Gaston Velle

The first cinematographic adaptation of the infamous Count Cagliostro. The alchemist Athlotas foretells that his student, Cagliostro, will meet a gypsy named Lorenza. After a duel over her, Cagliostro takes Lorenza home and uses her exceptional medium powers to achieve immense fame. At court, he reluctantly predicts Marie Antoinette’s execution. Subsequently arrested, his bitter rival, Chevalier d’Oisemont, accuses him of witchcraft, driving Cagliostro to poison himself in his cell.

A scientist concocts a potion that can turn people invisible for short periods of time. Two crooks steal the potion and go on a crime spree.

A woman, who tried to smuggle goods under her clothes, is brought to an excise duty office for further inspection.

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

An Italian movie about Othello.

A woman, in her bedroom, is putting her jewelry away. Alarmed by strange noises at her door, she hides behind her bed. A burglar enters the room and steals her jewelry box. The woman calls for help, a police officer steps in and starts to chase the thief.

The first cinematographic adaptation of the infamous Count Cagliostro. The alchemist Athlotas foretells that his student, Cagliostro, will meet a gypsy named Lorenza. After a duel over her, Cagliostro takes Lorenza home and uses her exceptional medium powers to achieve immense fame. At court, he reluctantly predicts Marie Antoinette’s execution. Subsequently arrested, his bitter rival, Chevalier d’Oisemont, accuses him of witchcraft, driving Cagliostro to poison himself in his cell.

A scientist concocts a potion that can turn people invisible for short periods of time. Two crooks steal the potion and go on a crime spree.

A woman, who tried to smuggle goods under her clothes, is brought to an excise duty office for further inspection.

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

An Italian movie about Othello.

A woman, in her bedroom, is putting her jewelry away. Alarmed by strange noises at her door, she hides behind her bed. A burglar enters the room and steals her jewelry box. The woman calls for help, a police officer steps in and starts to chase the thief.

A young woman becomes pregnant and attempts to provide for her child after the father leaves her.

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.

A Japanese-set magic show. There is a lot of visual trickery on display, ending with an amazing effect using reverse footage and superimposing/projecting images on top of one another.

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 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.

Pierrot woos Columbine, who abandons Harlequin. An old witch hands Harlequin a magical flute that will make his wishes come true, whenever it is played. It is now time for Harlequin to play his tricks.

A charming example of the Pathe stencil system of colour films, also using superimposition.

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.

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

A merchant is giving a demonstration of his lifelike automatons to a bedazzled customer. Could these "larger than life" clockwork figures look too good to be true?

Inside an operating room, a surgeon performs several procedures of "modern" surgery.

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.

This is an incomplete fragment of a longer film, so doesn’t make much sense, but it’s very beautiful and colourful with plenty of fireworks, flames and fountains as well as the customary fairies, magic and dancing.

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.

An evil magician visits the rajah's palace to perform his magic tricks, but he also steals a valuable casket making his getaway aboard a dragon. The rajah pursues the wizard to a subterranean cavern.

A couple steals food from a grocery store. To stop them from repeating their crime, the cunning salesman electrifies his shop.

After a quarrel Pedro walks out of the cafe leaving his fiancée (Stacia Napierkowska) alone. Heartbroken, she visits the flower garden and there, flowers metamorphose into women and begin to dance.

The stages that a caterpillar goes through, from larvae to chrysalis, to become a butterfly.

A magician enters a café and sets about introducing his act, but a waiter interferes and throws him out the door. Disgruntled, the magician decides to take revenge, and he has more than one trick up his sleeve.

Short film showcasing a circus clown act.

A couple perform a acrobatic dance.

A little flower film by Gaston Velle.

Two housemaids, arguing, start to fight : a houseboy steps in to separate them, and in doing so becomes their target and is literally torn apart. Alarmed by the quarrel, a policeman intervenes. Will order finally be restored?

A beautiful seductive fairy makes gentle winged creatures appear.

A magician shows tricks with money.

A drunk staggers into his apartment and falls asleep. He dreams he climbs to the top of a building and flies to the moon, then falls back to earth. When he wakes, still drunk, he is in his apartment.

The town-crier summons the inhabitants of the town and they read a manifesto which is posted on a wall announcing the fact that at 4 o'clock on that day the Lord Mayor will receive bids for the building of a town clock.

Two unfriendly neighbors make up when their children are caught in a storm.

Two unfriendly neighbors make up when their children are caught in a storm.

Under cover of a disguise, Santa approaches Saint-Anthony's hut and, via various tricks, sets out to try his faith. Will good triumph over evil?

A magician performs various tricks.

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

Harlequin is walking in a garden with Columbine. As he moves away to the distance and leaves her on her own, Mephisto appears, from inside a well, and tries to woo her. Will Harlequin get back in time and rescue her?

A cook mistakenly throws his kitchen boy into a huge pot while preparing a stew. Distraught, he attempts to make up for his mistake. Alas, Mephisto decides to get involved.