J'accuse

J'accuse 1919

7.47

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.

1919

The Siren

The Siren 1913

1.00

La Glu tells the story of a woman, separated from her husband, and of evil reputation, who at a summer resort tries to capture the fortune of a wealthy aristocrat whose nephew had been in love with her, and is herself caught in the toils of her interest in a poor and primitive Breton lobster-fisherman. His simple soul discovering the past career and the heartlessness of the Parisian woman, in despair he tries to kill himself by throwing him-self on the rocks. When the Glu, the name given to the woman in question, tries to see the youth, his mother kills her with a mallet on the steps leading to the room of the invalid.

1913

Barcelona and Its Park

Barcelona and Its Park 1911

3.00

Short movie on Barcelona's "Citadel Park" produced by Segundo de Chomón for Pathé Frères. Directed and filmed by Segundo de Chomón.

1911

Perdue

Perdue 1919

1

For some, misfortune does not need the test of time. It is the case of three-year-old Marcelle Monfort who sees her mother die suddenly in a public garden while her ruined father is on his way to America. Taken in by Madame Jalin, a washerwoman, Marcelle grows up enduring the jealousy of Louise, Madame Jalin's daughter. Having had enough of the situation Marcelle leaves home and soon gets ill. Fortunately, she benefits for a time from Mademoiselle de Beaurenon's compassionate support. But her troubles are not over yet, for her benefactor dies and she is kicked out of home by the good lady's greedy relatives who think they are her heirs. Rose, the old domestic, takes care of Marcelle until, at long last, luck takes a turn for the better. Not only does her father come back from the USA but Madame de Beaurenon also leaves her all her assets.

1919

Cinderella

Cinderella 1907

5.40

This is a compact telling of the Cinderella fairy tale and the film is elaborately staged.

1907

La momie

La momie 1911

1

A young English lord, who has been excavating in Egypt, finds a mummy of a beautiful Egyptian princess, more than 5,000 years old. So well has the Egyptian embalmer done his work that the face is perfect in all its beauty, and the susceptible young man falls deeply in love with this belle of old Egypt, takes the mummy home to his estate in England and there it occupies his whole mind, to the exclusion of all else. Even the proposed visit of a beautiful American girl does not arouse his interest.

1911

Bread for the Birds

Bread for the Birds 1911

4.00

Like Max Ophüls, Capellani set many films in the theatre – backstage, on stage, in the public eye; Here is a rags-to-riches story of a dancer and her older benefactor, a kind-hearted piano tutor.

1911

Max Skiing

Max Skiing 1910

5.00

In a snowy Alpine district Max takes his first lessons in the art of skiing. He leaves the hotel with his skis fixed to his shoes, and his efforts and contortions to get through the door of his room are absurdly ludicrous. Finally he manages to get out and we see him making frantic efforts to maintain his equilibrium on the fairly gentle slope.

1910

L'Assommoir

L'Assommoir 1908

5.60

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.

1908

Faust

Faust 1911

5.80

Dr Faust is continually obsessed with his quest for knowledge and absolute pleasure. One day, the demon Mephistopheles appears to him in his study in human guise and offers him a deal: a lifetime of total pleasure in exchange for the life of his fiancée Margaret. Faust accepts but is soon forced to realise the impossibility of crossing the boundaries of knowledge and the limits imposed by God.

1911

The Electric Hotel

The Electric Hotel 1908

6.15

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

1908

Max Makes a Touch

Max Makes a Touch 1910

5.50

Max and Mick, two brothers, have prepared for a merry spree and are actually stepping into their cab when it occurs to them they are penniless. Lots are drawn to see who shall beard stern father and make the necessary touch. The choice falls on Max who is far from successful in his mission, and he communicates the bad news to his brother Mick, who after thinking announces that he has an idea.

1910

The Informant Hair

The Informant Hair 1911

4.70

In Le cheveu délateur, a magician discovers the real identity of another character by the movement of a single hair, that, once animated, gives life to a story.

1911

The Bewitched House

The Bewitched House 1907

6.50

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.

1907

Don Juan

Don Juan 1908

5.00

Pathé's version of José Zorrilla's play, Don Juan Tenorio.

1908

A Slave's Love

A Slave's Love 1907

5.00

A noble Roman, bored with his life, sees a slave dance and they fall in love. Before they can consummate their passion, his wife has the slave killed and he drinks the same poison as she.

1907