Tchin-Chao, the Chinese Conjurer

Tchin-Chao, the Chinese Conjurer 1904

4.80

A Chinese conjurer stands next to a table, it becomes two tables. A fan becomes a parasol, lanterns appear and disappear. The conjurer spins the open parasol in front of himself, and a dog leaps out from behind it. The dog becomes a woman, then a masked man appears. The conjurer sits them each on a box a few feet apart: suddenly the woman and man have changed places. The disappearing and the transfers continue in front of a simple backdrop.

1904

The Mermaid

The Mermaid 1904

5.60

A magician conjures up a mermaid while fishing.

1904

A Nightmare

A Nightmare 1896

6.00

A man has a fantastical nightmare involving, among other things, a grinning malevolent moon.

1896

An Up-to-Date Conjurer

An Up-to-Date Conjurer 1899

6.30

A film from Méliès has him playing a magician who does a few tricks including making a woman disappear.

1899

Jupiter's Thunderballs

Jupiter's Thunderballs 1903

5.20

With godly entrapments, Zeus appears on the horizon, engages Hermes as an audience, and tries to throw some thunderbolts. They fizzle. Hephaestus tries to make some repairs but succeeds only in heating the bolts and burning Zeus's hands. Zeus conjures nine muses, but do their incantations help? He dismisses them as well as a visiting Pan, and his fits of pique become counter-productive. Can he get his powers back?

1903

The Clockmaker's Dream

The Clockmaker's Dream 1904

5.00

A weary clock-maker dozes off in a chair. While he is asleep, three women suddenly appear in the midst of his shop. They proceed to show the sleeping clock-maker some new kinds of clocks that they know how to make.

1904

Burning of the Red Lotus Monastery

Burning of the Red Lotus Monastery 1928

1

After being defeated in a fight by a local gang, local official Lu Fengyang sends his weak and sickly son Lu Xiaoqing to study with a master of the Kunlun school of martial arts. Recovered and strong, he comes upon the Red Lotus Temple, and puts up there for the night. Unable to sleep, he begins looking around the palatial temple, and discovers a room decorated with many images of Buddhist demons, and an altar to worship them... Purposely destroyed serial film whose 19 full length chapters (averaging 86 minutes each) originally ran 27 hours in length.

1928

The One-Man Band

The One-Man Band 1900

6.75

A band-leader has arranged seven chairs for the members of his band. When he sits down in the first chair, a cymbal player appears in the same chair, then rises and sits in the next chair. As the cymbal player sits down, a drummer appears in the second chair, and then likewise moves on to the third chair. In this way, an entire band is soon formed, and is then ready to perform.

1900

The Monster

The Monster 1903

5.88

An Egyptian prince has lost his beloved wife and he has sought a dervish who dwells at the base of the sphinx.

1903

The Magic Book

The Magic Book 1900

6.20

Characters from a large magic book come to life.

1900

Tunneling the English Channel

Tunneling the English Channel 1907

6.30

The plot follows King Edward VII and President Armand Fallières dreaming of building a tunnel under the English Channel.

1907

A Terrible Night

A Terrible Night 1896

5.10

A man tries to get a good night's sleep, but is disturbed by a giant spider that leaps onto his bed, and a battle ensues in hilarious comic fashion.

1896

Faust and Marguerite

Faust and Marguerite 1904

4.90

Melies second attempt at telling the story of Faust. This time out Faust and his love Marguerite are sentenced to Hell where they are showed the torture that awaits.

1904

The Temptation of St. Anthony

The Temptation of St. Anthony 1898

5.80

St. Anthony is tempted by visions of women, including one that is transformed from the image of Jesus Christ Himself!

1898