Early British Films from the Filmoteca de Catalunya 1897-1909

Early British Films from the Filmoteca de Catalunya 1897-1909

2023 · 59 min · Documentary, Comedy

A collection of early British Films from the Filmoteca de Catalunya. Films include: Brighton Seagoing Electric Car (1897), The Inexhaustible Cab (1899), From Dalmeny to Dunfermline, Scotland via the Firth of Forth Bridge (series) (1899), Review of Lord George Sanger's Circus by the Queen (series) (1899), Sanger Circus Passing Through Inverness (1900), The “Poly” Paper Chase (1900), The Wintry Alps (series) (1903), An Affair of Honor (1904), Perzina's Troupe of Educated Monkeys (1904), Elephants Bathing in Ceylon River (1904), [Drill of the Reedham Orphans] (c.1904–1912), Venice and the Grand Canal (1901?/1904?), Edge's Motor Boat. The Napier Minor (1904), Fixing the Swing (1904), Eccentric Burglary (1905), Her Morning Dip (1906), Automobile Fête Before King Alfonso and Princess Ena (1906), The Royal Spanish Wedding (series) (1906), Lace Making (1908), The Robber's Ruse, or Foiled by Fido (1909).

Directed by George Albert Smith

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Early British Films from the Filmoteca de Catalunya 1897-1909

Santa Claus

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Animated Doll and Toy Town Circus

Animated Doll and Toy Town Circus · 1912

Animated Doll and Toy Town Circus

An early experiment in bringing colour to animation sees a bubble-blowing doll, a toy circus and a stubborn donkey revelling in two-tone glory.

Photograph Taken From An Area Window

Photograph Taken From An Area Window · 1901

Photograph Taken From An Area Window

Close view of legs and feet passing a basement window.

Santa Claus

Santa Claus · 1898

MovieFamilyFantasy

Santa arrives at a house on Christmas Eve to deliver his presents for the children.

Grandma's Reading Glass

Grandma's Reading Glass · 1900

Grandma's Reading Glass

A child borrows his grandmother's magnifying glass to look at a newspaper ad for Bovril, at a watch, and then at a bird. The child shows grandma what he is doing. The child looks next at grandma's eye, then at a kitten.

Old London Street Scenes

Old London Street Scenes · 1903

Old London Street Scenes

MovieDocumentary

London street scenes, showing varieties of horse-drawn traffic. Views of Parliament Square, Charing Cross, Pall Mall, the Royal Exchange and others.

The Kiss in the Tunnel

The Kiss in the Tunnel · 1899

The Kiss in the Tunnel

MovieComedyRomance

Produced and directed by George Albert Smith, the film shows a couple sharing a brief kiss as their train passes through a tunnel. The Kiss in the Tunnel is said to mark the beginnings of narrative editing. It is in fact, two films in one, hence the 2 min length. Firstly, the G.A. Smith film here for the central cheeky scene in the carriage. The train view footage however is Cecil Hepworth's work, entitled 'View From An Engine Front - Shilla Mill Tunnel', edited into two halves in order to provide a visual narrative of the train entering the tunnel before the kiss and then leaving afterwards. More information about the filming of the phantom train ride can be found searching for the Hepworth film separately.

Mary Jane's Mishap

Mary Jane's Mishap · 1903

Mary Jane's Mishap

Mary Jane tries to light the oven. When she's unsuccessful, she plays around, getting black boot polish on her face. She mugs before a mirror. Then, it's back to work. When the stove still won't light, she pours in paraffin, winks at the camera, and lights a match. Kaboom! Is there any rest for the foolish, even in the grave?

Let Me Dream Again

Let Me Dream Again · 1900

Let Me Dream Again

MovieRomanceComedy

Possibly the first film to utilize the technique of focus pulling. A man kisses a beautiful and lively woman, then the image blurs and dissolves into a clear image of the man waking up to his nagging wife.

Cinderella

Cinderella · 1898

An adaptation of the folk tale.

The Sick Kitten

The Sick Kitten · 1903

The Sick Kitten

A simple scene of two rather flamboyantly-dressed Edwardian children attempting to feed a spoonful of medicine to a sick kitten. The film is important for being one of the earliest films to cut to a close-up, then back again to the same medium shot as before.

The X-Ray Fiend

The X-Ray Fiend · 1897

The X-Ray Fiend

MovieComedyHorror

A romantic couple are transformed into skeletons via X-Rays. The film combines two very recent innovations: Wilhelm Roentgen's discovery of X-rays in 1895, and Georges Méliès' accidental realisation of the special-effects potential of the jump-cut in 1896.

As Seen Through a Telescope

As Seen Through a Telescope · 1900

As Seen Through a Telescope

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 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 do now?

Train Entering Hove Station

Train Entering Hove Station · 1897

Train Entering Hove Station

MovieDocumentaryHistory

Most movie fans know that the first filmmakers liked to shoot trains entering stations. This example by Sussex film pioneer George Albert Smith illustrates why. The train's rush towards the audience brings movement and visual drama. The flurry of human activity offers plenty for the audience to engage with - who are these people and where are they going? And the time pressure exerted by the fact that the train must soon depart adds narrative tension - will everyone get on and off in time?

Comic Face

Comic Face · 1897

An old man gets progressively livelier - and drunker - as he downs his bottle of beer. Finally, he cocks a snook - and doesn't bother to uncock it as he continues to drink.

Two Clowns

Two Clowns · 1906

A male and female clown drink, smoke, and flirt in this early Kinemacolor short.

The House That Jack Built

The House That Jack Built · 1900

The House That Jack Built

A cleverly conceived picture of a little boy and girl with building blocks. The little girl has erected a pretty structure, which the boy proceeds to demolish with pokes of his fingers. When the demolition of the house is completed, the film is shown in reverse, and the little building comes back to its original form in a most marvellous manner.

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