Let Me Dream Again

  • Director: George Albert Smith
  • Starring: Tom Green, Laura Bayley
  • Year: 1900
  • Runtime: 1m
  • Available on YouTube

A poor wretch of a man wakes from a dream about partying with a pretty younger woman to find, in a hi-larious twist, that his arms are around his older, dowdier wife who wants nothing to do with his affections.

How his wife hates him so! Ha ha ha!

Continue Reading →

Solar Eclipse

  • Director: Nevil Maskelyne
  • Year: 1900
  • Runtime: 2m
  • Available on BFI Player

This film is believed to be the first surviving astronomical film in the world. Magician and astronomy enthusiast Nevil Maskelyne had to design and build a special adaptor for his camera in order to capture this solar eclipse, an event that has fascinated us for all of human existence.

Continue Reading →

Danse Serpentine (Serpentine Dance)

  • Director: Louis Lumière
  • Year: 1896
  • Runtime: 1m
  • Available on Wikipedia, or with a slightly higher resolution but with interlacing issues at Ubu.com

The first couple of films I watched as part of my History of Cinema journey were, frankly, not that exciting. They are interesting and worthwhile for their technological achievements and historical importance. Unfortunately, as movies, they don’t have a whole lot to offer.

Continue Reading →