous finish to the picture, which is one of our most laughable comic subjects.
- A thief jumps a fence and removes the shutter from a house. He enters, but a lad who's witnessed the crime runs off to hail the coppers.
- "Shows a group of sailors and an officer at the stern. The flag runs out in a ball to the end of the staff, and, at the signal, is broken. Proudly the stars and stripes wave in the morning breeze, while the officer salutes. A very pretty picture of man-o-war life."
- Women natives of the Danish West Indies are coaling ship with baskets of coal which they carry on their heads. They walk up a long gang plank and dump their loads into a coal chute on the side of the ship. Taken very close and shows the women to good advantage. (Taken on the midwinter cruise of the S.S. "Prinzessin Victoria Luise" of the Hamburg-American Line.)
- "This film is remarkable in several respects. In the first place, it is full life-size. Secondly, it is the only accurate recent portrait of the great inventor. The scene is an actual one, showing Mr. Edison in working dress engaged in an interesting chemical experiment in his great Laboratory. There is sufficient movement to lead the spectator through the several processes of mixing, pouring, testing, etc. as if he were side by side with the principal. The lights and shadows are vivid, and the apparatus and other accessories complete a startling picture that will appeal to every beholder."
- A woman riding a train must contend with the unwelcome advances of a male passenger.
- A spectacular performance, in twelve tableaux, of the most popular and best known fairy tale in history. From this most simple tale we have produced a play that is both pleasing and amusing to young and old, introducing as we do many surprising tricks and dissolving effects. We have followed as near as possible the tale of Perrault, which is well known to all, and which has been translated into all languages. We have, on account of the peculiar effects that must be introduced in animated pictures, arranged it also with humorous features, without which it would not have been so highly interesting and pleasing as a motion picture demonstration of the fairy tale. The story itself is doubtless familiar to many of our customers, and we will, therefore, not attempt to describe it in our catalogue matter, except to state that it is composed of the finest trick and dissolving effects ever introduced, and that the action is replete from start to finish with humorous, emotional and spectacular situations.
- The picture opens with the Sultan lying down to rest on his luxurious cushioned couch. The scene changes to the grounds around the palace. An odd-looking tree appears in the foreground and turns into a hobgoblin, which shakes its arms at the Sultan. The Sultan seizes his sword and stabs at the feirce looking object, when it turns into Mephistopheles, who seizes the Sultan and places him on a scaffold, and just as they are about to dispatch him, the dream ends; and he finds himself once more on his comfortable couch. Very marvelous mystical changes from start to finish.
- "The umpire makes a decision that Casey doesn't like, and an argument follows, during which Casey deftly trips him up, and continues the argument on the ground. The other players run from the bench and join in the rumpus. The fielders come running in and the pile on the home plate looks like a foot ball scrimmage. A solemn warning to all rotten umpires."
- One of the prettiest pictures of child life we have yet offered. Two pretty children are seated in their high chairs playing "Tea Party" with their dishes arranged about them. They become engaged in a dispute over the possession of a piece of cake and one of them cries, giving the most perfect and child-like facial expressions we have yet had the pleasure of seeing.
- "Down goes the Spanish flag, and up floats the Stars and Stripes. Down falls the symbol of tyranny and oppression that has ruled in the new world for four hundred years, and up goes the Banner of Freedom. In the distance are the turrets and battlements of Morro, the last foothold of Spain in America."
- An American tourist has a terrible ordeal on his European vacation.
- "An excellent view of 'The Finest,' on their annual parade and inspection, June 1, 1899. The head of the column is just turning into 14th street from Broadway, the Morton House forming part of the background. Crowds line both sides of the cable car tracks, falling back as the band heading the first division swings around Dead Man's Curve, and passes the camera. Chief Devery makes a fine showing; as also do his men, with their white gloves and helmets, shining buttons and spick and span appearance in general."
- A perfect likeness of a pretty little Japanese girl engaged in a national dissipation, that of cigarette smoking. The picture is very amusing, as the young lady puffs the cigarette smoke and goes through a number of attractive facial expressions.
- Shows a garden wall in the background. Two lovers appear and lean over the garden gate where the moon throws a shadow upon the ground. The young man invites the young lady to a settee, when the moon's face brightens into a very pronounced grin. As the pair begin love making, the moon winks one eye and then the other, and, finally, as the lovers become more interested, the moon comes down from the sky with a grin on his face as large as an old-fashioned apple pie. When the couple discover the moon so close to them, the young lady faints in the arms of her escort. Highly amusing from start to finish.
- On the night of November 15, 1901, James J. Jeffries, of Los Angeles, California, and Gus Ruhlin, of Akron, Ohio, engaged in a sparring contest in the ring of the Twentieth Century Athletic Club, at Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco. By special arrangements with the promoters of the contest, Messrs. J.C. Kennedy, Wm. Madden and Wm. Delaney, our cameras were on hand, and we secured authentic pictures of the contest. In order to record these pictures, it was necessary to specially equip the building with a large number of arc lights. To this end no expense was spared, and when the fighters entered the ring it was illuminated with 300,00 candle-power of light. Thus we are able to present to our customers, not imitation or fake pictures of the contest, but the actual exhibition just as it took place, with the audience assembled. The pictures that were secured show every movement in the contest, from the time Jeffries entered the ring until he left it a victor in the 5th round.
- A brief vaudeville-style demonstration of a "Dog Transformator," a machine that instantly turns dogs into sausages, and amazingly, sausages back into dogs.
- "He sits asleep at a bare table; old witch enters, raps three times, then disappears; cavalier sees table spread for a sumptuous repast. Mephistopheles appears; then the old witch, who suddenly changes to a beautiful young girl. The changes and magical appearances are startling and instantaneous."
- An up to date idea and a great picture. The professor sits in his laboratory with his newly invented baby incubator. A mother who is anxious for the growth of her child enters, places her baby in care of the professor, who promptly places it in the incubator. An alcohol lamp is lighted under the apparatus, but the professor evidently gets his machine too hot, for in a few seconds the top is opened and the baby taken out. To the great anger of its mother it has grown about two feet in height and has long hair and a full beard.
- An old maid is walking about the studio while the photographer is getting his camera ready. She first looks at a hanger, which immediately falls from the wall, not being able to stand her gaze. Then she looks at the clock, and her face causes it to fall to the floor with a crash. She then walks over to the mirror, which suddenly cracks in several places. The photographer then poses her. Just as he is to press the button the camera explodes with a great puff of smoke, completely destroying the camera and demolishing the studio. The picture finishes up with the old maid tipping back in her chair and losing her balance, displaying a large quantity of fancy lace goods. A sure winner.
- "A close view of an eighty-footer, schooner rigged, trim as a private yacht, skimming over the waters of the harbor, near Robins' Reef, which picturesque light house is seen in the near background. A steamer decked with bunting also passed by at close range."
- "This picture shows the Columbia crossing the line, leading the Shamrock by about 1/2 mile. The Shamrock is plainly seen in the distance and she later comes up and crosses the line in the same picture."
- A man and his wife are seated at a table in their happy New Jersey home. A huge mosquito appears and buzzes about their heads. The man seizes a broom handle, making a smash at the singing insect. He misses it, hitting his wife a stinging blow that knocks her to the floor. Then they combine their efforts to kill the terrible insect. As they miss the mosquito each time they make a blow, the weapons used hit something else in the room. Pictures, mirrors and other household effects of this kind are quickly demolished. The man then stands upon the table and endeavors to catch it. His wife strikes at it, but hits her husband instead, knocking his feet from under him, smashing the table through which he falls. The woman finally wounds the mosquito, and as it falls to the floor, the man jumps on it, when a terrific explosion takes place, great clouds of malarial gas escaping and wrecking the room. This is a side splitter and will keep any audience in roars of laughter.
- We here present what we believe to be one of the most perfect pieces of animated photography ever made. The steamer Corona is seen approaching for a distance of about one-half mile down the St. Lawrence River. Smoke is pouring from her funnels and she comes up to the wharf under full steam, approaching our camera within a distance of about 25 feet. The gangplank is then run out and the Duke and Duchess step ashore, followed by hundreds of tourists and passengers of all descriptions. An immense crowd is congregated on the wharf to await the arrival of the Duke and Duchess, and they depart amid cheering and waving of hats and handkerchiefs. The scene ends by showing the special trolley car which conveyed the Duke and Duchess to Niagara Falls departing from the wharf. The car is followed by an immense crowd of men and boys. This picture is so perfect photographically that the heavy clouds which invariable hang over Niagara Falls are plainly discernable as they move against the sky.