Horror Movies from the 1890s
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- DirectorAlfred ClarkStarsRobert ThomaeMrs. Robert L. ThomasThis short film, one of the first to use camera tricks, depicts the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyJules-Eugène LegrisGeorges MélièsWith the help of a magic cauldron, Mephistopheles conjures up a variety of supernatural characters.
- 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.
- 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'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.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsMisidentified as The Mysterious Retort (1906), sadly, this film is currently presumed lost; however, according to Wikipedia, an anthropomorphous star with five female heads and a giant face has people coming out of its mouth.
- DirectorGeorges Méliès"The picture shows the Devil working at a fire. Two cavaliers appear, and the Devil takes the form of a seer, old, bent and wrinkled. Then he disappears in a cloud of smoke, to reappear shortly as a ghost, whose head comes off and floats around the room. Suddenly the table gets up of itself, and flies up the chimney. All sorts of wonderful things happen. A cannon takes the place occupied by the table, and belches forth flame and smoke. A large cage appears mysteriously in the center of the room, through the bars of which the Devil passes as if it were an open door. By his magic, he makes the cavalier pass through the bars in the same wonderful fashion. Everything is so weird and fantastic, that such a small trifle as a man turning into a donkey excites but passing notice."
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsA man dressed in red is ushered into an antechamber in a Castle and offered a seat. When he tried to sit down the chair moves to the other side of the room causing the man to fall on the floor. Standing up he strides to the chair but on trying to lift it a Spector materializes in the chair, arises and challenges the man. The man pulls out his sword and lunges at the Spector but it changes into a skeleton. Seeing the change the man tried to grab the skeleton but it changes into an armor clad guard. The man attempts to move the guard but a devil appears and waves the man away. The man recoils from the devil and tries to leave but the Spector reappears. Both it and the devil frighten the man from the antechamber.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsAt a solitary cheap inn, a distant traveller overcome with fatigue has a close encounter with the supernatural.
- DirectorGeorge Albert SmithStarsLaura BayleyTom GreenA man and woman are flirting when a professor turns on an X-ray machine, revealing their insides. After turning it off again the two have a dispute and break up.
- DirectorLouis LumièreA skeleton dances joyously, often collapsing into a heap of bones and quickly putting itself back together.
- DirectorGeorges HatotAlexandre Promio
- DirectorGeorges MélièsThe German legend of a scholar's unholy pact with the Devil would have been very familiar to most moviegoers (at least European ones), so Georges Méliès' early cinematic treatment likely got away with simply offering a fancifully illustrated late episode without the earlier narrative context (however, spoken narration provides some of the latter in this restored print). Tempted by Mephistopheles with all kinds of dancing and ethereal babes, Faust is at first excited and then terrified by the sight of various demons and monsters. The painted-set designers really went hog wild on this one, depicting the (sometimes sexy) torments of subterranean Hell with in bold terms (even when ballerinas prance in the foreground). - Dennis Harvey
- DirectorGeorge Albert SmithPhotographer tries to take a picture of a ghost, but it won't keep still and then vanishes.
- DirectorGeorge Albert SmithSatan conjures a vision of a girl, for whom an old man signs a pact and is made young.
- In this black comedy scene, the bottom falls out of a coffin, the corpse tumble out, and is jolted back to life. Short sequences like this, as well as street scenes and dancing geisha girls were the main subjects of early Nippon cinema, pioneered by Shiro Asano and Shibata Tsunekichi from 1897 onwards. In creating dramatic, scenes, film-makers naturally chose the most striking or bizarre. Another undocumented film, recalled by cameraman Shiro Asano.
- Jizo, the protector of dead children and all creatures trapped in Hell, is usually found in graveyards. Bake-Jizo is a stature placed at crossroads. There is no official record of Bake Jizo's existence - only later recollection of cameraman Shiro Asano, Konishi Honten was a photography in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, which imported the first film to Japan,
- DirectorEdwin S. Porter"He sits asleep at a bare table; old witch enters, raps three times, then disappears; cavalier sees table spread for a sumptuous repast. Mephistopheles appears; then the old witch, who suddenly changes to a beautiful young girl. The changes and magical appearances are startling and instantaneous."
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyGeorges MélièsAn astronomer falls asleep and has a strange dream involving a fairy queen and the Moon.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsSatan appears in a convent and takes the guise of a priest. Before long he is causing all manner of perturbation and despair.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsA magician presents a wreath which in turn transforms into other things.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyGeorges MélièsA devil conjures up a dancing woman from a mystical flame.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsMlle BarralBleuette BernonCarmelliA fairy godmother magically turns Cinderella's rags to a beautiful dress, and a pumpkin into a coach. Cinderella goes to the ball, where she meets the Prince - but will she remember to leave before the magic runs out?
- DirectorTsunekichi ShibataStarsDanjuro IchikawaKikugoro Onoe VHistorical nobleman Taira no Koremori fights a demon who has disguised itself as Princess Sarashina.
- DirectorWalter R. BoothA miser dies of shock when the ghost of a poor woman appears.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsA sleeping apartment of a friend who retires for the night. The rays of the moon are shining upon the bed through the window. He is suddenly awakened by a bug of gigantic proportions crawling over him. This he attacks and destroys, but before again retiring he notices three more climbing up the wall. He lights the candle and applies the flame to each, causing them to explode with fine smoke effect. After this slaughter he retires in contentment and soon sleeps the sleep of the just. A very funny subject.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsJehanne d'AlcyGeorges MélièsA man digging inside an Egyptian tomb chops up a mummy, then resurrects the woman inside it.
- DirectorJ. Stuart BlacktonAlbert E. SmithThis is acknowledged by exhibitors to be the funniest of all moving magical films. A countryman is seen entering the office of the spiritualist and paying his fee. He is then mesmerized and sees funny things. He drops his handkerchief on the floor and as he reaches for it, it gradually grows larger and larger, dancing up and down, and going through funny antics until before the eye of the spectator it turns into a ghost of enormous proportions. It then vanishes and as the countryman is in the act of sitting in the chair, the ghost suddenly appears and the countryman receives a great fright. He then jumps up and throws off his hat and coat, and they immediately fly back on his body. He repeatedly throws them off and they as often return. This scene finally closes by numerous ghost and hobgoblins appearing and disappearing before the eyes of the frightened countryman, who finally leaves the room in great haste.
- Silas Hayseed arrives in town and proceeds to put up a hotel noted for its 'tables,' which are all made of hard wood. The country yokel is shown to his room and divests himself of his best Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes. His little bunch of whiskers that adorn his chin seem to be as proud of him as his Melindy Jane, whom he left in Grassville, back over yonder. He is finally undressed and tumbles into bed, resolving meanwhile to dream of the good prices he will realize in his produce. While pondering over matters, he looks around and discovers a Ghost standing in the middle of the room. Silas becomes scared, begosh, and leaping out on the floor begs the Ghost to do him no harm. The Ghost suddenly vanishes and the Hayseed is about to jump into bed again when Satan appears from under the sheets and scares him to such an extent that he is willing to promise him even a box of fresh rooster eggs if he will only go away. But his Satanic Majesty says 'nit,' and he is almost frantic. After causing much excitement our poor unfortunate Silas is hustled out in the street, but we are not informed whether he gets his money back or not. This film will cause tears to flow with laughter."
- DirectorGeorges MélièsA young woman stumbles across a cave that is populated by the spirits and skeletons of people who died there under mysterious circumstances.
- DirectorGeorges MélièsStarsGeorges MélièsIn a traditional "magician" attire, the wizard of illusion and jump cuts, Georges Méliès, says the magic words and conjures up wonders from a plain wooden box.
- DirectorTsunekichi ShibataStarsYokitsu IchimuraEizaburo OnoeShot at the Kubut-za in Tokyo and a rare record of two classical kubuki actors, Onoe Eizaburo V and Ichimura Kakuki-za VI, A surviving poster for this film is illustrated by a woodblock print of the lead actors by ukiyo-e artist Yutaka Hitoshi, a frozen moment of the incipient transition from traditional art-forms of ukiyo-e and kabuki to the new, and all-dominating medium of katsudo-shashin (cinema).