1897 – The X-Ray Fiend

Directed by: George Albert Smith

This is an early British example of the substitution splice, a special effect already used by Alfred Clark in The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895) and extensively by Georges Méliès in films such as Escamotage d’une dame chez Robert-Houdin / The Conjuring of a Woman at the House of Robert Houdin (1896) and Le Manoir du Diable / The House of the Devil (1896). The novelty of this film is its subject matter: x-rays had been discovered by Wilhelm Röntgen only a little over a year prior, on November 8, 1895. It led to something of a craze at the time, including countless public demonstrations and comic strips detailing the new discovery.

From Punch (vol. CX) 1896 Almanack (noted under March 7, 1896).

In 1897, George Albert Smith incorporated it into a comedic sketch film, starring a man and a woman who are transformed into skeletons by a scientist brandishing a device similar to a camera (clearly labeled “X RAYS”). It highlights the complicated nature of film – on one hand, it is a reflection of the times (of some anthropological value) but on the other hand, whether for the sake of entertainment or due to general ignorance, it presents a fiction that gets details of the phenomena wrong (x-rays as something you uncap and release and cause people and objects to physically transform). It raises the question: is seeing truly believing?

Bibliography

Gershon, L. (2019). ‘The X-Ray Craze of 1896’, JSTOR Daily, 14 November. Available at: https://daily.jstor.org/the-x-ray-craze-of-1896/ [Accessed: 2 January 2022]

IMDb contributors (n.d.). ‘The X-Ray Fiend (1897)’, IMDb. Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000172/ [Accessed: 1 January 2022].

Kramer, F. (2016). ‘The X-Rays (1897) A Silent Film Review’, Movies Silently, 19 February. Available at: http://moviessilently.com/2016/02/19/the-x-rays-1897-a-silent-film-review/ [Accessed: 1 January 2022].

Long, T. (2010). ‘Nov. 8, 1895: Roentgen Stumbles Upon X-Rays’, Wired, 8 November. Available at: https://www.wired.com/2010/11/1108roentgen-stumbles-x-ray/ [Accessed: 1 January 2022].

McKernan, L. (2010). ‘X-ray fiends’, The Bioscope, 10 August. Available at: https://thebioscope.net/2010/08/10/x-ray-fiends/ [Accessed: 1 January 2022].

1892 – Pauvre Pierrot

Directed by: Charles-Émile Reynaud

Pauvre Pierrot (Poor Pierrot) introduces another character to the pantheon of film pioneers: Charles-Émile Reynaud.

Not only did he invent the Praxinoscope in 1877, he improved upon it over the years, eventually resulting in the Théâtre Optique in 1888. The device was capable of large-scale projection and was operated from behind the screen, usually by Reynaud himself. Two images would be projected simultaneously: animated characters and a static background upon which these were superimposed. The projectionist was able to influence the speed of the production and repeat movements. To perform these manipulations and for image stability, Reynaud introduced film perforations which would become a standard in moving pictures (though he used gelatin squares rather than film for his productions). Screenings would be accompanied by live music and dialogue performed by assistants. Whereas most films at the time ran for a couple of seconds, Théâtre Optique stories could run anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes– and in color!

The Théâtre Optique operated by Charles-Émile Reynaud. Note the background and animation projected separately. Image by Louis Poyet in La Nature, July 1892.

Pauvre Pierrot consists of 500 frames and is largely considered one of the first animated films ever screened to an audience. It premiered on October 28^th as part of Reynaud’s Pantomimes Lumineuses at the Museé Grévin alongside two of his other animations: Le Clown et ses chiens (The Clown and His Dogs, 1892) and Un bon bock (A Good Beer, 1892).

Unlike its live-action contemporaries which consisted of documentary scenes, Pauvre Pierrot weaved a narrative. It tells the story of two men vying for the love and attention of a woman. We are first introduced to a masked figure who scales a wall and surprises a woman in the courtyard. Their close relationship is quickly established through physical proximity and him putting his arm around her. The moment is interrupted by a rapping at the door, upon which she instructs the man to hide and remain quiet. Another suitor arrives, with whom she remains at a distance and more formal. He leaves, only to return some time later, taking swigs from a bottle. He begins to serenade her. A villain is established, drunk and harassing the maiden. The masked man covertly plays a number of tricks on him and scares him off. After a celebratory dance, he is invited inside.

With time came new technological advancements and the popularity of the Cinematograph marked the end of the public’s interest in the Théâtre Optique. Depressed, Reynaud took a hammer to his device and destroyed most of his works by throwing them in the River Seine. He died in poverty in January 1918. The two surviving works that now serve as his legacy are Pauvre Pierrot and Autour d’une cabine (Around a Cabin, 1894).

Bibliography

Ettleman, T. (2017). ‘The First Animated Film Is Beautiful’, Tristan Ettleman, 5 January. Available at: https://trettleman.medium.com/the-first-animated-film-is-beautiful-c8706d2b19f3 [Accessed: 21 November 2021].

Herbert, S. (n.d.). ‘Charles-Émile Reynaud’, Who’s Who of Victorian Cinema. Available at: http://www.victorian-cinema.net/reynaud [Accessed: 21 November 2021].

IMDb contributors (n.d.). ‘Pauvre Pierrot (1892)’, IMDb. Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000003/ [Accessed: 21 November 2021].

Myrent, G. (1989). ‘Emile Reynaud: First Motion Picture Cartoonist’, Film History. 3 (3): pgs.191-202.