Japanese Varieties

A group of naughty boys steal a bird's nest and are pursued by game wardens.

A couple performs the Ruffian's Dance.

A prestidigitator, one of the best, is about to perform a number of illusions and brings to his aid a pack of playing cards. He selects the King of Spades, endows him with life and seats him at the table with himself, and they proceed to play a game of cards. The King of Spades shows a disposition to be ugly and is immediately squelched. This is a remarkably good picture, interesting from start to finish.

Short film showcasing a circus clown act.

A boy is put to bed by his mother, but when she leaves the room, he pulls out a book. Dropping off to sleep, he begins to dream. The wall behind him transforms into a screen, with a portrait of Jules Verne. The boy imagines the starry night sky, with comets shooting by. The gondola of a balloon parks outside his window. He climbs aboard, ascending over a skyline and harbor.

An entomologist guilty of trying to capture rare insects is condemned to be pinned on a giant cork.

An old astronomer has been transfixed by a star for a long time. He had but one thought: to travel to it, to declare his love for it! But how? A simple but ingenious solution-- A giant bubble. Velle remade the film for Italian studio Cines in the same year.

As soon as his back is turned, Columbine is making out with Harlequin. So when he catches them at it, Gaston Séverin as Pierrot strikes her as Harlequin flees. Of course, he's terribly sorry when he thinks she's dead, and drinks.

Little Bob stages his mechanical toys in a series of charming performances.

We see busy bees flying around the hive. Suddenly a dancer appears on the scene, and we enjoy a dance, executed by six dancers. The Queen gets tired, and while resting, a large spider tries to catch her, but her friends rescue her.

A fairly venturesome piece of filmmaking for the era: Based on the Jules Verne story, the film utilizes a dozen cuts, irised lenses, panning shots and vivid tints to weave an intrepid and exciting story.

A man hides his valuables under his mattress before going to sleep, blissfully unaware of the two burglars on his roof.

This has more of a clear narrative than most of the films in the set although it’s still quite odd and random compared to today’s films. There are some effectively surreal and creepy sequences in this imaginative short, such as the devil’s face appearing in an egg and spewing coins as well as the finale where our protagonist is sent to an egg-filled hell.

A magician and some assistants put up a series of posters of music hall acts in a frame. Then the magician brings each poster to life.

A little flower film by Gaston Velle.

A magician shows tricks with money.