Shorts 1896
All short movies I have seen from 1896 ranked from best to worst
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- DirectorWilliam HeiseStarsMay IrwinJohn C. RiceIn a medium close-up shot of the first kiss ever recorded on screen, two fervent lovers cuddle and talk passionately at hair's breadth, just before the love-smitten gentleman decides to give his chosen one an innocent peck.
- DirectorAuguste LumièreLouis LumièreStarsMadeleine KoehlerMarcel KoehlerMrs. Auguste LumiereA train arrives at La Ciotat station.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyGeorges MélièsAs an elegant maestro of mirage and delusion drapes his beautiful female assistant with a gauzy textile, much to our amazement, the lady vanishes into thin air.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyJules-Eugène LegrisGeorges MélièsWith the help of a magic cauldron, Mephistopheles conjures up a variety of supernatural characters.
- DirectorLouis LumièreStarsAndrée LumièreSuzanne Lumière"Two babies are shown seated in high chairs and apparently enjoying themselves. Suddenly one snatches a toy from the other, and they indulge in hair-pulling."
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyGeorges MélièsIn this fantastic scene, a man who is eager to retire has a difficult time finding peace, as his nocturnal illusions come to life out of thin air.
- DirectorLouis LumièreStarsAuguste LumièreAuguste Lumière directs four workers in the demolition of an old wall at the Lumière factory. One worker is pressing the wall inwards with a jackscrew, while another is pushing it with a pick. When the wall hits the ground, a cloud of white dust whirls up. Three workers continue the demolition of the wall with picks.
- In the foreground, smoke billows. Four horse-drawn fire wagons approach and pass in front of a stationary camera. Two horses draw each wagon, and each wagon carries from two to eight firefighters. After the wagons pass, carts and pedestrians resume traffic on the street.
- A stationary camera looks across Burgundy's River Sâone toward a small military encampment. Four horsemen enter the water in the foreground, each riding his horse as it swims across toward camp or leading it by the bridle as they swim. The men are shirtless. When they reach the middle of the river, seven more shirtless young men, each with a horse, start the crossing. Most begin astride their mount, but end up swimming alongside. Across the river, men stand in front of a large tent to watch and talk. Three officers on a makeshift pier talk to each other and ignore the young men's crossing.
- DirectorAlexandre PromioOne toddler and about ten children, not yet adolescents, use a shovel, rakes, and nets to scour an eddy by the sea as fully-dressed women (hats and all) and a few men look on and give advice. The boys are in short pants; the girls have pulled up their skirts and petticoats and stuck in their sashes. Not a clam is to be seen, although one lass checks her net a couple of times. The children's outfits (trim hats on each child and lace on each girl) suggest wealth and high society.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsA 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.
- DirectorLouis LumièreFin de siécle elegance. A parade of sorts passes in front of a stationary camera. An ostrich pulls a cart in which two well-dressed girls sit, two mules pull a large cart full of children, two horses pass with children astride, a camel follows with two children atop; last comes a large elephant with children on top and a small elephant alongside. Each animal, except the baby elephant, is decked out and each is attended by at least one man. The children are all in hats and frills. After the animals pass, we see adults out for a walk, the women with parasols and the men with silk hats.
- DirectorJames H. WhiteA woman and a young girl each carry containers of bird feed, and they toss occasional handfuls to the chickens and doves in the farmyard. Most of the chickens stay nearby, but the doves occasionally fly off and then return to eat more.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsA soldier stands guard at a sentry box and leaves it unprotected for a moment, a moment that two men take advantage of to put up posters where it is prohibited.
- DirectorWilliam HeiseStarsAmy MullerVaudeville dancer Amy Muller performs a portion of her stage routine, which features dancing on her toes. She dances on one toe for part of the performance. Later, she also twirls and does cartwheels.
- DirectorLouis LumièreCarmaux is in south-central France, near the Tarn River. As a brick of coke, about four feet high and three feet wide, is gradually pushed out of a smelter into a yard, one worker sprays it with water from a hose while two workers with long metal rakes wait to spread it out. Other workers buzz in and out of the foreground of the stationary camera. Atop the first level of the brick smelter, workers push full carts of coal along a track.
- DirectorLouis LumièreStarsAntoine FéraudAntoine LumièreFélicien TreweyTwo men play cards, as a third watches and a waiter brings drinks. The third man pours drinks as the waiter laughs.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsOctavie HuvierGaston MélièsGeorges MélièsIn what is considered to be the first remake in the history of cinema, the grand French director, Georges Méliès, directs his very first short film, influenced by the Lumière Brothers' original story in "Partie d'écarté (1896)".
- DirectorLouis LumièreSeveral little boys run along a pier, then jump into the ocean.
- DirectorJames H. WhiteA woman is washing an infant child. She thrusts him, kicking and struggling, into a tub full of foaming water.
- DirectorAlexandre PromioA male lion, right next to bars that are about 6 or 8 inches apart, keenly watches a uniformed zoo attendant toss small morsels of food into the cage. The lion alternates between finding the food on the cage floor and reaching through the bars to swipe at the man, who stays alarmingly close to the beast. In the background are the large rocks and brick wall at the back of the lion's habitat.
- DirectorAlice GuyStarsAlice GuyGermaine SerandYvonne SerandThe first film directed by a female director, "The Cabbage Fairy" presents a brief fantasy tale involving a strange fairy who can produce and deliver babies coming out of cabbages. Gently moving through the cabbages and using of lovely gestures, she takes one baby out of there, then makes more magic and delivers two more.
- DirectorLouis LumièreTwo young girls feed a flock of domesticated ducks while an adult woman walks by and watches them.
- DirectorJames H. White"A burning wagon is dragged from the barn by the firemen, and four horses are rescued from the flames by the stablemen. Thick volumes of smoke pour from the doors and windows." - from the Edison Catalog
- DirectorJames H. WhiteStarsSergeant Eagan"A battalion of New York's famous mounted police at inspection. They approach at break-neck gallop." - from the Edison Catalog
- DirectorAlexandre PromioWalking four abreast, in groups of six rows, 144 of Chicago's finest parade past a stationary camera. Each of the six groups that pass is escorted by an officer. All are men, all are white, all look tall, all wear identical high-buttoned uniforms and badges and carry a nightstick. Almost all sport mustaches. Behind the police comes a horse-drawn carriage.
- DirectorJames H. WhiteStarsJ. Stuart BlacktonThomas A. EdisonArtist draws Thomas Edison.
- DirectorAlexandre PromioA stationary camera is set at a curve in the train tracks, with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. From the bridge, a four-car streetcar approaches and turns to he viewer's left. As it passes, a train going toward the bridge passes on the tracks in front. It has four cars as well, with a few passengers aboard. A train engine that is moving backwards follows that train. A man atop a tall ladder works on a light pole.
- DirectorJames H. WhiteStarsBenjamin F. HardestyCharles Lee"Train is first seen rounding a curve nearly a mile away. Approaches at the rate of 70 miles an hour, blowing a warning whistle to a gang of track repairers."
- DirectorJames H. White"Depicts the patient fisherman, sitting on the end of a plank, waiting for a bite. Practical joker comes along and removes stone from other end of plank."
- DirectorAlexandre PromioShort film depicting New York's Broadway and Union Square that gives an insight of everyday life and traffic at that time.
- DirectorJames H. WhiteA pair of bucolic lovers discovered by the wrathful father, who teaches the gallant a lesson.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsJoseph JeffersonThe seventh of eight short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson in which he chronicles the story of Rip Van Winkle. In this film, Rip awakes from his slumber, having significantly aged during his sleep.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsJoseph JeffersonThe sixth of eight short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson in which he chronicles the story of Rip Van Winkle. In this film, Rip passes out from drinking and falls asleep.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsJoseph JeffersonThe eighth and final of eight short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson in which he chronicles the story of Rip Van Winkle. In this film, an elderly Rip crosses the mountain.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsJoseph JeffersonThe first of eight short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson in which he chronicles the story of Rip Van Winkle. In this film, two men - one of them being Rip himself - toast and enjoy their drinks.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsJoseph JeffersonThe fourth of eight short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson in which he chronicles the story of Rip Van Winkle. In this film, Rip encounters several other dwarf-like mountain-dwellers.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsJoseph JeffersonThe fifth of eight short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson in which he chronicles the story of Rip Van Winkle. In this film, Rip starts drinking with the mountain-men and gets severely drunk.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsJoseph JeffersonThe second of eight short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson in which he chronicles the story of Rip Van Winkle. In this film, a dwarf carrying a barrel appears. Rip friendly takes the barrel from him.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsJoseph JeffersonThe third of eight short black and white films from director William K.L. Dickson in which he chronicles the story of Rip Van Winkle. In this film, Rip helps the dwarf carrying the barrel into the mountains.
- A stationary camera placed amidships looks toward the round end of a 10- or 12-foot boiler that's been loaded onto the open deck. Three men climb down from atop the boiler and then remove their ladder. Four or five other workers tie the boiler down to the deck. Their pace is leisurely. In the background is a busy harbor.
- DirectorRobert W. PaulThe Derby is an 1896 British short black-and-white silent documentary film, produced and directed by Birt Acres for exhibition on Robert W. Paul's Kinetoscopes, featuring the end of the 29 May 1895 Epsom Derby viewed from a raised position close to the finishing line with the main stand in the distance. A stationary camera looks diagonally across a racetrack toward the infield showing the horses as they pass. Once the horses have passed the camera it is clear that the race has come to an end and there is a close finish between three horses. Once the race is over police officers run onto the field. The camera also displays various members of the audience moving around.
- DirectorJames H. WhiteThe camera shows a view of the American Falls and Goat Island.
- StarsWilliam McKinleyGeorge B. CortelyouIda McKinley"This view was taken upon Mr. McKinley's lawn at his home in Canton, Ohio. Mr. McKinley appears walking across the lawn in company with his Secretary, who hands him a telegram, which he reads with apparent satisfaction. The characteristic walk and gestures of Mr. McKinley will be noted with interest by his friends."