The Empress

A 3 Part Collection of More Than 75 Early Films by Alice Guy, Louis Feuillade and Léonce Perret. The invention of cinema—and its growth into a sophisticated art form—are vividly brought to life in this massive collection of films from the early years of the influential Gaumont Film Company. Each disc is devoted to one of Gaumont’s artistic directors, who oversaw all film production at the studio, and profoundly influenced not only the identity of the studio but also the evolution of the cinema itself.

While visiting a small village, popular young artist Robert Williams meets innocent country girl Helen Sanderson and, enchanted by her beauty, induces the girl to pose for him. An attraction develops between them, but just as the portrait is completed, Robert is called back to the city. Helen fails to hear from him again and Robert's neglect draws her to the city, where she is sent to a reformatory on a false charge. Once released, she begs Judge Princeton for help and, feeling sorry for the unfortunate girl, he introduces her to playwright George Wendbourg, who adopts Helen and makes her a great actress. Seeing Helen on stage reawakens Robert's love for her and he begs her for forgiveness. After initially snubbing him, Helen relents and the two finally are reunited.

A father who is determined his daughter should marry a count leading the boyfriend to dress up as the count to thwart his plans.

A young girl is trying to live an honest life in a crooked city. Caught up with a crook that might be the son of a millionaire and other crooked people, she must attempt to reform things, or at least one person.

Sam the white-washer pines for the affluent Lindy, but she has dumped him in favor of another. Sam finds a large sum of money, and goes to New York to enjoy a shopping spree, buying new clothes, jewelry and a car with a driver. Back home, Lindy flips for Sam and his newfound wealth, and dumps the rival. Sam throws an engagement party where he indulges in a friendly game of cards with his former rival and another man, who unbeknownst to Sam, is a card shark.

It's a society in which gender roles are switched. Will men stand to be unequal?

The stations of Christ's life are segmented into a series of performative tableaux.

A pregnant woman steals things from others on account of her cravings.

A man must marry by noon or lose his inheritance. It's 11:50 a.m. and he can't find his fiancée.

Alice Guy's version of Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. This film is partially lost.

Peggy Wilson has recently become an orphan and a ward of the Waston family. She’s also inherited the late Robert Wilson’s vast fortune, which puts her very much in Mr. Waston’s favor. He would like his son, Frank, to marry Peggy, but Peggy “is not his style” and “her money is no inducement”.

An abused young woman finds safety and love in the arms of a famous novelist.

During the Paris Commune, a boy runs across trouble at the barricade. The film is now attributed to Alice Guy-Blaché by the Gaumont company, although there is some debate about whether it was directed by Étienne Arnaud.

A suffragette gets her husband drunk, leading to an escalating parade of mishaps as more people get drunk on their "lime juice."

A bunch of people run an obstacle course all around town.